#since Irminsul does that too

[reginrokkr]

‘ you are not a failure. please believe that. ’ (from nahida!)

Heinous laughter that emerges from uttermost darkness rings his ears, the eerie presence of life-consuming poison rises short, platinum blond hairs on the back of his nape. In Dáinsleif's eternal search to understand if there was something he could've done to spare Khaenri'ah from its cruel fate, he encountered the most horrific scenario he never hoped to find. Hushed whispers that invoke forbidden and tainted mights feel no different than feeling all demons of his body trying their luck to find their way out of him by force, and a smile. Smiles that belong to astral pupils of kings of yore allow dark ooze to fall from their mouths, dilated pupils look straight to him as if they could trespass the limits of his soul.

It is that dream what marked the end of the self-imposed Samsara to find answers, a hundred years in abyssal time spent for that purpose alone— for it is then when Dáinsleif knew: Khaenri'ah had no saving if great part of its very kings are the responsible ones of the kingdom's downfall.

Blood coloured heavens fill his vision next, witness of the horror of celestial beings releasing their punishing wrath over innocent and guilty alike. The rain of the Heavenly Principles forgives none, with little to no regard whether all of them have sinned or only a part of them were too deep into their madness. Everything that mattered was the identity as Khaenri'ahn, so feeble was the divine filter to impart their so-called justice.

Twilight is meant to represent the end of the last drop of light and the beginning of dawn, as the blue hour that allows golden sunlight permeate everywhere so long as it is under the Seven's watch. In the dark corner of the world that Khaenri'ah was, Dáinsleif was a beacon of light, a ray of hope.

And yet, what could he do to protect them from divine's wrath? Nothing.

Warm tears roll down moon-kissed cheeks, a gasp that abandons roseate lips preludes a heavy panting that comes with the habitual pattern of having nightmares— as part of his own guilt, as part of the divine curse that threatens to replace his soul anytime were he lower his guard just a second. Dáinsleif sits up on the bed, shoulders rising and falling byproduct of the heaviness of his pants, then they tremble with the might of his crying. 500 years has it been since then, yet his guilt still persists and it is bound to last forevermore. Not even now has shame and remorse have diminished.

Truth is, this is the comeuppance he deserves. For failing to protect them, for failing himself. He is failure incarnate, committing sowing chaos everywhere he walks. It did not suffice to fail to protect them that nowadays he has to be on their search to mercy-kill them and prevent them from scheming more against those whom are not at fault for what happened. Everywhere he goes, there are those whose suffering resonates within him— though forgetting may equate to death to him as the only analogous that can be applied to him, there is truth in the belief that those Hilichurls fare the best without knowing. He failed them, too.

「You are not a failure. Please believe that.」

Amidst all sorrow and misery comes a ray of light to shine his dark voice in the form of a young and hopeful voice that shocks him whole. Glacial sapphires widen as his heart skips a beat seconds prior to come to the realization to whom this voice belongs. The audacity, is the first thought that crosses his mind at the prospect of a god leaving him no space even in his mind after all the irreparable harm that was done. Then a second thought crosses his mind, one that makes a heh escape trembling lips. Are his thoughts so troubling that they threaten the stability of Irminsul?

Whatever the reason for her intervention may be, it helps him relax in an odd way. Despite one may think that this is no different than rubbing salt to the injury, that this is the same as being insulting... he finds a strange sense of comfort in her voice. Just like he did from Greater Lord Rhukkadevata before her passing. How ironically fitting.

To give credit to a divine being despite how out of character it might be of him, recent events of Sumeru helped him inter a strange fact about himself he did not know— or perhaps it was stolen from him, a memory pertaining to his person from halcyon times preluding his arrival to Khaenri'ah. There can only be one reason for not being affected by Irminsul despite the unbreakable bond he harbors with it, one that he daren't utter albeit unbeknownst to him, it is related to his seraphic origins.

His frantically beating heart lowers its rhythm to what little sense of normalcy that exists around Dáinsleif, as his heavy breathing does. All sense of time eludes him, for he ignores how much time must've been since Lesser Lord Kusanali communicated with him through telepathy— sifting through delicate connections that unite them both via the Axis Mundi. This wayward luminary bears no doubt that the obscure nature of his thoughts related to his person must be concerning in view of his connection to Irminsul, how could he blame her for stirring the pot and set things right so they won't affect the sacred tree? Regardless of the little importance he has in comparison to Irminsul, there is an unmovable truth the Bough Keeper is cognizant of: just like Greater Lord Rhukkadevata before her, even if Irminsul is a priority, her sentiments are genuine.

「I cannot do that lest I risk believing in more lies than that.」 He responds at long last, partly unsure if she would listen him still, partly positive that she does and that she's been waiting for something— anything indicative enough that he hasn't lost himself and that he can still form an elaborate answer to assuage whatever concerns she has.

「But I can try. To suppress that thought and impede its pass to my soul before it's too late.」

@maquiscursed ✦

[silkjade]

SPARKS AMIDST THE SNOW

scaramouche x reader ⤀ warnings: gn!reader, second chance romance ⤀ synopsis: he meets you again for the first time since erasing himself from irminsul, and new hope flickers in the barren cold. ⤀ notes: for the best reading experience, pls think of the outro to all too well (10 min version) while u read this !

When Scaramouche inevitably accompanies the golden haired traveller on their journey to Snezhnaya, the last thing he expected was a pit stop in your little village on the outskirts of the capital. and although his puppet body does not shrink in the face of this nation's biting cold, his skin burns under the curious, yet cautious, gaze of those once familiar to him.

He keeps his head down, dipping his hat so that its large brim might hide his visage, eager to avoid any unwarranted attention. Still, his eyes cannot help but wander and his heart, imaginary as it may be, cannot help but wonder.

Were you well? The last he'd seen of you, he had promised to return a god — one who would whisk you away from the barren cold of Snezhnaya to live out your days in glory as his mortal consort. But for all that had transpired, and then that fateful traipse beneath the Irminsul, he's now no more than just another stranger passing through — fleeting as the falling snow, just another memory to be buried in the desolate stillness of winter.

He cares not for the stars in the sky, yet somehow they still dictate that his traveling companions would task him with purchasing commodities, of course from your family's stall. He's long grown out of his naivety; knows that in this infinite realm of possibilities, there’d always be the chance of meeting you again, slim as it may be. If it really came to, he had been prepared to let you live your life, free of him this time around, but it seems this world has its own twisted sense of humor, for he cannot tear his eyes from the ring that sits upon your finger.

"That ring. Where did you get it?" He's never been one for small talk, but the biting curiosity rivals that of the wind, as it chips away at his exterior. He keeps his tone even, ignoring the multitude of emotions whirring in his head, though irritation clearly seems to buzz the loudest.

It should have been impossible that a ring he'd forged with his own hands should still exist, but as the fate of this world has yet to reflect that… if he hadn't given you the ring, then how? Or perhaps even who... the cold, gunmetal glint laughs in his face as your swift fingers wrap up his purchase.

The stranger's question takes you by surprise, and you look up, taken aback by the intensity of his indigo gaze — beautiful, and bitter, and so blatantly familiar, yet you cannot quite figure out why.

Your village is nowhere near the main road, so it isn't often that you'd host any foreign guests; even if you did, you're sure you'd remember if someone like that were to ever have passed through. Nevertheless, you flex your fingers, pulled out of your thoughts by his impatient sigh.

"I'm not sure. I've had it ever since I could remember."

You're the same as he remembers, he thinks. A rose amidst the snow, with frost resting in your hair and on the curls of your lashes. Out of habit, he takes your hand, inspecting the ring at a closer proximity.

'How rude,' you think. and yet your hand in his, feels comfortable, and warm, and right. Like an electric charge drawing two magnets home to the other. It’d be blasphemy to pull away, but you manage to do so anyway, furrowing your brows at his boldness, the frown on your lips more so a reflection of your confusion, rather than displeasure.

“If you wanted to look, you could’ve just asked,” you mumble, as you slip the ring off your finger, offering it to him in the palm of your hand.

The detailed metalwork, the particular branding imprinted in the iron… there’s no denying the influence of the raiden gokaden, though it was perhaps, a subconscious decision made from muscle memory. In hindsight, he thinks that, in the moment, he must have felt—still feels—that same overwhelming affection that came as second nature to kabukimono. after all, it was forged as a promise of his love, and there’s no question about it when, hidden beneath his clothes, its pair hangs on a chain around his neck.

"It’s made with excellent craftsmanship," he boasts, "any merchant worth their weight, would give you a good price for it." He figures you might as well get something out of it, and a piece like this, though meaningless now, is still sure to last you until at least the next winter.

But a stubborn pout is painted across your snow-kissed features. "Absolutely not! it’s actually quite dear to me, you know..."

