#scaramouche had when he was a blank slate

[inavagrant-a]

I am thinking of the tragic character that is "Scaramouche" and how nothing in his life did ever go his way. I don't necessarily feel sorry for him because he's definitely a tragic comedy kind of character, like his entire character is a tragic comedy and maybe one day once I compile my thoughts on that properly I'll make a fleshed out post about it, but man. Man, oh man, he never really went out swinging even if he tried to. The culmination of everything resulting in the birth of another him with a tough hand in fate as a start.

[figgrrr0]

Heyy!! If head cannons are still open I’d love to see one about Tartaglia, Dulic, and Wonder react to fem!reader telling them about how they’re going to go on an adventure for a couple weeks to explore! (Sfw or nsfw is fine)

Their S/O goes on a solo adventure

Characters: Tartaglia/Childe, Diluc, Wanderer/Scaramouche // Reader: Gn

Genre: Smut // CWs next to the corresponding character

Tartaglia:

Cw: Rough sex, implied biting and pain play, public sex?

When you told him, Tartaglia would be surprised. He'd have to take a couple of seconds to silently collect himself, which from your perspective looked quite funny because of how stunned he was. He'd definitely make some kind of joke, like how he's the usually the one having to leave you for missions, and how heart broken he'll be if you go (how much of a joke really is that one?).

You'll be basically forced to spar with him before you go. He uses it as a ploy, saying that you have to convince him that you're strong enough to go alone, but really he just wants to spend as much time with you as possible – it only helps that it'd let you get a bit stronger. He also gets the chance to show you some new techniques! He only means well, and if at any point you do get annoyed by his showmanship, you can't help but feel your irritation be quelled by the proud look in his eyes and the smile he holds when you get it right.

We all know that Tartaglia is battlesexual, so it's only natural that your training session would lead to something more. He becomes more and more distracted on how dishevelled and sweaty you're getting, and he needs another outlet for all of his pent up energy from the fight, since he can't just completely let loose on you.

He'd take you right there in the arena, his movements fast and grip rough enough to colour you in the prettiest shades of purple. His exhilarated breaths puff into the side of your neck, kisses and bites and nips of all manner latching onto your pulse points; and if you'd been able to see his eyes from the place he'd taken over you, you'd have seen the outright love that he presented to you, just barely containing something more.

When all is done, Tartaglia would help you get redressed, as messy as you still looked with all of the fabrics torn, looking as though you'd been attacked by a wild animal. When you go to reprimand him with a swat to the arm, he just lets out a bashful laugh, taking you into his arms as he walks home, cleaning you up and setting you into bed for the rest of the evening. He knew that you'd need to... recuperate, to say the least.

And when you awake the next morning, unable to walk and sore all over, as well as completely covered in marks and bruises, some of which you had no hopes of covering, you knew that you'd have to reschedule your adventure. But, even though he was apologetic, you couldn't help but wonder if that was his plan all along...

When it really came time for you to leave, Tartaglia would let you go seemingly pretty easily, but says that you'll have to spend extra time with him when you return to make up for the lost time. He couldn't help but think of you almost constantly; even when he's working, questions of your safety would pop into his mind, overthinking the possibilities of dangers that could hold you back... as much as he knew you could fend for yourself, he couldn't help but worry. More over, his subordinates and even those who see him regularly would notice that he's been colder since you left, his face a blank slate and eyes darker than ever, and his temper easier to flare...

Diluc:

Cw: Soft sex (making love 🩷)

As soon as you mentioned your plans for an adventure, Diluc was immediately running through the list in his head of what he could help you with to ensure your safety. A part of him thinks that he should accompany you, in case something goes wrong and you need help, but the other side of him knows that you need your freedom. After all, even he needs a bit of space every now and then. And so, he insists that you let him make all of the arrangements, in terms of hotels for you to stay at and ordering provisions and equipment that could come of use. It'd really put his mind at ease to know that everything was taken care of.

On the morning that you are set to leave, Diluc wishes you good luck on your journey, accompanied by a sweet goodbye kiss that lasts longer than you'd expected, and holds the promise of a warm return. He spends that first day as he would any other, working away as though he'd never stop – maybe that had been his intention. Because he knew that his bed would be cold and empty without you by his side.

He tries not to think about you too much, because he knows that acknowledging your absence will only make things harder. He trusts you to take good care of yourself, and lamenting further would only run the risk of unnecessary worry, and of him ruining your journey by coming to find you. He manages to pass through the days that you are gone quite easily after the first few, a new idea fueling his work hours:

If he can get all of his work done while waiting for you to come back, he'll have even more time to spend with you; and so that becomes his goal, with the help of the maids keeping his self care relatively on track.

Upon your eventual return, Diluc is almost literally plastered to your side for at least a day or two. He's helping you unpack, and as soon as you're ready to relax and settle down, he's running you a nice, warm bath, of course with a couple of candles for ambiance.

When you've soaked for a while and get cleaned up, Diluc will be patiently waiting for you in your bed, where he'll immediately pull you into his arms, wanting to hear all about your adventure. Now, he's content to just cuddle; but being separated from you for longer than a week had been harder than he'd anticipated.

If you so choose, your first night back with Diluc would turn to breathless lovemaking, the thrusts of his hips precise and familiar – exactly what you'd been missing for weeks on end. He could easily get carried away. Being away from you means that he'd gotten used to being alone again, and having you here, so close and so sudden, can be a little overwhelming... his pace will pick up intermittently when he forgets himself, caught up in the smell and feel and sounds of you. he'll be much more vocal, too. His grunts and moans picking up in pitch while his mouth spouts his wandering thoughts, all entranced in you, a seemingly endless profession of his devotion.

Wanderer:

When he finally stills, he'd look you in the eyes, his gaze simultaneously hazy but clear as he leans down to kiss you one final time. And when you awake the next morning, having gone to sleep during the process of him cleaning you up, you find yourself still encircled in Diluc's strong arms, where usually he would have already been pulling on his shirt halfway across the room, ready to start his day.

Cw: slight blowjob, implied overstim, not dacryphilia but he cries, angst. (It's so hard for me to get a hold of his character)

The Wanderer's immediate reaction is frustration. He'll kind of shut himself off from the conversation, and when you pause your explanation, in wait of an answer from him, all he could force out is, "I don't exactly... approve of this decision, but you're free to do whatever you want." But his discomfort is obvious. He'll want to get away for a few hours to try and sort out his thoughts, knowing that he was probably being unreasonable, as much as he wanted to be selfish when it came to you.

In truth, his frustrations stemmed from his worry and insecurity; he doesn't even want to think about being forgotten again, especially not by you. But he can't accompany you, he wouldn't even be able to subtly work his way into your day like he usually does (not that he'd ever admit it). He'd just have to hope that you'll come back to him; and that uncertainty, that sheer dependency on another is what makes him second guess the situation.

However, when you find him again, really trying to settle his thoughts and lay out your intentions, only then does Wanderer finally manage to rein himself in. It'll take a couple of minutes for it all to sink in for him, but if you just stand by, maybe keeping a source of contact between the two of you – a hand on his arm, for example – to show that you're not leaving, well... that's when it'll finally click. He'll begrudgingly repeat his words from earlier, but this time, you can tell that he understands. He may not want you to leave, but when you do, at least he won't have a silent meltdown as soon as you're gone.

That being said, the final days prior to your departure, Wanderer will try and distance himself from you. In his mind, when you leave, the change won't be so sudden. It only makes sense to prepare in this way. So if you can't find him on the day you're set to leave to say goodbye, don't take it too personally; he doesn't think he could make it through an actual goodbye from you, and he doesn't want to look any weaker in your presence.

While you're away, there's a nagging thought in his head that won't go away, constantly telling him that he shouldn't have let you go alone. It'd get to the point that, at least once, he'd reluctantly have to go to Nahida for reassurance, to stop him from spiralling, or impulsively trying to find you.

Despite all of this, upon your return, it may feel as though he's purposefully avoiding you, but he's not. Not really. But he does want you to be the one to seek him out. He's feeling slightly petty that you left him alone, even though rationally he knows that you needed the time to explore; it's the nature of humans, after all. The easiest way to get him to "forgive" you is to sit him down and almost literally beg (I plays into his god complex really well, even though he knows that's why you're doing it).

Your Wanderer will also be deceivingly desperate for your touch, though. He needs your hands on him, passing over every inch of his body. He needs to feel your breath, your lips, your tongue, when you take him into the heat of your mouth. He needs to grip your hair, keeping you exactly where he needs to feel you most. And he needs to feel your rising heartbeat against his bare chest, when you finally slide him into your constricting walls, the drag more overwhelming than he'd ever remembered.

And when he turns his head, hiding the tears that you know fall so easily, that's when he knows that he can let you go; that you could be anywhere in the world, and still you'd come back to him. So when he no less than passes out straight after you've drained him as much as you felt was needed after so long away from each other, you have no doubt that he'll be back to normal, tomorrow.

Thank you for reading! 🩷

Want to send a request/brainrot with me? Check my rules!