Scaramouche scoffs at the irony. ‘Why?’ he wants to ask. He is not foolish enough to believe himself an exception from the rules of this world; not when he's already convinced himself to give up on chasing the impossible. Still, here you are, turning destiny on its head — his heart, right within reach.

“It can’t be that dear, if you’d so willingly hand it off to a stranger.” his face reveals nothing, though he cannot say the same for the bile that rises in his throat. He crosses his arms, a brow raised in skepticism. "How do you know I won't run off with it right now?"

“I don’t,” you start, “so I suppose you could call it a leap of faith.”

“Or a doomed attempt at flight,” he counters. “You’d leave something so precious up to fate?”

You ponder for a moment as to why you feel so drawn to this stranger, why this back and forth comes so easily, why you seem to somehow just trust him.

"We don’t get many visitors here,” you start, “and as fate should have it, the day we do, it happens to be someone as interesting as you. that must count for something, no?”

The realist he’s learned to embody rolls his eyes at such ridiculous notions: your blind optimism… putting such faith in these false stars…. but the tenderness he had buried begs to differ, planting roots between the cavities of his chest, sprouting until it breaks through the surface.

He takes a further study of the intricate details, the careful inazuman script engraved on its body. ‘My heart,’ he had wrote.

Scaramouche dips his head as his fingers close a fist around the piece, the large brim of his hat hiding the fondness glimmering in his eyes, and the ghostly smile settling on his lips. He does not cringe as he recalls the lingering remnants of Kabukimono's innocence: stubbornly deluding himself to believe that his hollowed chest was naught for his natural lack of a heart, but because fate had dictated you to be its keeper.

Perhaps the warmth of sumeru had indeed rubbed off on him — melted the frost that crawled upon and tore his skin, whilst teaching him to hope again, not for anyone else’s sake, but for his own. What was that Vahumana saying? It’s difficult for people to truly understand themselves — and as much as he’d like to disagree, judging by his current predicament, he knows he cannot.

“Have you ever considered that this ring might be one half of a pair?” he tosses it in the air, nonchalantly, as if he were merely flipping a coin, catching it mid-way before you have the chance to swipe it back.

“What do you suppose fate would have to say about that?”

It’s almost impossible to tell whether he’s truly genuine in his queries, but the mischievous gleam in his bright eyes, and the smug look on his face, seem to nullify any regards you may have had. Your brows twitch in vexation. was he not just here to buy provisions? And yet he toys with you so…

“Well if that were the case, then it would be between me and whoever owns the other half,” you huff, reaching over once again in an attempt to snatch back your belonging, only to miss by mere seconds thanks to a quick slight of his hand.

Breathing out something between a chuckle and a scoff, Scaramouche tugs at the thin chain around his neck, hard enough for it to snap right off, and toss in your direction.

"A leap of faith," he says plainly. it lands in the palms of your hands: a ring, near identical. 'My soul' it reads. If he lacked a heart, then it could only have been forged from his soul.

A flurry of questions swarm in your head, as you stare at his ring. you want to ask him why and how, but he's already pivoted away, the tassels of his hat barely missing you by inches, as he quickly grabs his purchase.

“Who are you,” you manage to blurt out, calling out to him, and asking him to wait, so he might answer these questions he’s planted in your heart, but he only bids you farewell with a lazy wave of his hand.

Though there's nothing he'd like more than to hear the sweet song of his name falling from your lips, he's learned it best to leave the past where it belongs. once he's settled his scores... Then he'll get his second chance with you—he'll make sure of it, vowing to come back for you, not as Kunikuzushi who you had once known him, but he hopes you might one day be able to love him as he is, as well.

‘My soul’ your new ring reads. You shake your head, pursing your lips at the mysterious wanderer, wondering if you’d ever see him again, but a gust of wind blows your way — not a prickling cold as you’re used to, but a warm summer breeze that seems to caress your cheeks so sweetly.

Perhaps it's only in your head, but you swear the wind seems to carry the whisper of a name in its flurry. 'And don't you forget it,' it seems to say.

notes2: pleaseeee associate this with the outro of all too well (10 min version) like imagine the camera slow panning out amidst the falling snow, to the hopes of another chance together (⸝⸝o̴̶̷᷄‸o̴̶̷̥᷅⸝⸝) anyways, tysm for reading, reblogs/feedback vry much appreciated ♡

© silkjade — do not steal, plagiarize, translate or repost any content onto any other platform

[jennifer-jeong]

Fluff + Angst | Wanderer x GN!Reader Human

SUMMARY You make him feel human.

CONTENT Angst to fluff, mentions of Wanderer's trauma, mentions of suicidal ideation, he's kinda mean to you at first, CHARACTERS ARE 18+

AUTHOUR'S NOTE THIS IS WAS INSPIRED BY YOU MY POOKIE @thepurestgirll TY FOR BEING SO SWEET ESP BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE MANY MOOTS JFKDS;LAJ I love your fics and aesthetic and I hope to continue to see your content because I will always be here to love and support it >:)

WORD COUNT: 854

Quiet sobs rack through the empty metal chamber. In the middle sits a man puppet of a man. Clutching the electro gnosis to his chest as his tears pelt the cold floor. Wasn’t this all he ever wanted? He finally has a “heart,” he should feel human, loved, and fit in now, right? But why is he crying? Why does he still feel hollow? Why does he want to give it all up to just be a normal human? Why did his mother create him this way just to throw him aside and make him suffer even more? Why not just have killed him long ago? Should he do it himself? Be free of this wretched body? Be free of all the earthly pain?

So many questions swirled in his mind. His gentle soul has been beat and battered to the point where he doesn’t know the meaning of peace anymore. He’s been alive for so long, chasing the same answer, the same goal. Yet, here he is. So many questions and not a single fucking answer.

Even after all that extra bullshit with Nahida, the traveler, and Irminsul, he only got bits and pieces of answers he needed. He was still lost and hurting, not that he’d ever admit that. So naturally he’s a complete ass to you when all you’re trying to do is help. You’re another adventurer and you often help the traveler when needed. You witnessed a good amount of Wanderer’s tragic journey in Sumeru and afterwards asked Nahida (his mom) if it would be a good idea to try to talk to him. She said yes but that it’d be quite… difficult.

You persevered, though. Through every insult thrown your way, all the times he ignored you, and even the times his attitude almost got you hurt when adventuring. After weeks of it, he found himself here, crying, but this time, in your arms.

He was yelling at you like he usually does but this time it was because you almost got crushed by debris while you two were out on combat commissions. He was telling you how stupid you were, how it would’ve gotten you killed, and how he… couldn’t let it happen. You smiled at him, hearing him say something caring for the first time since you started this whole mission of yours. You walk towards him slowly as he continues to insult you.

“You stupid humans, you never think before you act. Imagine what would’ve happened if I didn’t call out to you to warn you. You-… You’d be dead! I’d spite you because of it! You and your human body, so fucking fragile. Why did I ever want to be like your kind anyways?”

As you close the distance, he gets panicked and confused, shouting at you.

“Why are you even still here anyways?! Isn’t all this too much for you? Why would you want to help someone like me? Don’t you know I’m not human? Why would you want me here? Why would you want to stay? W-why…”

You reach out your arms to slowly envelop him in a hug as his tears well in his eyes. He puts his hands on your shoulders to push you back lightly as if he didn’t want the contact, but he was barely putting up a fight. You both knew that if he didn’t want you to touch him, you wouldn’t even be able to.

“Why… do you even care about me,” he croaked out as his voice started to crack.

“Because I see all the good in you, and I want you to let others see it as well,” you say gently as you pull him close, arms around his waist.

He feels his emotions finally boil over as waves of sadness wash over him. His legs fail under him and you lower the two of you to the grass. He buries his head into your shoulder, sobbing harder as your warmth permeates his body that has only known the cold for so so many years. His arms clutch your head as he stains your shoulder with tears.

You feel so warm. You feel so human. It makes him feel human.

You’ve been taking such good care of him and he doesn’t think he deserves it, but he doesn’t voice it to you, at least not now. You let him cry it out while patting his back. You imagine he hasn’t ever been comforted while crying before and it’s what’s making him cry harder.

You two end the afternoon with him exhausted and you offer to let him rest his head on your legs. You pat his hair as he drifts into sleep, feeling safe for the first time in a long while. The sun warms both your bodies and you bask in it.

You two probably have a lot to talk about when he wakes up. But you stay silent for now. Enjoying the peace that he rarely gets to have. It’s a long healing journey ahead of you two but this puppet man knows that he wouldn’t rather embark on it with anyone else.

|| MASTERLIST ♡ || Thank you for reading! ||

[llocket]

NAHIDA HAS NO REASON TO BE WHITE. heres WHY

the reason why i'm making this post is because i am SICK and TIRED of seeing OTHER PEOPLE fight for MY CULTURE in the most INCORRECT WAY POSSIBLE. "nahida rcta queen!", "why are you blackwashing her?", "she switched teams!" all these comments and more under artists' posts that decided to give her melanin.

artists are just giving back her melanin as she is based off a culture with people who have dark skin. this is not racist. this is literally the opposite. i understand if a character already has an established skin colour that's apart of their character (ex. ei or zhongli) though with nahida this makes no sense.

i am indian, do NOT come after me. sumeru is based off of MY culture. i know what i'm talking about. a good 70% of sumeru is based off hindu culture, it's based off south asia.

more of my yapping:

you all need to shut the hell up about saraswati and how nahida is based off saraswati because saraswati's description is saying "shes as white as the moon" and nahida is white. you ALL need to BE QUIET ABOUT THAT.

this is saraswati, for reference:

saraswati is not ever mentioned in genshin impact. NOT ONCE. but, the aranara call rukkhadevata queen aranyani. aranyani is a very obscure hindu god known for taking care of the forest and dancing n stuff

THIS IS WHAT NAHIDA AND RUKKHADEVATA ARE BASED OFF OF. NOT SARASWATI. the only thing that saraswati and nahida (+ rukkha) have in-common is that other than being white and based off a hindu goddess

saraswati isn't even white, the pale as the moon thing refers to a godly glow. so even IF nahida and rukkha are based off saraswati, hoyo does NOT HAVE ANY REASON TO MAKE THEM WHITE SINCE SHE ISNT EVEN WHITE. she has a GODLY GLOW.

literally the only excuse nahida has for being that pale is that she's the avatar of irminsul (a white tree) HOWEVER. they didn't need to make her THAT pale. if they wanted to make her pale skin they should've added more colors like pinks and purples and blues like the actual irminsul

as you can VERY CLEARLY see, they did not do that. they did not even try to take this route.

everything could have been fine if they did take this route or make her eyelashes white and say she's albino if they really wanted her to be white. but they didn't.

indians can be pale, YES. but they aren't this paper caca toothpaste looking ass WHITE like how nahida is. REPRESENTATION FOR SKIN COLOUR MATTERS TOO. ITS NOT JUST THE CULTURE THEY'RE BASED OFF OF.

anyway thanks for coming to my yapping session. i love talking about my culture 👍 desi nahida layouts are here if you want to see :)

[r4izx]

This masterpiece, I won't forget.

painter!scaramouche x gn!reader

summary: he paints you everyday, just to remember the face he had long forgotten.

- 907 words and 4,833 characters.

warnings!: implied death, slight spoilers to sumeru archon quest (?)

you took care of kabukimono. teaching him household chores, letting him live with you and all those kind actions that made him trust you. but just like every other of his companions and just like any other mortal, you die at the end. what did he expect? kabukimono always thought he was betrayed. leaving him? just like that? just like the rest? he knew it- you were no different- he assumed and believed such foolish thoughts. but that was because he was too naive. he realized only now that you truly cared for him. otherwise why would you waste your time to entertain a stranger like him? teaching him all kinds of emotions. why would you even accept him to your home? to the point he could call it his home as well? guilt builds up in his throat, he regrets everything everyday. but his biggest regret--

...is that he can't remember your face.

how long has it been since he last saw your face? a hundred- no, more than that, probably. several hundred years has passed since he last saw the face that saved him. saved him from internal emptiness. despite having no heart, every memory of you fills his chest with a warm, stuffy feeling. a bright smile coming from you in every memory. oh how he wishes to see your face. despite barely remembering what you look like, he paints you. every. single. day.

the moment he went from the balladeer to wanderer, he looked back to the past he tried so hard to escape even when you were included in his past. another one of his regrets it seems. all his paintings of you were never finished. he just can't get it right. he knows paintings aren't enough to replicate your radiance, but why does it not give off your vibe-- not even a bit? but still. he tries. he tries anyway. he continues to paint his memories of you. he remembers all the warm memories, every detail but just not... your face. in his paintings, your face is either blurry, scribbled at-- out of frustration probably--, or a face that doesn't resemble you at all. scaramouche wishes he would remember.

he thinks of every possibe way he could to remember you. asking the traveler, nahida, heck- even al-haitham for archon's sake! but it all leads to one thing. irminsul. he got his memories back from irminsul, so what are the chances? he went to irminsul. nahida didn't even hesitate to let him go because she for sure, already knows the reason why he wants his memories back. he doesn't pray to archons. he doesn't want to. but if... just if there's a slight chance of remembering your face. even if it's just a glimpse of it. he would even go as far as to beg to the archons.

he takes a deep breath, closing his eyes, and remembering. deeply focused, he could hear fire crackling. maybe a little bit too loud. oh. too loud. and all of a sudden he sees a burning house. no- a home. his home. your home. he took steps closer to inspect it. 'this is definitely a memory' he thinks to himself. he had forgotten it though. impossible. what could it be in this memory that would make him forget it? especially if it included you- oh.

a faint call for help, slowly fading through the smile you let out. underneath all the burning rubbles, you were there. in a life and death situation. scaramouche now remembers. the one memory he wished he never did remember, even if it included you. the memory of you dying. now, you were a mortal. you dying wasn't really the reason why he wished to forget this memory. it was all because of another regret. he regrets it that he left you there. if he only took a step closer to you and lend his hand for you just like you did for him, maybe you could've been with him right now. but he didn't. at that moment he hated you. resented you. he was far too greedy. how many betrayals has it been? he swore he had good memory but there's no use to keeping track of things like this. he was too naive. when he was out there resenting you with his whole body, leaving you to death- you never hated him. until the very end of your life, you never did. why didn't you scream at him? tell him to go die? why did you smile? you were dying but you still smiled. at him. truly, every memory of you has your smile. this wasn't the way he wanted to remember your face, no. but if there was no other choice then, what could he possibly do? he regrets everything. but now he could finally paint your face. paint the smile that kept him safe and sane the way he is now.

alas, a painting of you is finally finished. just like how he filled in an empty part of your face in his painting, you once again has filled his empty chest with this warm, stuffy feeling. is it comfort? love? the feeling of security? he doesn't know. but what he does know is that he will continue to paint you for eternity. he will paint you until there is no more paint to paint with. until there is no more space in his canvas. because he doesn't want to forget you again. he doesn't want to regret anything, ever again. he truly regrets everything--

...but you.

[kirarinlovesidols]

Prologue part 2.

Before we start i must put a warning (more like explanation) here since some of you were confused lmao. I did talk about it in my lore post but thought i should put this here too.

But basically MC and Nahida's roles were not only switched but also changed slightly, the story of sumeru as well.

Like, the reader is called LESSER LORD Rukkhadevata cause they take on Nahida's role of being the bird inside a cage.

Nahida is called GREATER LORD Kusanali and is the OG archon who helped deshret save the desert. She just didn't die, just shrank in size and somehow retained her memories.

Does that mean a lot of shit in Sumeru would change? yes. But this isn't a genshin story so what happened there will rarely be mentioned in detail.

Anyway that's all, sorry about the confusion.

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You were usually nervous if not straight up shy but now? now you’re just angry. You had to deal with the stress of getting chased around by a creature you do not even understand where it came from, apparently got transported into another world and now you had to listen to people calling your powers unstable. That was an insult to the Irminsul itself and even YOU weren’t just going to stand by it.

If you thought the stares of the other students were overwhelming then, now it’s almost unbearable. In normal circumstances the cowardly Lesser Lord that you are would just hold her head down and try to ignore it but everyone has a breaking poing, this is yours.

“Is she Fae? i mean look at those ears!”

“I guess so? what other explanation would we have?” The gossiping was getting a bit out of hand and coming from the dorm that was apparently under the red haired boy so he glared at his underclassmen to get them to shut up.

“Grrrrrrrr!”  Grim growled from inside his cube-like prison, wondering what the hell was it even made out of? why couldn’t he burn it? and why did it smell nice in there?

“He…isn’t yours?” Asked Crowley dumbfounded

“No, i’ve never seen him in my life.” You said with a deadpan expression, arms crossed.

The man nervously cleaned his throat– “*Ahem* Then I shall have it expelled from campus. I shall even spare it from being served as dinner.”

Your face IMMEDIATELY contorted in disgust at the thought of the people here eating a cat. Now that was vile.

“My, but I AM kind. ...Someone take this away, please.”  Crowley just settled for ignoring you and held the cube in front of him, expecting someone to come and dispose of the creature inside.

“Oh, right!”  With a snap of your fingers Grim was now free from his prison but being held down by the glasses wearing boy with the weird charismatic voice of earlier.