[hitomisuzuya]

im gonna go on a rampage now that ur reqs are on 😈

stoner scara x fem reader who doesn't do drugs or smoke, but scara smokes around here a lot. one day where he's feeling too brave, he blows a puff of smoke on her lips and they just make out with smoke coming out of the corners of their mouths (not smut, just suggestive)

Scaramouche x fem!reader. Kissing. Drug use: Pot. Modern AU.

Hello dear❤️ You are so sweet. I was excited to write this because I myself am a stoner. I smoke for medicinal purposes. Thank you all for your sweet and unwavering support, everyone! I hope this came out okay.

Scaramouche could feel you looking curiously at him, feeling a smirk tug at the corners of his lips as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. He knew you were essentially a blank slate of innocence, but you didn't look down on him for indulging in pot.

"You want me to blow my smoke the other way?" He asked, he wasn't about to be that inconsiderate if the smell of pot was bothering you. You had nothing but patience for him, after all.

"No, it's fine," You replied, your eyes darting to his lips as you twisted a lock of hair around your finger, looking away hastily when you saw he'd noticed you staring.

Ah, he understood what you wanted. You wanted to kiss him, but you were just too shy to say anything. Who gave you permission to look that sweet all the time, huh? It made his heart go pitter patter in ways he couldn't quite describe.

Scaramouche inhaled another pull from his joint, making a c'mere motion with his finger. He knew what he was about to do next would either go two ways: he it would either ruffle your feathers and make you mad or work in his favor with interesting results.

"Huh?" You asked, automatically leaning towards him. He met you half way, blowing the hit of smoke right on your lips. You blinked a few times, and Scaramouche swore his pounding heart sounded louder than anything he'd ever heard.

"Can I try it?" You asked, inhaling a little of the sweetly unique smelling smoke.

"Breathe in easy," He replied, pulling another hit off the joint and pressing his lips to yours to shotgun the hit into your mouth (😳). You did as he instructed, kissing him back as you gently inhaled the smoke into your lungs.

His tongue swept into your mouth, making you moan softly as you exhaled. The smoke cloud fanned against your lips, your tongue curling and gliding around his as the warmest, most content feeling started to settle over your body.

Even the sensation of his lips on yours, his tongue exploring your mouth felt heightened. A shiver curled up your spine, moaning louder into his mouth. A line of saliva connected your lips when he pulled away.

"Can you do that again?" You asked, your lips tingling and eager to be back on his.

Scaramouche shotgunned another hit into your mouth, reaching over to put the joint out in the ashtray. You held the smoke longer in your lungs, deepening the kiss as you exhaled again.

Scaramouche's hands found your hips, pulling you into his lap. You wrapped your arms around him, tangling your fingers in his hair. You felt the whole world fade to a dull blur around you. The only thing that mattered to you in this moment was him, his teeth nipping at your lower lip, his tongue exploring your mouth.

He had always been a force that tugged you right and swallowed you whole, and you were more than happy to be devoured. His hands caressed your hips, putting his fingers up the hem of your shirt to stroke them along your bare skin.

You tugged on his hair, panting a little as you pulled away for air. "Devour me," You said softly, licking at his mouth in a way that made him groan.

"I was just thinking your clothes were in the way," He replied, moving you onto your back on the bed underneath him.

[ddarker-dreams]

Hi Lock <3 I don't know if this has been asked before but I had this thought yesterday at 5 am... What happens to Scara's darling after he wipes his existence from Teyvat? Would he try to pursue them again? If so, would there be anything he'd do differently than before? He knows what works and doesn't now after all...

hello ada !!!!

WHEW BOY... do i have some thoughts on this... let's see if i can get enough neurons firing to capture what i have in mind. some of this response involves conjecture on my part about genshin's overall lore, but i promise i'm going somewhere with it. pinky swear. stick with me.

one of the key takeaways from scara's archon interlude is the flow of teyvat's fate. at first, i found it very odd that scaramouche erasing his existence had so little consequence. i've always been of the belief that even the smallest, seemingly insignificant acts can have unforeseen consequences on the future (butterfly effect type beat). at first i thought mihoyo was being lazy by keeping everything in this teyvat 3.0 essentially the same with teyvat 2.0 (and tbh who knows maybe this is the case and i'm reading way too into it bc i overanalyze anything scara related), but then i wondered if this is a hint at the type of universe teyvat is.

then i considered the possibility teyvat is ruled by a type of predeterminism. while we don't know exactly what the heavenly principle are, apparently the original chinese characters for what's translated as heavenly principles can be read as destiny (and or fate). this make me wonder if teyvat has a set of 'rules' that, for whatever reason, must be adhered to. if something disturbs this delicate balance, the universe reorganizes itself in such a way that it closely mimics the universe before it.

ALRIGHT . all that to say.

wouldn't this spell the ultimate tragedy for scaramouche's darling? a delicious tragedy, but a tragedy nonetheless.

for some inexplicable reason, the story woven by fate for his darling is one of subjugation. the universe rewriting itself does not change the genre of their play. no matter what point they start at, the ending to their story has already been determined. in this teyvat 3.0, the kabukimono is still drawn to them, still obsessing to an unhealthy degree. perhaps it's not as bad as living under scaramouche's thrall, but bad is a relative term here, this is still no way to live. kabukimono is granted a set of advantages which scaramouche never had, namely his naïve personality lending itself perfectly toward manipulation. he embeds himself into your side and makes it so it hurts you to try and pull him out. he'll get tearful, apologize profusely for crossing another line, quietly pleading to not be left behind when you're all he has.

then comes the events of the archon interlude.

when the blank slate version of kabukimono takes on all of scaramouche's memories, coalescing into one, your close ties surprise the freshly awoken scaramouche. in teyvat 2.0, he hesitated while wading through irminsul; it had been you who pushed him to make the decision to erase 'scaramouche', the sole source of your woes. after gazing through your memories from your lens, he saw the extent of your despair, felt it reverberate in his hollow chest cavity. it occurred to scaramouche that you really would have been better off without him, painful as it was to admit it.

so he resolved himself to do right by you just this once. his first and supposedly last act of sacrificial love toward you.

except... that wasn't the case. 'wanderer' as he goes by now condemns himself for his foolish, wishful thinking. what a revelation this is! the messy threads that pull you together are ties that can never be severed. this is definitive proof. in this universe where you were meant to be free, you still found him, or to be more specific, he still found you. he's elated, he's thrilled. the energy that fills him at this realization is more invigorating than when he temporarily became a god. yours is a story whose script shall never be altered.

after departing from the sanctuary of surasthana, it doesn't take long for the wanderer to happen upon you again. it's as if your presence quietly calls out for him.... whispering, beckoning.

the first words he says to a somewhat confused you are as such:

"how good it is to see you again."

[merakiui]

do you still have any thoughts about shouki no kami railing you? I'm. Absolutely rotting over here

Yes!!! I am always thinking of him. orz allow me to write some scattered thoughts for our beloved shouki no kami.

✧ imagine if the sages were more well-prepared when they were constructing scaramouche. you're the test dummy dottore has manufactured to test shouki no kami's full fighting prowess. since you've been made to be durable, scaramouche is free to throw you around rather roughly in order to get used to operating the giant robot. at some point, he realizes you're not just a silent doll and that you actually do indeed have a consciousness of your own and can speak freely.

✧ something something au in which you're the dendro archon and shouki no kami defeats the traveler and is going to get rid of you because he sees no reason to keep a useless god such as yourself around, but then he realizes you know what it's like to be alone and trapped; and so maybe it won't be so terrible if you spend eternity locked away in a new cage to keep him company while he rules as the better god. :)

✧ shouki no kami fatally wounds you when he fights you. he had told you to either join him in the new era he shall build or perish fighting. he expected your resistance and disobedience, but he doesn't realize just how much you must hate him to want to defeat him. unfortunately, he's too strong and he realizes that he's hurt you after the dust has settled. he decides to build you anew. after all, being with dottore for so long has taught him a thing or two. and when you wake, you'll be a blank slate, ready to be molded to his liking. he'll sweep this egregious error of his under the rug. out of sight, out of mind. and even though he has you alive and in his arms again, there's always something missing...

✧ you are shouki no kami's handmaiden and he is so in love with you, but he has no idea how to go about it so he's always awkwardly trying to talk to you more. he even opens the robot only for you so that you can see the real him, but most times he stays locked within because he doesn't want you to see him when he becomes flustered. just imagine this really huge, towering robot turning so soft the minute he thinks of you, but then you actually stand before him and he defaults to insults and harsh tones because it's his defense mechanism. they just don't teach gods how to love when you become one! how is he supposed to know anything about romance?! >:(

✧ as for railing thoughts, i'm thinking about the time loops and just imagining shouki no kami using those to get your body more acclimated to his touch so that by the time you realize you're in a loop you'll be ready to truly reciprocate. and if he does anything wrong, he can just start again. and again. and again. and again. so many times that the lines between obsession and love blur and you're swept up in his infatuation.

[sincerelyinvain]

"[Name] I have a favor to ask. If you do not mind could you check up on the Balladeer at Mawtiyima Forest?" Nahida intrusted you with this task for she knows how you feel about him and what he feels about you.

You had arrived at the forest thinking maybe you should just hide and quickly report to Nahida knowing very well he probably still holds a huge grudge on you.

The huge glowing mushrooms were perfect for hiding but your feet had minds of their own, attempting to hide away from Scara wasn't really easy when he knows you well enough to remember your patterns. He sat down and decides to drag you out of your hiding. "I know you've been following me, as much as I love when people see me worthy to stalk I would rather not be stalked by you, [Name]" You felt both anger and defeat and come out of one of the huge mushrooms to reveal yourself to Scara, he had a smirk on his face plastered across his face, it made you even more angry "I've barely even said anything and you look like you already want me dead" You heavily sigh and just took a deep breath not letting him get under your skin again, he laughed "So are you here to finish me off?" You felt your heart ache a bit "No." He gave you a confused look "One of your greatest enemy is in front of you both vulnerable and out in the open, how stupid can you get?" You slowly approach him raising your arms up to show him you are unarmed "How ridiculous" He scoffs "Why are you here then?" You stop to sit down beside him even if he moved away from you "I just wanted to help you" He gave you another confused look "Help me? Are you seriously trying to help me?" He turns to look at you, he sees that you were serious and laughs "You've already defeated me with Buer why still try to help me?" You slowly lay your hand on top of his, he pulls his hand away from you "I...I just feel like I owe you something" He response coldly "You. The person that has taken away all my power feel like you need to own up to your actions. Stop pitying me, I don't need it neither do I want it" You felt your heart ache again, you saw his memories and heard from Nahida about his nightmares, you just felt as if you specifically needed to comfort him. "I'm not pitying you Scaramouche, I just feel like you need a new start" "A blank slate? Please that isn't gonna happen, you're a fool for thinking I'm letting you help me [Name]" He was about to get up but you pull him back down "Please Scaramouche let me help you" He knew you were this stubborn and he already knows Nahida had probably sent you so he sighs in defeat and hears you out "I know that I was the one that took everything from you and I truly wish to help you become happy again, you have lost everything, I've seen your past" He felt weak in the moment and he hated it with his entire heart "That's enough [Name] I don't want your help nor your sympathy" He got up again but quicker this time but you grabbed his hand again "Wait. Before you leave let me be selfish this once" He was confused but then he felt you hold his hand and you pull him closer to you, he was caught completely off guard "H-hey! You are not worthy to lay a finger on me!" You lean closer to his face but stop so close to his face, you internally wheezed seeing his face already red and hearing him gulp, before you could lean any further you softly whisper "I'll show you how serious I am about helping you" You lean forward and connect your lips to his, his eyes widen but for some reason he couldn't push you nor pull away from you, he slowly but surely melted into your touch. The glowing mushrooms perfectly illuminated both your figures, you both ironically formed a heart shadow. From afar Nahida giggles seeing both of you, she was happy to see that her little plan worked in the end.

well after headache naps really get my creative brain going. give me chibi scara on 3.3 livestream please im gonna burst into a million pieces.

Art creds: yionyi23 twt

( ~ Masterlist ~ )

( ~ taglist ~ @minyoungieee @artemfication @mayasshitposts @melodiesoffadedroses @racoonlvr )

[platoniccereal]

i was wondering about the state of the wanderer's memories after he wiped himself from the irminsul and before he got his memories back.

i don't remember if it's mentioned anywhere in canon, but it seemed to me he became a blank slate again, and didn't remember for how long he existed and that he lived through the previous 5 centuries. it seemed to me he was back at the kabukimono state as if he first woke up.

it seemed reasonable because while the rest of history is missing a few bits regarding scaramouche, the wanderer misses everything, because it's all about him.

at the same time, it also seems reasonable for him to have the same memories of events everybody has, everything we learnt about the tararasuna and fatui after the alteration.

so he has five centuries of trauma, it's just a different one. he had five centuries of aimless wandering since he doesn't really remember his time as the harbinger. the irminsul might not delete all his memories, but there wasn't much to do about missing parts, so the irminsul filled in the blanks with wandering.

it also makes nahida's words about the previous incarnation make more sense to me. his memories aren't just his past, but a previous incarnation of him because at this point he already has his past and memories, they're just different and altered. there isn't a gap or a slot to fill, but there's information about his previous self to learn.

at the same time, he doesn't just learn this information, the wanderer restores his memories, they go inside his head (chest, to be precise) and after that he acts according to these memories as they're implemented into him.

if he has the same information about what happened in tararasuna, it means he thinks that clans were slaughtered by someone else (and somehow doesn't try to find and kill them, well, obviously because the irminsul can't add a new diversion). later, he finds out the he himself was the criminal who carried out the massacre. this is also what sends him into the break down before he gets his vision.

it also shines some light on why he was so adamant on getting his memories back when he had nothing to cling to but his previous sins. because the wanderer hasn't just woken up like kabukimono, but had memories of five centuries of aimless wandering across teyvat.

i still don't know what version makes more sense, i believe it isn't perfectly clear in-game because the wanderer has never shared what he remembered after the irminsul wiping all the data.

[stainedglassthreads]

One of my most hated things is when a character killing themself is presented as ‘the correct and proper choice for them to make’. If they don’t want to do it, but choose to do so for the greater good, then I’m not a fan but I can deal. But if they’ve shown immense self-loathing, or self-destructive tendencies, or if everything’s better not because they did something that required a sacrifice, but specifically because they died... I don’t like it. It makes me really uncomfortable. 

That’s why one of my favorite themes in Undertale is how self-sacrifice only ever makes things worse. Chara’s suicide caused the death of their brother and the destruction of their parents’ marriage. Alphys’ self-destructive behavior keeps the Amalgamates apart from their families. Asgore’s suicide means that the Souls are all gone and the Barrier’s still up. Monsterkind may have a better opinion on humans, but it’s thanks to Frisk’s actions, not his own. Monsterkind’s progress on someday leaving their imprisonment is set back to zero, almost completely. 

So I’m... actually pretty happy with how Scaramouche/Wanderer’s Interlude played out. 

It’s not stated explicitly why Wanderer tried to erase himself from Irminsul, but it’s implied some strong guilt, self-loathing, and a desire to right a wrong he committed was at play. Maybe he felt he was to blame for the Tatarasuna Incident. Most likely he felt the Gokaden families he killed no longer deserved to be the recipients of his vengeance. But when he does erase himself and seek annihilation... nothing changes. And a sizable portion of the quest is devoted to illustrating for us how nothing really changes. 

The Tatarasuna Incident still happened. Niwa still died. Il Dottore was still behind it. The Raiden Gokaden were still nearly annihilated. The Lord and Lady Kamisato still died young, leaving the clan in the hands of Ayato and Ayaka. The Kaedehara Clan still fell apart, leaving Kazuha as a drifter who only recently began reviving the Isshin Arts. The Akademiya still tried to create a new god of wisdom, using a big robot. 

The only thing that changed was that no one remembered the being once known as Scaramouche had been connected to these events, once upon a time. He got to wash his hands of it all. ‘Scaramouche’ died, only in memory. And that seems to be what deleting yourself from Irminsul does. Kills your memory, but everything you did, still happened. The blame just gets shifted around a little. The perspective changes slightly. Rukkhadevata’s actions are all attributed to Kusanali now, which isn’t completely wrong. The Tatarasuna Incident is pinned on Il Dottore’s disguise, which also isn’t wrong. 

And so things aren’t really better. Just a little different. Things aren’t even better for the empty and purposelessness Wanderer. Rather than ‘killing’ Scaramouche and embracing his completely consequenceless life, he embraces his memories, his sins... and is now a slightly more mature ‘Scaramouche’. Now fully cognizant of the truths of his life, the ways he was manipulated, and the way that erasing himself is impossible and solves nothing. He’s no longer ‘Scaramouche’, not completely, but he is someone trying to grow from the ashes of ‘Scaramouche’, beginning with more positive relationships rooted in something he can understand and trust-- transactions. 

So. Yeah. Wanderer not only fails to kill himself. He’s shown that killing himself would have never achieved what he wanted. Would have never improved everything and made amends. Only living and working to make amends can do that. He had a blank slate, and still chooses to try and do better-- a smidge of exile, burnt bridges, and world-shattering truth certainly pushed him along this path, but. He’s getting better. 

[ladyspottedray]

have you ever contemplated wanderyne angst? bc idk about anyone else, i fricking love the chaos that could ensue with them but also... the angst potential? i crave katheryne angst like i crave oxygen. scara's been through enough shit now let's put katheryne through it too. what do you think could happen??

I have contemplated Wanderyne angst a bit! The angst potential is very good, especially considering the wet paper bag of emotions that is Scaramouche and Katheryne being somewhat new to the whole emotions deal.

A few ideas that have bounced around in my head:

One of them gets injured! Classic. Horrible injuries are so good for angst (especially if they haven't confessed yet).