“Leave it to me, headmage. I’ll be sure to properly deal with him.”  With a merchant’s smile on his lips the boy walked past both of you. However…you didn’t miss his whispering, low yet you could barely make it out.

“I have never seen such magic before…i MUST have it…” You’ll….pretend like you didn’t hear that, it’s for the better. Your powers aren’t something one can easily steal anyway.

“Nooooo! Let me gooooo! You fools better remember my name!”  Grim’s voice started fading in the distance the further he got dragged from the mirror chamber.

“Cause I'm gonna go down in the annals of magic history! Just you wait!”

Your expression softened as you felt a bit sorry for him. There must be a reason to why he was so desperate to stay despite being a…monster? creature? whatever he is. Still fascinating though.

“I hope he can get back home safely…” You whispered to yourself before hearing Crowley let out a big sigh.

“Well, that was quite the unexpected fracas. I hereby declare that orientation has concluded.

Housewardens, please escort your students back to the dorms.” At his permission the students who happened to be sitting down or browsing their phones stood up, preparing to move.

Some of them still stared and some others did a sign using their thumb and pinky while mouthing “call me”. What did that even mean, call who? where?

“..Hm? Come to think of it, I don't see Housewarden Draconia of House Diasomnia anywhere.” The masked man wondered cupping his chin.

“And that surprises you? Dude's a total recluse.” The animal-eared boy said followed by a quick yawn.

“Wait a sec... Did anyone even invite him?” The red eyed boy asked.

“If you're that worried about him missing out, maybe you should have told him yourself.” The pretty boy examined his nails, they still seemed to be drying.

“Maybe, but I don't know him too well either…” The red eyed young man looked to the side apologetically.

You wondered why were they playing ping pong with the idea of inviting this “Draconia” person to an important ceremony. You weren’t an specialist but wasn’t it normal to…check? or…communicate properly? 

“Draconia... Like, Malleus Draconia? THAT Draconia?”

“Holy shit i didn’t think the rumors were true…is it too late to backpedal?”

“I wonder if my mom would be mad if i just went home early.”

At this point you were starting to feel a stress headache setting in so you rested your hand on your forehead and closed your eyes for a few minutes, so when you came back to the land of the living all these people would be gone.

“....kkha……R…..Miss Rukkha!”  Oh. You didn’t really….hear that.

“Please pay attention when people are talking to you.” At that she just gave him a look that only said “I’m so very sorry”.

He seemed to accept the “apology” and resumed talking.

“Well, Miss Rukkha This is a most unfortunate turn of events, I'm afraid that you will not be attending Night Raven Collage after all.” He sounded relieved to finally get rid of you which was rude to say the least. He could at least pretend.

Not that you care about him caring about you but…it’s not very nice, alright?

“Surely you realize that I cannot very well admit a female student with unstable magic to my academy, right?”   He put a hand on your back in the same way a father would to comfort his children, which made you VERY upset again.

First of all. How many times are you going to have to say your powers ARE NOT UNSTABLE! you felt like you were truly going to lose it and show him true unstable. However he seemed to realize you didn’t enjoy that term very much, your face spoke volumes, so he straight up just talked over you to avoid hearing what he considers to be whiny bullshit from some random ass girl who…honestly….scares him a little bit when angry.

“BUT! worry not. The Dark Mirror will see you safely home. Now, step into the gate, and visualize the place you came from.”   You were going to let that one slide since he was going to send you home, FINALLY.

You cannot BELIEVE you’re going to say this but…your cage back in the Sanctuary of Surasthana is looking real comfortable right now, you just want to sleep for another 500 years actually. Being around people is wonderful as it’s draining.

And yet…a small part of you screamed at you for even accepting to go home. You’re finally free! run away! go live your life!

You crushed such thoughts under an airtight sense of guilt.

You had no right to run away or to have some life outside of Sumeru. Even if you were usually held captive there STILL were things you could do for the people, that’s why you used Katherine as your proxy sometimes. And….Greater Lord Kusanali would be worried if you disappeared. You didn’t want to give her anymore grief than you already have.

So you stepped in front of the mirror, closed your eyes and imagined yourself back in your prison.

“O Dark Mirror! Return this soul to where it belongs!”   Crowley extended his hand as if issuing a command.

Yet…

Nothing happened.

Nada.

Utterly disappointing.

“Ahem* L-let us, er...try this again. O Dark Mirror! Return this soul—” He commanded the mirror to try again only for it to cut him off.

“There is no such place.”   At that your heard dropped. You were already starting to get nervous but huh? what do you MEAN there’s no such place? it can’t send you back?

“What?” The man demanded an explanation but was just as confused as you were.

“There is no place in this world where this soul belongs,none.”

You flinched. 

You already knew that. You knew there was no place for you anywhere. Not in Sumeru, not in the Akademiya, not in the desert, not even…in another world.

“How can that be? My, but today is a veritable cavalcade of impossible phenomena!” The headmage held his head on his hands, ready to give up — “This has never happended throughout my long tenure. I must confess that I am at something of a loss”

He looked at you again, ignoring your obviously sad expression.

“Tell me: From what land do you hail?” That question hurt you even more.

You just smiled bitterly, holding back tears. Your eyes lidded with sadness highlighted your face as you answered.

“Teyvat….”

The man shook his head lightly.

“I'm afraid I am not familiar with such a place.”

⟥────────✤────────────────────⟤

Never have you thought you would get out of your cage. If you told your past self she would be able to actually experience the world with her own body she would’ve laughed and…then started crying, maybe.

At the moment you found yourself sitting on top of a dusty couch inside a VERY creepy dorm. The ceiling had a bunch of holes, which wouldn’t be too bad since that means at least the light of the moon would be able to get in but tonight it’s raining. Hard.

You didn’t like the dark and you didn’t like being alone, it leaves you to your own thoughts…and that’s all you’ve ever had for most of the time.

A sigh escaped your mouth as you decided to think about things to occupy your head, like…the fact you can use your powers! right, that. You pull your hand up and watch as dendro energy accumulates there easily. Since you can still use these powers it must mean your link with Irminsul must still be active. Which must also mean…this world can’t be too far away from Teyvat’s firmament.

Crowley said he would find a way for you to get home and even offered you a place to stay even if it was falling apart by the second. So knowing at least you have something as important as the link with the world tree comforts you slightly.

Still…you wondered how Greater Lord Kusanali was doing…did she realize you’re gone? is she sad? is she looking for you? You hope she is.

In almost perfect comedic timing you get a scare from a lightning bolt that seemed to have fallen dangerously close to the dorm. The noise that followed was a tree falling. You flinched at the sound vibrations it caused.

That must’ve been one big tree, yikes….

And if it weren’t enough you suddenly hear a very familiar voice.

“GWAH! It's pouring out there!” Grim just showed up out of literal nowhere soaked to the bone. Yes it scared you as well.

“W-what are you doing here! didn’t you get kicked out?!” You held a hand close to your heart in a feeble attempt to calm it down.

“Bwahaha! That look on your face is priceless! Like a bat that got blasted by a water gun.” He grinned and then shook the water off his body, on you. Deadass.

“Urgh! you didn’t have to do that! now i’m soaked too!” You closed your eyes and tried to shield yourself as much as you could, to no avail though.

“That’s called revenge for locking me up! anyway, you really thought i wouldn't just sneak back onto campus the second I escaped pryin' eyes? You all got no idea what I'm capable of!” Grim puffed his chest as a smirk graced his face.

“I get that you’re very persistent, if anything.” You took off your now soaked robe and materialized your usual garments. Your dress was way too long and it dragged on the dusty floor but you could just either wash it later or outright float.

Grim looked at you with a clear judgmental expression— “Your magic is so flashy, kinda hurts my eyes!”  He rubbed his paws on his face to prove his point. 

“I’m not the one spitting fire everywhere, mister.” Your hands rested on your waist as you “scolded” him.

“Why did you come back anyway? Aren’t you afraid they’re going to kick you out again?” You floated high up to the ceiling and using your pointer fingers you made a little “square” as if you were scanning the holes on the wood or just pretending to use a camera. After a few seconds dendro energy formed and filled the spots where the water was coming from.

You weren’t as creative as Greater Lord Kusanali when it came to your Irminsul powers but you still could do somethings with it. Still, this was a power used mainly to create, not destroy.

“Alright, fixed.” You floated down back to sit on the couch just in time for Grim to answer.

“Isn't it obvious?” He climbed on the little coffee table in front of you and waved his paws excitedly.

“I was born to do this! I'm a magical prodigy who's got the makin's to become one of the greatest mages who ever lived! So I've been waitin' and waitin' for that black carriage to come for me, and yet…” — His gaze seemed to get sadder for a second before shrugging it off and going back to normal.