This one is more specific, but I think that Katheryne sees a lot of death and missing adventurers over the time she's worked as the main face of the Guild. When she's still sorting out her feelings after gaining sapience, I think this would hit her really hard. Scara is about as useful as a walnut during this time because I still don't believe he's sorted out his own issues surrounding death and his own emotions.

Another excellent one: Katheryne gets sent in for maintenance (either due to a different technical issue or her makers found out about her new sapience) and essentially gets a factory reset. Not remembering Scara or the times they had together, or any of her other friends...she's a blank slate once more.

And of course, because I am soft and find the comfort part of hurt/comfort the best, here is a little fluff to cleanse the angst palate

[ironbloodcd]

//So because I'm sucker for AUs, and because 'blank slate Wanderer/Scaramouche' has so much potential depending on how he's been raised and the things that he experiences, I've grown attached to the idea of an AU where Ei keeps him and entrusts him with the gnosis as she'd originally intended. Gonna throw some additional details beneath a readmore~

Much of his upbringing was handled by Miko, as Ei had very little part in it. He does hold some resentment towards Ei for her apparent lack of interest in him, but Miko has very much filled the role of a mother for him, and he views her as such. He's quite close to Miko as a result;

He was given the name 'Kunihide' by Miko;

His demeanor is far gentler and reminiscent to that of the Kabukimono, though he has something of a mischievous streak to him - you can blame Miko for that one;

Kunihide takes a very active role when it comes to matters at the Grand Narukami Shrine, having been primarily raised there. He knows all, if not most, of the priestesses who work there, and is fairly skilled in many of the practices and services that the shrine offers;

Due to the fact that he's the Raiden Shogun's 'son', it's not uncommon for visitors to the shrine to seek him out for blessings and the like. He's not terribly fond of his practice and usually tries to dissuade people from it, but his success rate is pretty hit and miss;

As his capabilities as a divine creation were never sealed away, and because he carries Ei's gnosis, Kunihide possesses some Electro capabilities, though they aren't nearly as strong as those of his creator.

[inavagrant-a]

Sense of Identity.

I think I finally have the braincells to dive into this properly or at least some semblance of it without exploding and crying.

(Tetsuya's) Wanderer's identity and how it's perceived and portrayed in my portrayal of him.

Going to get this out of the way right now. Wanderer is not Scaramouche, he is not the Kabukimono, he is not "The Blank Slate," he is a mix of all three. He is the pieces of them within himself that make /him/, The Wanderer. As I mentioned before, in his vision story it is stated that in the moment he was getting his vision, in that moment where he was overtaken by his burning desire he became ONE with his other selves, he sucked them into himself to fill in the empty spots. What Scaramouche wanted to do, in its purest form in Irminsul, was completely annihilate himself from existence, he wanted to kill himself in every sense of that word to try to bring people who were dear to him back, however we learned before through the Greater Lord that doing that is completely impossible and even more so difficult to have fate alter in itself so he wasn't going to achieve it. It was misguided and utterly impulsive of him to tell Irminsul and request this from it because it wasn't going to give it to him in the first place. What Irminsul did was remove "The Balladeer" and the "Kabukimono" from existence but only in memories, in that moment he did die in a sense of the word, but he was also reborn. An empty husk of /himself/ was born in his place because he can't completely obliterate himself in the manner he had in mind, Irminsul does not grant such a thing.

"The Wanderer" is his own person, he was "born" his own though albeit extremely empty and hollow in comparison to his other selves. This is why in the quest they're always saying "in your past life" or "your past selves" because they acknowledge The Wanderer is not the same, they share the same face and look the same, but they are not carbon copies anymore.

Even when Nahida did end up returning the memories, those memories though they did belong to him, they weren't technically his, because he was "born" without anything, he was born a blank slate. He received things that belonged to others, things that belonged to his other selves and those other selves helped shape up rather quickly and abruptly what sort of guy he'll be. Scaramouche, Kabukimono, and The Nameless Eccentric all still exist in theory within him, but not in the way one would think, they only exist because they've given The Wanderer shape. He was a sponge.

This whole sucking his past lives into himself to become whole is more complicated than just "oh yay he's back!" No, no he is not back, he's there sure, but not in the literal sense because The Wanderer is his own living being. The nifty thing about The Wanderer is that he didn't like being empty, he wanted to feel something and this was expressed over and over again in the quest so he owns everything his past lives did for himself because truth be told that's all he's got, there's nothing else for him and that thought is a miserable one especially to one who does not find comfort in feeling and/or being empty which is a stark contrast to what Scaramouche would have wanted because that guy wanted to be completely blank.

In my portrayal I'll be pretty open about this, about the conflict present in the sense of his identity because sense of identity has always been something that followed this character and they kept it which makes me happy.

If you're familiar with Kingdom Heart s think of him as a Nobody of sorts, the blank shell that got left behind when Scaramouche gave up his "life" up until that present moment. And this Nobody becoming a Somebody through the broken and scattered pieces of the versions of him that were Somebody making him whole so to speak.

[draconisvesperi]

Wanderer / Scaramouche musings

Genshin 3.3 Interlude Quest spoilers beneath the cut

I have spent some time pondering over what Scaramouche erasing his existence as The Balladeer and Kabukimono means. Obviously we can see in the quest that Wanderer led a new life, one where he was faced mostly with the good side of humanity (and this is a rare occurrence - he had good luck for once, it seems) and was therefore trusting, and not inclined to dislike humanity.

What I'm mostly interested in, is how he ends up not erasing anything of significance. The people don't remember him anymore, and that is about the only thing he manages to change. The events didn't change. The fates of the people whom he tried to save did not change. Furthermore, he failed entirely to erase his past selves.

The Balladeer he becomes again in some way, for he gets his memories and experiences back. It is true that he is a changed Balladeer, because he added to all the life experiences, betrayals, anger, and grief of that existence is the peaceful and largely uneventful, if still lonely and forsaken, life that he led as The Wanderer.

So he is an improved Balladeer, collecting within himself two different, contrasting experiences - he has seen the good side and the bad side, has within him the 'good' self and the 'bad' self. (I use these terms for self with some caution because I don't want to end up classifying him as either good or bad - neither Scaramouche of old or Wanderer of new. But I use these terms for ease of referencing his different selves.)

It's also obvious that he no longer wishes to enact revenge upon humanity - something arising both from his learning that one of the betrayal's was a lie, and also presumably his experience of humanity as the Wanderer. We see also that he 'regains' a lot of his personality and sass from his Balladeer self.

I see this in two ways - the Wanderer was very much a 'blank slate'. We see him being nice but its uncanny. Maybe that's just because we're used to see him being, well, Scaramouche - need I say more? The sunsettia picking Wanderer is so far removed from Scaramouche that is feels weird. But also I think it's because he doesn't have nearly as much personality, which I feel The Balladeer's past mostly shaped.

We know that in his life as Kabukimono and Balladeer, Scarmaouche interacted with people to some degree - he was close to them, even, before it was taken away. People taught him how to human. His traumatic experiences even would have shaped his personality. I feel like his overtly aggressive self probably was a defense mechanism of some sort - but however it came to be, it was him - it was a part of him. Wanderer just didn't have that - he didn't have the life-shaping experiences Scaramouche did. He drifted aimlessly and learnt how to 'human', but it feels like his personality was still subdued - he had not the forcefulness of his previous life. When he reembraces his Scaramouche self, we see this come back - he is 'himself' once more.

And that brings me to the thing that struck me the most - the second name he once bore that he erased from Irminsul - Kabukimono.

What is Kabukimono? A name given him by the people of Tatarasuna in the long past, true. But more importantly, it describes him. Eccentric. Wearing the odd clothes and acting the odd way. No one knows where he came from. He doesn't have a name, so he accepts the one they used to describe him - Kabukimono.

What is the Wanderer now, after he remembers his Balladeer self? Isn't he a Kabukimono all over again? No one remembers his existence - the most they remember of him is an aimless, nameless wanderer. He does funny things and has eccentric mannerisms (we see this pointed out by the Merchant, for a quick example) and he does his own thing and just... he's 'weird', right?

(I don't use this word negatively, and again I use it with hesitation - let us define 'weird' as not conforming to society's definition of 'normal' and 'acceptable' behaviours.)

And now after he has accepted that past version of himself, I think this will only be exaggerated - and we do see it, some of it, in his demo. He is still an aimless wanderer, no kin and no name of his own, but he is confident in his ways and I would assume thinks little of humans. I wouldn't say he dislikes them as Scaramouche of old did, but he certainly doesn't seem like he would mingle in normal society - Wanderer didn't either, as far as we can tell.

At the end of the day, he is a Kabukimono all over again - but this time the people (or the Traveler, I suppose) pick a different name for him, and so he shrugs and takes it like he took the moniker of old.

[ruumirmir]

EVerybody pause right now immediately I had a thought and i blackedout for a second

scaramouche as an OLDER BROTHER??? ONIICHAN???? THAT GUY???? THE-HAT GUY??? More likely than you think .

Third time's the charm so OFCOURSE Kabukimono is going to watch another failed puppet shelfed up beside him while Ei feverishly tries to perfect the Shogun. I have aboslutely no idea where im going with this but IM DEFINETELY REACHING SOMEWHERE. Kabukimono and the smaller version of him that's slightly better than him in terms of what Ei wanted,, which meant Very Little Emotional Output,, but just enough to follow him everywhere forever ? (Release me,, I am being plagued by that meme song SiblingsSiblingsSiblingsSiblings! This i smy brother,, this is my sister,, we are siblings and we care for each other! eveyrthing we own we always share because were siblings and we have the same hairr) So anyways my first train of thought was that piece of lore about Dottore tinkering with and experimenting over Scaramouche when he first joined the Fatui. Now I don't remember if it were "Cruel Experiments"... but then again. It's Dottore. He would absolutely go a 120% exploration into every hook and wire of a sentient robot. Twice over. WHICH IN TURN,, had my thoughts jump across 2 different dimensions until I landed upon Vanitas and Mikhail. and WOAH. I thought, "HM. Doomed siblings here we go again." Scara offering himself for the experiements atleast 90% of the time bc he's more of a blank slate than little sibling? Peak older brother "You are the bane of my existence but also I will literally defy god herself and find a way to killmyself if something happened to my little sibling" Several pennies for my thoughts perhaps. Sorry ive always wanted an older sibling and this activated my neurons

May i please ask for the big sibling series fpr the little sibling series you work on?

Ok here's to hoping this gets seen this ask is my dear friend's who along with a few others wanted to see the siblingfication continue ☆(≧∀≦*)ﾉ I offered to let them choose who goes first but they couldn't decide so instead I decided everyone else can decide for us and now we have this poll to avoid choice paralysis (ﾉ´▽｀)ﾉ♪

pick whoever you wanna see first and I'll do it in order of who has the most votes ＼(^o^)／

I unfortunately have to disappoint Pulcinella fans and say he will again not be included solely because I have no idea what I'd do for him but maybe I'll write some grandpa headcanons to make up for it 🙏

[anxiefics]

YOU ASKED FOR PLOT SO HEAR ME OUT!!

if you haven’t watched the new cutscene for scara’s boss: https://youtu.be/1l9FktKnBAU

NOW BASED ON THIS^

reader manages to catch scara in time before he hits the ground and escapes carrying him bridal style (make them stronger than him just bc😁); reader ends up taking care of him (patching up his scars (let’s pretend he has flesh) washing his hair and stuff) but he has that blank stare until we put him in bed and end up hugging him nd thats the moment he violently brakes down like full on meltdown👍

this man deserves so much better😕

: ̗̀➛ ft. scaramouche

: ̗̀➛ warnings: injuries, angst (reverse hurt/comfort), 3.2 archon quest spoilers (also written before i played through it)

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

one step. two. his arm reached out for the heart he craved, the heart he needed, the heart he—

kusanali held the gnosis in her little hand, a determined yet soft look on her face, a silent apology. for what exactly? scaramouche couldn't tell. for ruining his revenge? for taking the one thing that made him feel alive? that made him feel like he had a purpose? or was it on behalf of all the miseries that he endured, the many 'betrayals' he went through?

wind shrieked in his ears, as he was falling, falling fast. he wanted to cry out, to grab hold of something, anything, whether that be a helping hand, or the hem of his mother's kimono. hell, he'd even take one of the many parts of the shouki no kami to stop his fall. instead he was motionless, like a limp doll broken beyond repair. and really, was that such an implausible description of him? he let himself fall, fall fast, and closed his eyes.

"scaramouche!"

you pushed your way past aether, who did nothing but stand there and gawk as you ran to catch him. for someone who was hailed a hero, you'd think that he would do something. but alas, it seemed like you were the only one who cared, just a little, about the indigo-haired man. for good reason too— he did cause unspeakable amounts of damage across multiple regions, not to mention he was just about to murder them. yet something told you he was hurting inside, and the pained look on his face when kusanali extracted the gnosis gave you enough confirmation you needed. it made a part of you want to forgive him of all the crimes he committed, though you waved it off as an irrational thought.

⋆ ★

he felt strong arms grab hold of him, instead of the cold touch of the cracked floor. his eyes flickered open, catching a glimpse of your concerned face, before succumbing to the haven in the back of his mind.

⋆ ★

"i trust you can handle this mess yourselves." you gave them a nod, before running out with scaramouche still in your hands. they had no time to answer as you were already out and on the way to your house.

why? you asked yourself. why were you helping him? perhaps it was because of your 'weak' heart, empathizing with those in need, regardless of their questionable morals. but no, you didn't think that was the case. though you pitied the treasure hoarders you fought, as they were only trying to make a living, it wasn't the same. you felt drawn to him, to his marionette self trying to break free of the electro archon's strings. maybe he reminded you of yourself. of the anemo vision tied securely at your hip, a symbol of freedom.

by the time your musing was over, you were already at the door of your humble abode on the outskirts of sumeru city. you laid scaramouche down on your plush couch, as he blinked awake. his eyes were empty, holding no hatred nor sorrow— the blank slate he wanted to achieve. a perfect puppet, to be used for the safekeeping of his mother, no, creator's gnosis. yet, after all that talk about "scrubbing away every last bit of human emotion," he still failed. he still had the gnosis stripped of him, taken away by the god he was supposed to overtake. he still was the imperfect prototype, abandoned and left to rot.

he let you tend to his injuries, dried blood (was that his or someone else's?) washed away by the soothing touch of water. he let you bandage them gently so that they sat comfortably against his porcelain skin. he let you rinse the specks of dirt out of his hair, drying it until it was all ruffled and soft. he let you give him light, cotton clothes to change into (you were too shy to dress him yourself, not that he would've minded otherwise.)

scaramouche sat back down on the sofa, long, white robes adorning his small figure. he stared blankly into space, focusing on you when you came into view. the both of you blinked at each other for a few seconds, being the socially awkward pair you are. you decided to walk up to him slowly, a tiny smile on your face. your arms enveloped him tenderly, a touch he hadn't felt in centuries. his arms were limp at his sides, before wrapping them around your shoulders. one second. two. the empty shell he once was faded, replaced with bitter tears hidden by rage for who knows how long.

his cries came in heaving sobs that racked his entire body. scaramouche's hushed sniffles and soft breaths echoed through the room. lithe fingers grabbed your back tightly, holding on to you for dear life. a silent plea begging, please don't leave me. you squeezed back. i would never. no words had to be said, the both of your actions spoke far louder than they ever could. he left your shoulder damp, but you didn't care. you offered all that you could, in hopes of lessening the agony of his afflicted mind. you rubbed his back softly, mindlessly tracing circles and swirls to soothe him.

as his tears dried, and as you slowly let go of each other, the close proximity you two shared began to seep into your minds. you jumped back in surprise, and he ducked his head down to hide the growing blush on his face.

"i.. thank you," he mumbled.

you looked up at him in shock, because did the scaramouche just say thank you? is this his character development arc? nevermind that.

you smiled. "anytime."

_________ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐

a/n: at first i was avoiding spoilers but i already saw a part of it from a tiktok so i went "fuck it" and watched the whole thing (curiosity got the best of me lmao) also i made kusanali more forgiving here because i feel like she had smth to do with scara's change (i haven't played through the archon quest yet so idk if its said there) that being said i am avoiding the rest of the 3.2 spoilers like crazy now lmao

[restlessfandoming]

“new arrivals” (chilumi oneshot)

Lumine and Childe anticipate the birth of their baby. As always, the two of them never have a moment of peace, and unexpected events arise, throwing everything in danger’s way.

//

hey friends! long time no see :p

i’ve finished my fic “the president and the troublemaker” so i’m back to writing one shots for a bit. if you haven’t read it yet, check it out on my profile :D

this oneshot is in response to this ask i received c:

[Fic Masterlist] // [AO3 Link]

* * *

“new arrivals”

Lumine hated Childe. Well, she hated Childe sometimes. She loved him, she really did, but in this moment, she hated him.

“Just because I am pregnant, doesn’t mean I can’t walk,” she nearly growled at him.

With a sheepish smile, Childe removed his hands from her arms. “Sorry, sorry. Your waddling makes me nervous.”

Lumine scoffed. “Of course I have to waddle.” She patted her swollen belly. “How else can I get around with this thing in me?”

Almost as if in retaliation, Lumine felt a kick inside her—don’t call me ‘thing.’

Instantly, Childe’s hand were resting on her bump, eagerly awaiting their baby’s movements. It truly amazed Lumine at how natural Childe’s paternal instincts were.

Their weekly spars had turned into nightly meetings, and nightly meetings had turned into...Well. Their current situation. It hadn’t been planned, obviously, it had just happened.

It had taken Lumine a whole week of nauseous morning after nauseous morning before Childe finally convinced her to visit Bubu Pharmacy where they both received the shock of their lives. Baizhu had been very compassionate, ensuring the confidentiality of the pregnancy as they left.

Childe had been the first one to get over the shock. For Childe, who had spent his life surrounded by family and younger siblings, he had easily grown accustomed to the idea of his own family—especially one with Lumine.

Lumine, on the other hand, took much, much longer. She hadn’t ever given it a thought: her own family?