“Hrmph! That Dark Mirror's got no eye for talent! That's why I took the initiative and came here myself.”  He jumped down from the table and motioned for you to go to the side.

“Scoot over! it’s freezing here!”  Oh. You were kinda taking a lot of space. You moved your legs to rest on the floor properly and smiled at the cat.

“Well, Grim. I think that’s very cool of you to chase after your dream, surely you can become a great mage.”  It was genuinely impressive of him to try and take fate in his own hands — uh…paws. His eyes were full of hopes and dreams, just like the children of sumeru whose dreams you used to watch over.

Needless to say he did a double take, not used to such kind words coming from anyone much less humans.

“W-what? that’s so cheesy! don’t say that kind of stuff out nowhere! myahh, so lame!”

Obviously a bit embarrassed the cat just hissed and swatted at her, only managing to look cute in the process. Still that was rude!

“That’s so rude! i was just trying to say i believe in you!”

You two bickered for a few minutes until Grim went deathly still.

“Hm? what is it?” You ask in confusion.

“Did you…hear that?” He seemed to be staring pretty hard at something so you turn your head to see what it was about.

“Hear…what?” Ok, now that was scary. You aren’t the best when it comes to stuff like this.

“I think it came from the corridor…” Grim squinted as if trying to make out something in the shadows.

“Want to go take a look? i’ll go by myself if you’re scared.” You didn’t want to force him even if you were kinda scared as well. At least floating was better than just stepping on old moldy wood.

“Who are ya calling scared?! I’m way ahead of ya!” Getting on all fours and jumping off the couch the cat bolted straight into the darkness of it.

⟥────────✤────────────────────⟤

“Grim are you sure you heard something?” You floated near him with one of your dendro constructs floating behind you. It wasn’t as effective as a torch but at least it offered some light.

“Yeah i am! i’m not lyin’!”  He hissed again walking slightly behind you, which was ironic considering how enthusiastic he was about finding out the source of the noise earlier.

Creeeeaaak….

Your long ears twitch as you turn your head. Ok, you’re back to being scared.

“I think I just heard something?!” In a panic you tried to direct the little dendro sphere to illuminate the area. 

What a fucking mistake.

“Boo.”

“AHHHHHHHHH! G-GHOSTS!” A scream rips through Grim’s throat.

Yup. Straight out of a classic fontainian horror movie.

The ghost’s face made itself visible due to the eerie green light of your little sphere. It was sincerely terrifying and you wondered why did your powers have to be neon green. Now that’s just foul. You felt your body freeze as you barely stopped yourself from opening a new hole on one of the many unstable walls of this dorm, literally you got jumpscared so badly you lost control of your hability to fly.

Your stomach sank and your breathing stopped as you saw how you were 5 centimeters away from hitting an actual wall.

“Hoooly Archons….” Your voice trembled.

“Yee hee hee... Bwa ha ha ha ha ha.” And to make it worse the ghost was laughing at you both. Your face burned in embarrassment but also anger for being put in such a predicament and in such an embarrassing pose.

You properly stood straight and immediately regretted ever being scared, for the supernatural being was anything but.

A goofy face, a top hat….really? he looked like a character from one of the books you read to children when borrowing Katherine’s body.

“We haven't had visitors in ages!” Said the ghost with the top hat. “All the people who used ta live here got scared of us and ran away.” Another one popped up from behind him. They both wore top hats so it’s best to just call one big ghost and medium ghost for now.

You looked down at Grim who only shivered pathetically.Yeah, seemed like you would have to do something about this yourself.

“We just want a new ghost to play with! What do you say, buddy?” The big ghost was getting a bit too close for comfort so with a flick of your wrist your dendro construct homed in on him and immediately changed shape as it got close, changing into a rectangle. Basically just a longer form of the cube prison you had kept Grim in before.

And you thought you had him, you really did.

Except your target literally phased through it. You couldn’t constrict something that was incorporeal after all.

Nice one, dumbass. You better take that L as well.

You gasped as realization hit you. SEE? this is why you weren’t good enough! if it was Greater Lord Kusanali she wouldn’t even have done something so stupid!

“Grim?! do you want to maybe help me?” You said panicking yet AGAIN. If this kept going they could possibly kill you two since they mentioned they wanted more ghost buddies.

“I'm a master sorcerer! I ain't afraid of any dumb ghosts!” Amidst his shivering the cat managed to talk the talk but couldn’t walk the walk. His fire missed the ghosts by a mile due to having his eyes closed which just raised your concerns tenfold.

“Nuh-uh. Not even close.” A new ghost mocked the sorcerer-wannabe, this one a lot thinner? let’s just call him tall ghost.

“Over here! Over here! Ah ha ha ha!” The big and tall one kept circling him as if toying with his inability to actually hit his targets.

“Grim! You’ll set the entire dorm ablaze if this keeps going, please open your eyes and aim properly!” Even YOU had to dodge one of his blasts. His pyro energy was strong, there was just not sign of control much less technique.

“Shaddup! I don't need any lip from you, human!” Now he was just taking out his frustration over being incompetent on you, absolutely unnecessary.

You hoped that what you’re about to say doesn’t get you in trouble with Crowley later.

“Listen! maybe if you get rid of them mister Crowley will let you enroll in the academy! wouldn’t that be nice? being a hero?”  You felt so bad for using his pride like that, truly another thing that just made you different from Kusanali and deserving of being called the Lesser Lord. She would never use something as dirty as manipulation to get people to listen to her. But this is all you can do so you would dwell on such thoughts later.

“Myah...?! Hmph... I'm Grim, Master Sorcerer! How come I can't even hit one of these little-” Another missed hit that ended up making a very obvious burn mark on the wood. 

“Grrrr! Stop ganging up on us! yer a buncha cowards!” Ok that wasn’t enough…so you’ll have to try harder.

“I’ll help you! surely if i tell mister Crowley how cool you were he’ll understand!” Yup, you’re so going to drown in guilt later.

“Ugh! You tell me which way the ghosts are!”  Grim finally gave in to the idea of teamwork and turned to you. He was expecting some kind of quote or something ridiculous but most certainly not you picking him up and using him a flamethrower.

“HEY! THIS ISN’T WHAT I MEANT!”  The monster struggled and even scratched you a bit. His claws were very sharp so a little blood trickled down your arms. Pain wasn’t anything new, however it’s been at least 5 centuries since you got hurt.

“I-I’m sorry! this is just way easier! i’ll make it up to you later!” That was all you could tell him before one of the ghosts went in for the kill again.

So in this very goofy way you and Grim made sure they disappeared. By the end you were both mentally and physically exhausted.

Archons you had no stamina at all, this was horrible.

“We did it…we did it Grim….” You said while trying to get your breathing to go back to normal.

“Aw, geez, I was scared outta my-” He ceased immediately and coughed before resuming—

“I mean, they didn't faze me one bit! just a walk in the park for a mage of my caliber! Whaddaya got to say now, ghosties? That's right!” Well that’s rich coming from the guy who was shivering so bad he looked like a whole chihuahua.

“Sure Grim…you’re truly amazing…” You rolled your eyes. Buttering him up was for the better after all.

“Good evening. In another gesture of my immense kindness, I have brought you dinner.” Crowley let himself inside the dorm only to see you wearing some weird clothes he had never seen anywhere before and a very much not-thrown-outside Grim.

“Wait. That's the creature we ejected for causing trouble at orientation! What is it doing here?!” He looked at you as if expecting some kind of explanation, you just gave him an apologetic smile and shrugged. The cat just got in, that’s all.

“Takin' care of yer ghost problem, that's what. You're welcome, by the way!” Grim’s forked tail swayed in annoyance.

“What’s the meaning of this Miss Rukkha? But you know, on that topic, I do seem to recall that this dorm had a mischievous ghost problem…Ah, yes... That's why it was abandoned, in fact. The ghosts scared away all the students. And you're saying that you two joined forces to drive them away?” He stared at both of you with a weird expression on his face, you didn’t like that.

“ ‘Joined forces’ ain't exactly how I'd describe it, More like I drove 'em away, and the human watched. Don’t I deserve a can of tuna for this?”  What? you tried! what you could do was limited! the enemy was incorporeal and Irminsul didn’t allow nor you or Greater Lord Kusanali to use desctructive powers! what else were you supposed to do?

“T-That’s not true! I tried to help! it’s just that…my powers were completely useless against something that can phase through walls!”  There was no reason for you to explain yourself to this figure of authority yet you did, you felt like you had to.

“Would you two be so kind as to demonstrate your ghost-eradication methods for me?” Oh yeah, he’s planning something.

Grim hissed at that.

“One, no, 'cause I already wiped 'em all out. And two, no, 'cause where's my tuna?!” No one ever said there would be tuna, he literally made that up.