She was on a quest to find her brother, of course. To regain her powers, defeat the Unknown God, and leave this world with Aether. She couldn’t just settle down and start a family.

Weeks passed, Lumine’s stomach growing, as she slipped into a dark place, thoughts of failure filling her mind—I’m never going to leave now.

Childe had spent all of his time, taking care of Lumine as she looked after herself less and less. Slowly, he was giving up his duties as a Harbinger; the Tsaritsa and his comrades were growing suspicious. Childe knew if they found out, it would only end in violence. A child between one of their strongest Harbingers and the all-powerful Outlander? They would surely want it as a pawn on their side, if they weren’t going to kill it first.

Childe found them a tiny cottage secluded in the vast mountain ranges of Liyue, with help from Zhongli, who was, of course, the most familiar with the lay of the land. He practically had to carry Lumine there, who was still deep in her depressive state, who spent her days laying in bed, staring blankly at the walls of her inn room, unwilling to move.

Once they were in the cottage, Childe again took care of her as she continued to contemplate her fate, unmoving; he made sure she ate, he cleaned her, and was always there to hold her at night, telling her that he would be with her no matter what she decided to do.

Her love for him only deepened as she saw how selflessly he helped her, how loyal he was. Because of him and his love and devotion, she slowly came to terms with their situation.

The more she thought about it, the more she wanted this life: some secluded home in the mountains with Childe and a bouncing baby on her hip. A slow, peaceful life; it would be such a luxury from what her life was before. But, there was always that pang of guilt that settled in the back of her throat: the anxious thoughts that she was abandoning Aether, her twin brother, for this.

And perhaps it was that guilt that blocked Lumine from having any real connection with the life growing inside her. She hadn’t envisioned whether it would be a son or daughter, whether it would have her hair or Childe’s eyes—she hadn’t even thought of a name. Thinking of this baby only drew up a blank slate, a missing void.

Now nearing the end of her pregnancy, she felt a lot of movement inside. She knew that those moments were supposed to be special, that mothers cherished those feelings, but Lumine’s body registered them more as just...foreign movements.

There was also the fear. The fear of not being able to be a mother in the first place. She envied Childe and his ease with parenthood: knowing all the things to prepare, the foods she should be eating, the first lessons to teach. Lumine had no clue what to say or do.

She and Aether had been abandoned, left to fend for themselves, from a very young age. She never had a solid parental figure in her life.

How am I ever going to be a good mother?

A soft touch to her cheek pulled Lumine from her ruminations.

Childe gave her a smile. “Need anything, Lumi?”

Lumine put her hand over his. “Hm, I am a bit hungry,” she said.

A light chuckle. “How about some sticky honey roast?” His hand slid down from her cheek, his thumb on the corner of her lips. “You’re drooling already.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “Shouldn’t you be hurrying up then?”

Childe laughed, then kissed her forehead. “I’ll come get you when it’s ready,” he told her, exiting to the kitchen.

Lumine turned, looking out the open window, into their little garden. The earthly scent wafted through the window, the warm sunshine adding an extra tang to the air. Through the window she counted the growing vegetables, taking note of those ready to harvest.

Humming quietly to herself, she made her way to the kitchen, standing in the doorway to watch Childe flutter about the room, pulling various pots, pans, and utensils out from the shelves.

Archons, he was going to be such a good father.

!!!

There was another movement in her womb, this time sharper, a bit more painful. She let out a tiny gasp.

Childe turned, and immediately went to her, brows furrowed. “You okay?”

“Yes,” she sighed. “There’s been a lot of movement lately.”

There was a long pause before Childe spoke. “Must mean it’s nearly time.”

She locked eyes with him. “Already?”

He reached out and soothed out her hair. “Hey, no worries. I will be right here with you—always.” He smiled softly. “We’ll get through it together.”

Lumine nodded, her throat drying. “I’ll be in the garden for a bit.”

“Okay. Can you get some carrots while you’re there? We’re running a bit low.”

She nodded again, leaving the house while Childe returned to his preparations.

She walked through the tall grass, pushing open the wooden fence leading into the garden, her slippers thudding quietly against the little cobblestone path. Finding the patch of carrots, she slowly knelt down, beginning to pull the orange vegetables from the earth.

Birds tweeted, insects chirped, and Lumine again found herself in the vortex of anxiety as she thought about the coming days. Any day from now, she was going to birth a whole new life into the world—a tiny, little, helpless life she was going to have to raise, look after. Can I do it?

She shook her head.

She had helped countless lives, people of all ages and backgrounds, during her time in Teyvat. She had even formed special bonds with so many of them, this child being a result of one of those special bonds. So, surely she would find her way to loving this new life, to caring for it with all her heart, right?

And she would still search for Aether. Aether wouldn’t be angry. He would love a niece or nephew to look after. She was sure her child would love their uncle right back. So, she would have to find Aether for her child and—

BZZT.

Lumine blinked. Was that a bug?

“Found you.”

Lumine looked over her shoulder, finding a familiar blue-haired boy standing behind her. Scaramouche.

“What an annoyance it’s been looking for you,” he said, the ball of electricity crackling dangerously in his hand.

Anxiety pooled into Lumine’s veins. She wouldn’t be able to fight him, not like this. I can’t even stand up quickly right now.

!!!

Another painful movement ripped through Lumine’s body. She bit the side of her cheek in to keep quiet in front of Scaramouche.

“Not going to say anything?” he taunted, taking steps closer to her. “Not even going to raise your weapon at me?”

She dug her nails into the dirt, trying to make the pain go away.

“C’mon. What happened to the almighty Outlander?” His voice continued to drop in annoyance. Lumine could feel the electricity sparking directly behind her now.

“What do you want?” she strained out.

A sardonic laugh rippled through the air as he yanked her up by her hair.

“What I’ve been ordered to do.” He brought the electricity closer to her throat. “To kill—”

He froze, tiny flickers of Electro energy pricking Lumine’s skin. He let her go, stepping around her as she collapsed back onto the ground.

“How...interesting,” he breathed, eyes cast down at Lumine’s pregnant body. “So this is why you’ve hid all this time.” His eyes twitched, calculating what to do with the new information.

Lumine rubbed at her neck. “Are you still going to kill me? Or take me back to your Tsaritsa?”

“Who’s the father?” Violet-blue eyes met amber. “Don’t tell me…” He let out a cynical laugh, eyes growing wide with hysteria. “That idiot? Of course! Why didn’t we see it before? The two of you did disappear around the same time…”

He leaned down, bringing the Electro energy back near Lumine’s face. “Tartaglia’s nearby, isn’t he?”

Lumine glared at him. I can just pull my sword out right now. He was close enough for her to throw a quick jab at. Maybe she could disarm him and get away.

It had been so long since she had last fought, since she last materialized her sword. It was going to take some time to do it.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she finally answered. She focused her energy to her palm, searching through the void for her weapon.

“Playing dumb’s not going to work.” There was a surge of power through the ball of electricity. “You should just tell me before I kill you and find out for myself.”

“You don’t even want the child? You’re just going to kill a potentially powerful weapon?” she tried to bargain. She needed more time. She could feel her sword’s particles slowly returning to her.

Scaramouche paused for a brief second to consider. “Sounds like a liability.” He glanced up at the sky. “The Tsaritsa has all she needs. I’d rather not run the risk of another filthy betrayer.”

SHING!

Lumine’s sword appeared in her hand.

Without hesitation, she stabbed up at Scaramouche, forcing all the elemental energy in her body through the weapon.

Anemo and Geo energy struck the Harbinger in his chest, sending him flying across the garden.

Lumine struggled to stand, stumbling her way back to the house, energy already quickly draining from her heavy body. She glanced back at Scaramouche.

He was standing up, his eyes twitching with rage. “You—” He launched an Electro attack directly at her.

She raised her hand, trying to charge her counter attack as fast as she could.

I can’t get it in time—!

A shield of Hydro formed in front of her, dissipating Scaramouche’s attack.

Relief washed over Lumine as she turned around. Childe—

“Mona?!” she blurted.

The twin-tailed astrologist gave her a small smile. “Didn’t expect to see you here,” she said. Her eyes flickered to Lumine’s belly. “And with child?”

“What are you doing here?!”

Mona threw up a Hydro shield as Scaramouche fired another sphere of Electro.

“The Hydro witch again,” he snarled. “You’re really getting on my nerves.”

Scaramouche charged an arc of lightning straight at them.

Mona casted a large bubble of water to surround them, wincing as the lightning collided with the shield, burning sparks deflecting all over.

The lightning didn’t disappear upon collision, instead continuously barraging against the water. Mona closed her eyes in concentration, brows furrowing with each passing second.

Scaramouche twisted his arm, amping the lightning with more energy, the Electro glow brightening.

CRACK!

Mona let out a sharp gasp; a fine line had splintered in the bubble.

Lumine raised her hands, straining her muscles, and mustering any energy in her body to charge a barrier of her own to help her friend.

!!!

She groaned as she collapsed back onto her knees, a horrible, throbbing pain rippling through her abdomen. Her eyes widened, feeling water trickle down the side of her leg.