“I will play the part of the ghosts. As for the tuna, you'll receive it when you defeat me. Oh, what generosity, Crowley…” The masked man wiped an imaginary tear from his face. 

“Ah, you gotta be kiddin' me. I gotta work together with the human again?” Grim looked at you with an expression that said “dude i’m tired of this”. And you felt even more offended. You had been nothing but kind to him! why was this pyro cat so mean? still you did say all of that about him enrolling earlier so…you’ll feel even worse later if you don’t at least try to get him inside NightRaven.

“It won’t be that bad, this could be your chance to show off and enroll!” You gave him a wink followed by a thumbs up.

⟥────────✤────────────────────⟤

After another “””””””””ghost hunting””””””””” session and a convoluted conversation you managed to get Grim enrolled.

His happiness made you a bit happy as well. Maybe it was his childish behavior but you felt like you couldn’t leave him alone.

And you couldn’t anyway, since the both of you are now the “janitorial team”. You read in a book once a saying that went “Those who don’t work shall not eat”, so cleaning up the school seemed like a fair deal considering he was letting you stay here despite being from another world and breaking rules.

Besides, taking odd jobs like these would allow you to have more freedom and  check out the books inside the library, maybe they had something about sending you back to Teyvat.

You stared at the ceiling while laid in the bed you had to share with Grim since it was the only clean one and you both were tired, ruminating on why you had the feeling things would go wrong.

Well, you shall know for sure when the sun rises up again.

⟥────────✤────────────────────⟤

I've been writing this since 1pm, it's 1am now.

I take so long to write smth so cringe, oh my god.

As always, sorry and boy am i tired!

Part 3 should be coming in sunday and the final part on monday.

After that i'll be addressing the love interests and then start book 1.

Also taglist before i forget: @coffee-or-hot-cocoa

[genshin-scenarios]

Reunion: Pretenses [Part 3]

Read the first series (Adopt a Wanderer) here! An AU where Scaramouche/Wanderer gets isekaied to your world - a found-family series.

Summary: A new (but familiar) person meets your acquaintance, but perhaps things aren't quite what they seem?

Warnings: contains spoilers of Wanderer's story in the archon quest!

Part 2 <-

-> Part 4

Despite your awkward attempts to bid him goodbye, Wanderer did a pretty good job of finding interest in your temporary home.

From what you can tell, he currently has no memories of his past, stuck in that uncertain stage of the Archon Quest after he’d tried erasing his existence. However, while you had an idea of Wanderer’s circumstances, a part of you still couldn’t get used to seeing him like this.

“So you found this place from exploring the forest?” He studies your small home, taking a quick look around. The space feels much smaller with two people, but you push that thought to the back of your mind.

“It’s nothing much.” You’re not sure if you should be wary or worried for him, with how good-natured he’s been acting ever since you met earlier. “I’m sure you would’ve seen better homes during your travels.”

“Sometimes when I wander too far away from civilization, I end up sleeping through the rain under a tree.” Wanderer chuckles to himself. “I’d be quite happy if I found a spot like this to return to.”

“R… Right…” For lack of better words, you resist the urge to ask him if he’s okay. “It sounds like you’ve traveled quite a lot.”

“Not as much as I would’ve liked.” He pauses. “I feel like I’ve been searching for something that is still unknown to me, even till this day.”

'If you smile as you feel joy and cry when in grief, isn't that enough to be considered human?'

The voice of your past self echoes in your mind, but the words die out before they can reach your tongue.

“I’m sure you’ll find it eventually.” You offer him a smile, genuinely hoping he’ll find some closure after the Traveler runs into him. Not you, who can't do much for him this time. You’d forgotten how conflicting it is to be a bystander in a situation like this, where the person in front of you was so close yet so far. 

At least back then, within the safety of an apartment and world you knew as yours, you had the chance to offer him some shelter from the rain.

.

.

.

…Kuni does have to admit, seeing your internal conflict whenever he makes a request as ‘Wanderer’ really is quite amusing. Try as you may to push him away with a variety of excuses, you couldn't seem to bring yourself to shut him out when he bore such a well-meaning, doe-eyed demeanor.

Was it a chore to feign innocence around you? Yes. But when it came to matters of predicting human intention, Kuni has grown to be more critical than not. It helped that he’s grown into a pretty good actor after centuries of questionable exploits. Whether it was to simply appear human or to play the part of a confused traveler, he’s practiced quite a lot of roles. It’s amazing what can be brought out of a person’s character when they believed the other person had nothing to hide, or was too innocent for their own good.

And while you may try to act like a simple stranger and resident of Teyvat, he could tell that you’ve been observing him, trying to match some information in your mind. 

Suffice to say, Irminsul did not contain data of you (you were not from here, much like the Traveler), yet after recovering his memories from his encounter with the Dendro Archon, Kuni started to receive odd visions in his dreams.

They contained bits and traces of an uneventful life in another world. For weeks it had only featured himself doing menial tasks such as chores and reading books, but the headaches only began when another character appeared; you.

It started as a flood of memories, one after another settling into his mind as if they belonged to him far longer than he’d been the Balladeer or Kabukimono. But just as quickly as that clarity came, it was snatched out of his hands as he woke, a foreign bundle of nerves crawling up his throat - burning, burning.

When asked, Kuni would simply tell Nahida that sleeping to pass the time was just about as interesting as the mundane ongoings of Sumeru. Within his dreams, he continues to piece together the puzzles of a past that seemed to evaporate from reality the moment he'd returned to Teyvat. 

Perhaps it was some cruel experiment by the gods, to place him in a life that might have been worth living, only to return him to a fate written by the stars.

But what of you, who was privy to the story of this world long before it occurred? As he continued upholding the image of a good-natured, amnesiac Wanderer, his suspicions that you were already aware of his fate only confirmed itself; for someone who tries to leave his side as soon as you'd met again, you were incredibly bad at controlling your body language from betraying your emotions. Why else would you look at him with such an odd tangle of relief and remorse?

Yet with every interaction, Kuni is finding it hard to feel anger towards you. Perhaps it’s because he’s encountered far greater evils in his long life — or perhaps it is because of the way you try to maintain your distance, only to give in to the illogical urge of stepping back towards him (out of sympathy, or guilt? He intends to find out.)

His own feelings about the matter was another story, so Kuni instead focuses on the matter at hand; finding a way to bring you into the city, which you seem to have been avoiding for a while. (Admittedly, after he found a name and general idea of your profile from his dreams, he’d begun to investigate if you could have existed in Teyvat or had a counterpart. The search came up empty, but luckily the Aranara were quite willing to pass along gossip to Kuni, and he soon learned there was an odd outlander living around the Avidya Forest. You seemed to be living quite cautiously, perhaps to avoid him.)

Kuni’s flattered that after arriving here, you’d seemingly based most of your actions around him (asking around about the situation in Sumeru, if there were any new gods cropping up… without actually trying to make contact with him. He'd settle that bit with you later.)

While slightly exasperated and annoyed about your avoidant antics, Kuni has to admit it was quite amusing to see how long you could keep up the act, squirming every time he prodded and tried to bait you into a situation where ‘Wanderer’ might unearth your lies.

“With how much it’s been raining lately, it’s easy to get sick.” Kuni says as he places down the firewood you’d collected together. Ulterior scheme or not, he highly doubts you were able to chop wood by yourself with no prior equipment or practice. He glances at you, playing this off as a passing thought. “Have you ever felt unwell lately?”

There’s a pause as you contemplate your answer. “...I had pretty bad headaches for a while, but they’ve subsided by now.” It’d occurred the same night you arrived in Teyvat, as if your body and mind were having to adjust to this new world and in recovering the memories you’d lost. Luckily, the Aranara you became acquainted with was quick to find you some herbs to soothe the pain. “I managed to get some medicine though, so it wasn’t too bad.”

The amount of herbs packed into bags around your desk says otherwise, but Kuni doesn’t mention it. “I see… If you’re free after this, would you like to head to the city together, then?”

“Oh, what for?”

(Was it a betrayal for you to shield him from the truth all those years ago, when you were already aware of what his future would hold?)

“I’ve worked for a merchant there, who has some products you may be interested in.” Kuni dusts off his hands, giving you a reproachful look. “I believe that the… produce you’ve been living off so far, may not be the most suitable for a healthy lifestyle. That is, if you don’t mind me saying this.”

In other words; ‘your living conditions are a little concerning, and that’s coming from me’. You can practically feel your pride deflating at the fact he’d tried to word it nicely. 

(Just what is truth, and why does it only ever bring him pain?)

“I… I see.” You clasp your hands together, entwining your fingers to calm your nerves. “I suppose we could do that, yes.”

But what if it triggers the Traveler’s quest? What if me being there changes something, and…

Before you could reconsider, Kuni takes your hand and leads you out the door. He offers you a smile and asks if you’ve been to the city before, letting the conversation fill the air.

(And why is it that despite you being the first to lie to me, the time we spent together remains the kindest in my memory?)

(Just why do I feel such regret?)

-> Part 4

[blood-orange-juice]

I'm not a fan of bridging Genshin and Honkai, but the authors seem to be doing it anyway, so... blame Hoyo for this post.

tl;dr of Honkai lore

At the core of Honkai's cosmogony are two concepts. The Imaginary Tree — a tree of branching parallel universes, each twig of which is a timeline and each leaf a world. And The Sea of Quanta — a boundless place of entropy and chaos from which the Imaginary tree spawned.

Order and chaos, basically. They exist in constant conflict, the tree tries to consume the sea of quanta and the sea tries to flood and dissolve the tree.

When a world fails to persist it can "fall" from the tree into the sea of quanta, becoming an unstable fragmented version of itself called a bubble universe. A shadow of a proper world. Such a universe is eventually dissolved in the sea.

Bubbles universes can also be artificially created or spawned from someone's memories. Either way they are unstable. If I recall correctly, Genshin was confirmed to be a bubble universe in a Honkai 3rd easter egg.

Ether Anchors

There's a technology allowing to extend a bubble universe's lifespan, is called an Ether Anchor. An Ether Anchor holds together fragments of a bubble universe that follow a fixed set of laws.

It seems to be more of a place/space anomaly than an object (“a topological formation that exists between the dimensional manifolds”), if I understood Durandal's and Roland's lore correctly, but also can take the form of an object, if honkai wiki is to be believed.

(I think space anomalies are anchor points, not the anchor itself? the places where it sews fragments of reality together. I'm still figuring this part out)

Quotes from Durandal VN summary:

At the core of the Ether Anchor, space from different dimensions were cluttered together like vines

"There, he witnessed the endless possibilities of another ancient world. "

Tartaglia's character story 4

Readjusted her body composition with the Ether Anchor to turn herself into a weapon.

I think there was a guy in Genshin who constantly talks about turning himself into a weapon. I can't quite remember his name though...

 Synchronized themselves with the Ether Anchor, becoming the “Son of God” itself.

"The purpose of this line in the ritual scripture is to forsake the self and sink into the abyss, and in the abyss, to welcome rebirth as a holy infant."

Narcissenkreuz Ordo note

Another property of the Ether Anchor is that it allows bubble universes to interact with one another. 

Or maybe not exactly different bubble universes but rather fragments of the same bubble universe (or, since we are in a multiverse, these could be the same thing)?

"Unborn life, unfulfilled wishes, Tragic dreams at the edge of the universal darkness that could never come true."

Festering Desire description

Ok, this is getting too long and no one reads long posts. Maybe I'll continue in a separate post later. There are still the topics of the Abyss (and why it's not The Sea of Quanta), Descenders, whether the anchors need to be sustained in some way, Tsaritsa's goals, why does everyone who has seen the Abyss speaks of ultimate injustice, Alice and Hexenzirkel in general, what is Irminsul exactly, and, of course, Childe, why Childe's promise of a battle at the edge of the universe is more important than it might seem, what are world cycles, and why Childe's part of 4.2 story sucked so much (I now have a Lore Explanation. or maybe a copium overdose. probably both).

For now I'm calling it though. Whatever Khaenri'ahns messed up, it had to do something with Teyvat's Aether Anchor.

[sorry-moots]

Inversion of Gensis But I Changed It

it's been FOREVER but i'm finally done with this piece of shit and i am never ever posting anything EVER AGAIN (except the stuff i have in my drafts) characters featured: scaramouche, nahida, katheryne, lumine, paimon cws: none wc: 1,651

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Chapter Twelve

A year, six months, two weeks, and three days have passed since the incident. You can’t remember your last visit. They all go pretty much the same: examine his unmoving form, wait for him to wake up, try not to feel disappointed when he doesn’t.

In the beginning, you would bring little flowers to leave floating around him. Now, they’re all shriveled and brown. 

The sight strikes you. It’s such a desolate representation of how life has moved on without him. Even you have a new life after all the time that has gone by.

You're on the verge of tears when you hear a voice.

“Why do you look so sad?”

In the midst of the withered flowers, Scaramouche is staring at you with his face scrunched in confusion.

“Lord Scaramouche, you're awake!” you exclaim with a wobbly smile, eyes welling even faster.

“Lord… who?”

“Oh… uh,” you stammer. “Stay put, I’ll get help!”

Your thoughts are racing as you rush out the door. He doesn’t remember anything. What happens if he never recovers his memory? Would that make me his keeper? Could I even bear such responsibility knowing all that I’v– we’ve lost? He has to remember. He has to.

*****

The seemingly youthful archon strokes her chin in thought. “Retrograde amnesia, huh…”

It’s taking everything in you not to descend into hysteria. Just deciding who to ask for help took a good fifteen minutes. Finding Lesser Lord Kusanali took even longer. Now, you’re not even sure she’ll be able to do anything.

Her outburst startles you out of your rumination. “I’ve got it.

“Everything that has ever happened is recorded in Irminsul. We can use the Irminsul to show Scaramouche his past and restore his memories,” she finishes.

Hope stirs in your chest. That doesn’t sound too hard. “So, where do we find this Irminsul?”

“That part is a little more complicated,” she admits. “As the dendro archon, I am an avatar of Irminsul and therefore have constant access to it. I can send him there and bring him back.

She did her best to suppress it, but you still noticed her grimace. “I cannot, however, lead him through Irminsul. I have to remain in Sumeru in order to pull him out of Irminsul, which means someone else would have to guide him.”

Before you even get the chance to volunteer, she shoots you down. “It can’t be you. There are many dangers in Irminsul, dangers that an unskilled fighter wouldn’t be able to overcome.”

Your faces darkened in unison as she said what you were both thinking.

“It has to be the Traveler.”

*****

Everyone knows the Traveler is a member of the Adventurers’ Guild. Some of her most famous conquests started out as commissions given to her by the same Snezhnayan puppet found at every guild headquarters.

“Katheryne, I’m looking for the Traveler.”

She smiles warmly as she always does. “Welcome to the Adventurers’ Guild! Are you interested in commissioning an adventurer?”

“Something like that,” you mutter. “Can you tell the Traveler to meet me at the cafe? Tell her it’s urgent, thanks.”

Before Katheryne can ask for your name or the details of the commission, you’re off to wait at Puspa Cafe. It’s better that she doesn’t know who’s requesting to meet with her anyway.

When the Traveler meets your eyes, it’s clear she wasn’t expecting you. Her eyes are widened and her eyebrows are raised. Everything about her expression tells you she’s thinking, “I thought we were done with this bitch.”

As she and her companion make their way to your table, you quash any uncertainty running through your head. Every hesitation, every shred of reluctance, every ounce of apprehension.

“I know I’m probably the last person you’d like to see,” you start, averting your eyes from her judgemental stare. “But please hear me out.”

 The Traveler’s frown deepens the longer she listens.

“Why should we restore his memories?” Paimon asks with an accusatory tone. “He might try to destroy Teyvat!”

“It’s safer for everyone if he forgets his past,” the Traveler agrees.

Tears prick your eyes and you dig your nails into your fist. “You don’t know him like I do. He won’t cause any trouble.”

Sensing the Traveler’s misgivings, you finally raise your head to meet her eyes.

“Please.”

She stands from her side of the table and turns to you with a dissatisfied look. “Alright, let’s go.”

You jump up from your seat feeling lighter than air. “Thank you so much. I’ll take you to him, he’s in the Sanctuary.”

There’s a spark of hope in your chest as you lead them to Scaramouche. You’re already thinking of all the things you want to tell him, everything he’s missed in the last year and a half.

In the midst of your daydreaming, you hear a whisper that is not quite a whisper.

“Hey, Lumine, are we really gonna help them?”

“It’s okay, Paimon. If anything goes wrong, I can put Scaramouche out of commission. For good this time.”

The spark of hope you felt is extinguished by the fear that strikes your heart.

** POV Switch **

”Who was that girl, Nahida?”

“For a very long time, she was your most loyal companion.”

Shortly after you ran out the door, Lesser Lord Kusanali arrived and she’s been fielding questions since. “Who are you?” “Who am I?” “How did I get here?” That sort of thing.

Scaramouche only stops asking questions when you finally return a few hours later with another girl and a… fairy? Everyone is talking about ‘helping’ him, but he’s not sure what they’re planning or how they’ll accomplish it.

Eventually, their hushed conversation ends and they approach him. His ‘most loyal companion’ hangs back.