No, no, no...not now!

“Lumine!” Mona breathed out. “What’s wrong?”

The blonde cried out as her body underwent another contraction. “I—the baby…,” was all she managed to get out before letting out another cry of pain. The baby is coming!

Mona cursed, another line fracturing in her shield.

“It’s over!” Scaramouche yelled. “There’s no use delaying your deaths!”

A smattering of blue Hydro energy rushed past the women, heading directly for the Harbinger. Just as quickly, Scaramouche withdrew his arc of lightning at Mona and Lumine, blocking the oncoming attack.

Childe locked his daggers with Scaramouche’s Electro shield. His face was twisted in a snarl, a dark, evil expression Lumine had never seen before.

“I’m going to kill you,” he said to Scaramouche, voice gravelly, but plain, as if it were just a simple fact being stated.

The blue-haired boy barked out a laugh. “You can’t. You were always the weakest one of us all.”

Childe mimicked the laughter. “I never did like you, Scaramouche.” His ocean eyes narrowed. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

There was an explosion of Hydro, engulfing the two Harbingers. The two struck each other with ultimate speed and precision, only brief glimpses of their fight visible, disembodied clashes of weapons and elements.

Mona let down her own barrier, short of breath, and knelt next to Lumine.

“I’ll teleport us out of here—to safety,” she said.

Lumine reached out, grasping onto her friend’s arm. “No,” she heaved. “Not...without him.” She looked up, eyes tracking Childe. I’m not going to leave you.

“The father?” the mage asked. She worried her lip as she stared ahead, lost in thought. Then, “Wait here,” she said.

The witch shimmered into thin air with a torrent of water, reappearing next to Childe. Both Scaramouche and Childe immediately turned their weapons at her, which she deflected.

She leapt and grabbed Childe by the shoulder, disappearing yet again, rematerializing next to Lumine. Childe and Scaramouche both let out curses as Mona grabbed Lumine’s arm.

WHOOSH!

Lumine blinked, and the three of them were in a thick forest: a distance aways from where they were before.

Mona cried out as Childe knocked her to the ground, foot pinning her arm, dagger at her face.

“Who are you?” he growled.

“Friend!” Lumine croaked out. “She’s my friend!”

Childe turned towards Lumine. He released his weapons, rushing to Lumine’s side. “Are you hurt?” he asked, gently examining her.

“It’s coming,” Lumine whispered.

She felt his muscles tense against her. “Right now?” Upon her nod, he clenched his jaw. He turned back to Mona. “Do you know anything about childbirth?”

Mona glared at him slightly, rubbing at her bruised arm. “No. I’m an astrologist, not a doctor.”

Childe returned the expression. “Could you get us to Liyue Harbor? To BuBu Pharmacy?”

A shake of the head. “It takes a lot of energy to teleport. I won’t be able to do it for a while, unfortunately.”

!!!

Another contraction pulsed through Lumine’s body. “Now,” she groaned. “It has to be now.” It’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming. Tears gathered in her eyes, from the pain, from the fear barraging her mind.

“Okay, okay,” Childe said, tender. He stroked Lumine’s hair. “You’re going to have the baby right here, okay?”

He yanked off his jacket, laying it under Lumine. He motioned at Mona. “You are going to have to hold her leg.”

Mona came to Lumine’s side, face slightly pale, then took off her cape and folded it into a makeshift pillow under the blonde’s head. “You’re a doctor?”

Childe shook his head. His face was taut. “Lots of younger siblings. I’ve seen my mother deliver before.” He grabbed Lumine’s hand softly. “It’s mostly going to be you from here,” he said. He squeezed her hand. “And I know you’re going to do great. Like you always do.”

I can’t.

All her battles combined didn’t come close to the excruciating pain radiating throughout her body now. Her mind was fleeting, blurred—all of her previous anxieties crashing back; she was senseless, she couldn’t fight them off.

“I can’t,” she finally whispered. “I can’t do this; I can’t be a mother.”

Childe tucked her hair back, leaning in close, lips nestled on her forehead. “There is absolutely no one in this world that compares to you,” he whispered back. “It’s terrifying, I know, but if there’s anyone that can be an amazing mother, it’s you.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ve seen you defeat armies of men, monsters, and gods—”

“Childe, that’s different—”

“—and I’ve seen how brilliantly resilient you are. You would stop at nothing for those you love.”

“Ahem,” Mona coughed awkwardly.

Lumine and Childe looked at her.

She looked away, bashful. “You have this strange ability to have patience, and to care for everyone,” Mona said. “Even when they’re difficult and stubborn...like me.” She finally looked back at Lumine. “I think...I think anyone would be lucky to have you as their mother, Lumine.”

Lumine sniffled loudly. “Mona…”

“Now, now,” the mage interrupted. “Let’s get this on the way. I suppose being an aunt would be fun…”

“She’s right,” Childe added. “I thank the stars everyday that I’m going to be able to love and cherish this child with you. There’s no one else that could ever come close to you, Lumi.”

Tears fully rained from Lumine’s eyes. Slowly, she began to nod.

They were right. She knew herself more than capable. And she wasn’t going to be alone. Even with her fears, she had her loved ones there to support her. Together, they would be strong enough for anything.

I...I can do this.

“Thank you, both,” she breathed. She reached out, putting her hand in Childe’s. “I love you.”

He smiled at her. “I love you too.” He kissed her before kneeling by her feet.

“Deep breathes,” Childe told her. “Then push, okay?”

She nodded, taking in a lungful of air.

Breathe, Lumine, breathe.

Breathe.

PUSH.

Lumine let out a sharp cry, pushing with every ounce of strength left in her body, nerves excruciatingly igniting all over. The trees swayed as the wind picked up around the three.

Pleasepleaseplease—

“Lumine,” Mona murmured, glancing up at the leaves. “Your energy is leaking out.”

Lumine stopped pushing for a second, forehead slick with sweat. “Wha-What does that mean?”

Mona pointed at swirls of Anemo energy forming above, leaves and branches beginning to snap off. “It may very well mean you might level this entire forest.”

Oh no… “I-I can’t control it right now,” Lumine said.

“Can you form a seal of some sort?” Childe asked.

The astrologist bit her lip. “I can certainly try.” She grabbed Lumine’s hand then nodded.

Taking in another deep breath, Lumine started pushing again. Both her and Mona winced as Lumine squeezed their hands together. A blue glow emitted lightly from her body—Mona’s magic—and she felt her elemental energy rattling in her veins.

“You’re doing great, Lumi,” Childe said over her panting. “You’re almost there.”

Almost...there!

Lumine screamed as she felt a final wave of pain, and the intense release of pressure.

Then, a cry.

Not hers, however. The pitched wailing of a baby.

She relaxed back, just listening to the crying as Childe and Mona shuffled around, checking on the baby.

It’s here.

She looked down at her feet where Childe was wrapping the baby in his gray jacket. He was smiling, his blue eyes blissfully aglow.

He carried the bundle to Lumine. “A son,” he told her. The baby was placed in her arms.

For the first time ever, Lumine looked down at her son.

My son.

“He’s so small,” she said, smoothing down his head of light hair. She held him close to her heart, and the crying quieted down. His tiny eyes opened, bleary blue hues taking in the world.

Her heart ached as it swelled with overwhelming emotion. Seeing this tiny creature, this life she carried for many months—a product of her and Childe’s love and passion—she knew she already loved him, that yes, she would give her all to protect him: her new family.

Childe wrapped his arms around her shoulders, looking down at their son as well. “You did it,” he murmured, kissing her forehead.

“Congratulations,” Mona said. “The battle isn’t over quite yet.”

Lumine looked up at her friend. “What do you mean?”

Mona raised a brow. “There is another child, isn’t there?”

…

What?

Both Lumine and Childe stared at the astrologist blankly.

“How do you know?” Childe asked.

“Oh, Archons, you really didn’t know,” Mona responded, panicked. “When I was using my magic to seal away Lumine’s elemental energy, I felt the two different life forms—it’s twins.”

!!!

Lumine felt her muscles tense as her body prepared for another delivery. She let out a gasp, looking up at Childe to confirm, yes, there is another baby.

“Hold the baby,” he said to Mona, moving back down to Lumine’s feet.

Mona gently took the baby into her arms, a look of uncertainty scrawled on her face.

BOOM!

There was a thunderous strike of lightning right next to the group; as the dust settled, Scaramouche stepped out of the fog, purple electricity crackling all over his body.

“Would you look at that,” he growled, eyes narrowing in on the newborn. “Another body to dispose of.” A wicked grin pulled at his lips. “I was going to kill you all quickly, but now I think I’m going to make it slow. And tortuous.”

Childe stood, eyes dark. “Mona, keep Lumine safe.”

Then, he launched towards the other Harbinger, becoming engulfed in electricity as well. The two impacted, an explosion resonating around them, and Childe stepped out from the smoke, his Foul Legacy transformation completed.

Over the deafening sounds of blades crashing, Mona took the cape from under Lumine’s head, laying it under her body. She spoke to Lumine, “Are you ready to start pushing?”

Lumine shook her head feverishly. “I can’t.” Not without Childe.

“You must,” her friend said. “You can’t help him until you do.”

Lumine’s body locked up in pain with another contraction. “Okay,” she strained out.

Mona nodded, conjuring a glob of water, then placing Lumine’s child on it. “It’s the only bassinet I can make right now.”

“Can you still help seal my energy?”

“Of course.” Mona knelt by Lumine’s feet. “Are you ready?”

Lumine swallowed hard, then nodded. After taking in many deep breaths, she mustered all the remaining strength in her body to push.

A labored cry exhaled from her body, every fiber in her body praying for it all to stop.

“It’s almost out,” Mona encouraged. “Just a bit more!”

The edges of her mind blurred. She imagined her and Childe, living their lives peacefully with their two children, watching lovingly as they skipped around in fields of flowers. Aether would walk up, greeting his little nieces and nephews, waving joyfully at Lumine. Her friends—Mona, Xiangling, Zhongli, and countless others—would take turns coming to visit, to see them and their happy little family in their happy little home.

It was such a lovely dream.

Tears ran down her face, and Lumine pushed just one last time.

…

The familiar sound of a newborn’s cries filled the air once more. Lumine fell back, laying down in the dirt, the sight of tangled tree canopies above returning to her vision.

“A girl,” Mona said, carefully wrapping her cape around the baby. She stood, carrying the little girl to Lumine.

BOOM!

The two women snapped their attention back to the fight, watching as Childe’s armor shattered around him. He fell, kneeling, and gasping for breath.

Despite her exhausted body, Lumine scrambled up. “Childe!”

“You’ve grown so weak, Tartaglia,” Scaramouche spat. “You’re out of practice. Too focused on your meaningless family,” he mocked.

“Run,” Childe gasped out weakly to Lumine.

Scaramouche slammed his foot into Childe’s head, cackling as the Eleventh Harbinger fell down.

Something stirred in Lumine’s body.

“I think,” Scaramouche said, turning to Lumine, “I’m going to kill your children first. Right in front of you. How does that sound?”

Something old, ancient—something she hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

“Shield everyone,” Lumine said lowly to Mona. In response, Mona gave a small nod, grabbing the two children, and making her way to Childe inconspicuously.

Scaramouche stalked closer to Lumine. “Are you going to try and fight me?” Another cackle. “You’re even weaker than Tartaglia, especially after what you just went through.”

“You threatened my family,” Lumine nearly growled. “You hurt my family.” She raised her arm, materializing her blade. Quicker than before.

“And you’re going to pay for that,” she finished, her veins ignited with ancient energy.

He smirked. “I’d like to see you try.”

There was an overwhelming ringing in Lumine’s ears as she felt the liquid power coarse through her body. The sensation extended through her back, bursting outwards, until...a pair of wings had formed. Her pair of wings.

Her skin was aglow, a golden haze enveloping her, her wings, and her sword.

It was her old power.

Her powers had come back.

“What is the meaning of this?” Scaramouche sneered.

Lumine glanced over at Mona, the two babies in her arms, hovering over Childe, who was stirring awake. A faint blue glow surrounded them—Mona’s barrier.

She turned her attention back to Scaramouche, who was charging up an Electro attack of his own.

“It’s no use,” Lumine said, echoing his words back to him. She leapt up into the air, flying far above him as he cursed below.

She closed her eyes, thinking of her friends, of Aether, her children, her one true love, Childe—her family.

The sword illuminated, crackling with golden arcs of energy. Then, she plunged down.

A sonic boom erupted around her as she landed, acres of dirt and trees uprooting in the explosion. The mountains shook, the clouds parted, and Lumine used the last bit of her energy to blast the dust away.

Laying before her, lifeless, was Scaramouche.

I did it.

She quickly looked around for her family, crying in relief seeing Mona, Childe, and the babies safely protected.

She felt her ancient power drain from her, and she collapsed on her knees as the pain and exhaustion funneled back into her body.

“Lumine!” she heard Childe shout.

“Childe…,” she responded, voice thin.

Then, her vision went black.

* * *

There was the crying of a baby. No, two babies. It sounded so familiar, yet foreign to Lumine.

She was in a black void, looking around for the source of the crying. Whoever they were, she knew they needed her. And she needed to protect them.

Lumine groggily opened her eyes, the black void from her dreams dissipating. Her vision adjusted, and she realized she was laying in her and Childe’s bed, back at their mountain cottage. Muffled through the walls, she heard the crying of her children, and the voice of Childe trying to calm them.

She slowly sat up, the bed creaking under her. At the sound of movement, Mona stirred awake from the corner.

“You’re awake!” she shouted. She went to the door, throwing it open, and yelling, “She’s awake, she’s awake!”

Lumine blinked at her, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, while Mona came to her side.

“How are you feeling?” her friend asked.

Lumine stretched a bit. “Very sore.”

“Hmph. I would expect so; you really did level that forest.” Mona looked out the window. “After exerting that kind of power, you should most certainly be dead.” She bit her lip. “But I am glad you are not.”

“Thank you, Mona. For all your help,” Lumine said with a small smile.

The astrologist flung her blue hair over her shoulder. “You are very welcome,” she said, returning the smile.

“You never did tell me why you were here of all places.”

“Ah, yes, that.” She folded her arms across her chest. “After our encounter with that Harbinger, I decided to track his movements—just to make sure he wouldn’t cause any more trouble.” She opened her hydromancy chart, looking over the sigils. “As fate would have it, I followed him here, to you.”

The wailing of the newborns drew closer, and Childe appeared in the doorway, two wriggling bundles in his arms.

His hair was rustled, dark bags under his eyes, and his usual pressed attire was wrinkled and disheveled.

Archons, Lumine loved him.

It was obvious to her that while she was knocked out cold, he had been taking care of their newborn children all on his own. Which was probably the furthest thing from easy...

He gave her a smile, tired at the edges, but filled with love all the same—and she gave him the same smile, yearning to embrace him and their new family.

Mona mumbled something about going to observe the sky for a while, and slipped out of the room as Childe sat on the edge of the bed.

Wordlessly, he placed the two babies in Lumine’s arms, and their cries were instantly quelled.

“Now that’s something I haven’t heard in forever,” he sighed. “Silence.”

“I hope it wasn’t unbearable.” She looked down at her babies, gently smoothing their little light hairs. It would never cease to amaze her, the overwhelming love and joy she felt looking at her twins. Looking at their tiny hands, their tiny feet, seeing their little breaths—any anxiety or fears she had felt before disappeared into thin air.

Childe wrapped his arm around Lumine, looking down at their children as well. “The only thing that was unbearable was not having you around,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Lumine nodded. “I couldn’t imagine doing this without you.” She leaned into Childe’s chest. “I’ll always be around,” she assured.

“And I’ll always be with you,” he answered. “Our little family.”

Lumine smiled, the happiest of tears coming to her eyes.

“Our little family.”

* * *

[inavagrant-a]

I will start by saying that I don’t hate Ei. I really don’t hate her, she’s a good character but a good portion of this fandom obviously likes to play favorites and likes to disregard her side of the story in favor of Scaramouche side.

From Ei’s perspective, she believed that she did him a favor, which is something I’ve raved about for a good while now. She couldn’t fathom seeing him as a tool she could use because there was so much life to him. He had his own ideas, he could feel things, he could think for himself. She made a life, she brought another life into the world, she didn’t make a tool. However the fact that he was made proved to her that she could in fact make the tool she’s searching to make. Scaramouche / Kunikuzushi was part of her trial and error on her quest to make this perfect puppet, a blank slated puppet. He was the prototype and like anything else in the world when you’re trying to figure something out there’s going to be errors along the way. 

Did she consider him a mistake? No. Yae Miko did, but not her. But she used him as her example that the next time she makes a puppet she’ll know what she is not supposed to do in order to prevent that from happening again.

Did she do the right thing letting him go like that? No. Her intentions were good I’m not going to say they weren’t, but her execution was horrendous. A lot of people are finally seeing it but Scaramouche was the equivalent to a newborn child, he was pure, innocent, and clueless. Exposing any sort of child to the cruelness of the world will have its psychological repercussions, especially if the child has no guidance. Nobody to tell them hey this is right or hey this is wrong. They’re going to have to adapt quicker than the normal child who does have a guardian, someone that will correct them, and someone who’s protecting them. And as they’re adapting at such an accelerated rate with nobody to show them and teach them these things they’re going to try to rationalize everything as best as they can and as best as their scope of understanding will allow them too.

This was the case with Scaramouche. I’ve used this example before: a kid stealing something from a shop. The kid just knows that they’re hungry and there’s snacks in there. If nobody tells that kid hey don’t steal it, the kid isn’t going to see it as stealing. in their mind they’re hungry, there’s food, they’re going to take it because they want to eat. In fact they’re gonna think you’re the alien for trying to stop them from eating. But there’s an attempt to correct them, stealing is bad so don’t steal. Whereas if nobody says anything or tries to correct the actions the child will just see it as a normal thing, something that can be done.