“Scaramouche,” the child-like god addresses him. “The Traveler and I are going to help restore your memories, but I need you to do as I say.”

She guides him and the traveler towards the center of the sanctuary and instructs them to sit cross-legged.

“Close your eyes,” she says, and the material world disappears. “Irminsul access granted. Initiating connection procedure.”

When he opens his eyes, everything is tranquil and pink. Then, he turns and meets the Traveler’s eyes to find her glaring at him with suspicion.

She leads him through mazes of information that is simultaneously tangible and intangible, careful not to touch anything particularly luminescent. It takes them what seems like hours to reach their destination, but when they finally do, the giant tree that had been before them is replaced by a traditional dojo.

He sees horrible things in that dojo. His creation, his creator. His ‘mother’ abandoning him. Dottore’s betrayal. His friends dying. His own cruelty.

But he also sees you. He gets to watch you trip over your words when you first meet, offer him sweets every time you baked (even if he said no every time), and sip tea with him in comfortable silence.

“…but if in a year you realize that I’ve stuck by you, you’ll have to take me seriously!”

Wow. It has to have been over a year since she said that, maybe two, he ponders. She really stayed…

Finally, they make it to that fateful day. They end up getting attacked by his past self, which is surreal and kinda creepy. He’s so startled he pulls a vision out of nowhere to destroy himself? I dunno.

Once they’ve broken the mech suit and reclaimed the gnosis, he sees you running toward it. You’re running as fast as you can to catch him, someone so undeserving of your loyalty, companionship, affection. So strong are your feelings, that you earn a vision of your own and use your newfound cryo ability to break his fall.

In all his centuries roaming Teyvat, he has never seen someone care so much for another person. Especially not him. The way you cradle his face in this memory is so tender, so filled with concern. And the way you shield him with your body, knowing Il Dottore could shred your mortal flesh with ease. Your determination and commitment is incredible.

It feels… nice, to be cared for, is his last thought before he’s released from the dream.

** POV Switch **

Their quiet trance was nerve-racking from an outsider’s perspective. At first, you could hear both sides of the conversation but the sanctuary fell silent after Nahida said “initiating connection procedure”. The only sign that anything is even happening is the telltale rapid eye movement that comes with dreaming.

It doesn’t take long for them to wake up. As with most dreams, the perceived duration is much shorter than the actual duration. The 500 years of memories they had relived lasted maybe half an hour in the real world. It was still a really tense half hour, in your defense.

Not once had you taken your eyes off him so when he came to, his immediate eye contact stole your breath. He stood, dusted himself off, and walked over to where you had been observing them from afar.

He offers you a hand. “Congrats on the vision.”

You take his hand gingerly, like you’re not sure if you’re supposed to touch him. “Thank you, my—“

“Don’t call me that,” he cuts you off. “We’ll think of something else.”

Beaming at him, you ask, “Does that mean you won’t be returning to the Fatui?”

“No,“ he said. “I won’t be returning to the Fatui.”

It occurs to you that your relationship with him up until this point was purely a result of working for the Fatui. What will happen now?

“…Does that mean you’ll no longer require my services?” you inquire with a light furrow in your brow.

“No…” He puts his hand to his chin, thoughtfully. “It just means I can’t pay you for them.”

And that smile is back and more brilliant than ever, almost like your boss didn’t just tell you you’d be working for free.

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a/n: this is short, but i really just wanted to get it done T_T there's a teeny tiny bit more that i have in my drafts for this storyline specificially, but i'll probably post the rest as bulleted lists esp since the fall semester already started tags: @lacunaanonymoused, @dollpoetwriting, @constantlyoverthinking, @melpomenelurks, @yourfavoritefreakyhan, @magicalink, @swivy123

[reginrokkr]

𝐗𝐗𝐈𝐈. One of the biggest elephants in the room that was introduced in 5.1 is the notion of reconstructing the Ley Line system within Natlan as a way to combat the Abyss presence in the Night Kingdom, and by extension the also mentioned Loom of Fate. This wasn't mentioned by any chance, as the means to create one and the other seem to hold some notable resemblances and suffice to say, repercussions if they're created.

Natlan's Ley Line system was weak by itself following the aftermath of the battle between the Primordial One as the first descender and the dragons, wrecking havoc one corner of the world and the Ley Lines with it. In order to minimize the possible risks this would entail and make sure that a) Natlan isn't disconnected from the rest of the world for losing their Ley Lines and b) so that the location in itself keeps being nourished by the elements that flow within the spirit veins —as well as other factors worth keeping in mind, such as the fact that souls gather in the Ley Lines—, the Lord of the Night alongside the help of Ronova created the Night Kingdom as a result of the reestructure of the damaged Ley Lines present in Natlan. It's important to say that these Ley Lines weren't created out of thin air, but using the remnants of the former to create the new. Despite the positive results the creation of the Night Kingdom and the reestructure of the Ley Lines would entail, it also provoked a series of negative consequences to the humans that, at least, lived in Natlan back then: collective memory loss, mental disorders and cognitive issues. The history of Natlan engraved in the damaged Ley Lines (or perhaps, more like the Unified Civilization) lost with it.

On the other side, we have the Loom of Fate. The manner in which it was created remains unknown save for the fact that it was necessary to use the eye of the first Field Tiller created in Khaenri'ah. Unlike the network of Ley Lines that the Lord of the Night created, it is apparently possible to create Ley Lines out of thin air without depending on the already existing ones, and perhaps this is the reason why Caribert says thus in 「Bedtime story」:

◜Creating new Ley Lines can neither "replace" nor "extend" the ones that already exist...◞

Before moving on with the repercussions, let's have a brief reminder of what Caribert could do with the semi-complete Loom of Fate: he was able to alter the Ley Lines into the scenery and time he wanted, he was able to implant whatever remained of his soul for being what brought into being the Loom of Fate to begin with in the memories of others and he was able to alter further the memories for the sake of achieving the completion of the Loom of Fate. While memory manipulation is an ability that was lost the moment that the Loom of Fate was completed, it does bring a few good ideas of what the Loom of Fate will be able to do if we keep into consideration the predicament Mavuika had in letting the Lord of Night reestructure them again and, even further back in time, what Lingyuan has been doing for years and what actually pretended to do: turn time back for Chenyu Vale in order to make it look the same as it used to.

Although the Loom of Fate may still be subject to have more differences with the reestructure of Ley Lines in Natlan as said by the Lord of Night, given the way both were conceived and the way they can create / recreate the spirit veins, the repercussions of the Loom of Fate may be more dramatic than we can imagine. If we take into account Caribert's deeds in pulling everyone in a parallel reality of the exact same village in Sumeru so that he could make possible his existence, the creation of new Ley Lines and pulling everyone into that reality would imply two things: 1) the memories people would have will likely be imposed by the conditions that the Ley Line weaver applied in order to create them, which can alter history easily to the way the weaver wants it to be —ironically similar as the fate system, if you ask me— and 2) because they wouldn't have any notion of living in a parallel reality, whatever may happen in the reality of the original Ley Lines will be lost to them. The Abyss Order could plunge the entire world to darkness as per King Irmin's deliriums and it could go unnoticed unless some manner of connection between the original reality and the parallel one remains. For those acquainted with HSR, it may be a similar case scenario as enter in a dream in Penacony: the dreamer's soul will stay in the dream, but their body will continue to be influenced by time and anything that happens to its surroundings. Potentially, there might be grave consequences to the body, soul or both if too much time is spent in the alternative reality precisely because it's not what it should be. For instance, in Chenyu Vale several miasmas grew as a result of the innatural flow of time going backwards, as opposed to forward as it should be. Furthermore, it's important to note that Teyvat has its natural laws, laws which have been actively suppressed by the Primordial One in order to shape it the way they wanted it to be. The same may apply if such an important element to Teyvat as the Ley Lines are is being tampered with. Moreover, we still don't know if the same as would've happened to Natlan if Mavuika were to give the Lord of the Night the order to recreate the Ley Lines would happen: memory loss, mental disorders and cognitive issues.

Lastly, as a small detail worth keeping in mind, the Lord of the Night did state that if something like the Loom of Fate truly exists, it could make a great contender against the Abyss. This might be a possible potential element in the future if the Abyss keeps devouring Teyvat until nothing of it will remain, as she implied (and so is implied in other sources such as René's fear or the Sword of Descension).

[ha1azian]

SAGAU idea but spoilers for the new interlude quest with Scara/Wanderer.

(Here's the thing for me tho, I actually haven't started the Sumeru Archon quest yet so forgive me for lacking)

Ok, so you know how Scara/Wanderer/whatever changes people's memories of himself in the Irminsul? Well, what if something goes wrong and everyone including himself forgets? Like a sudden slightly irreversible amnesia?

Of course the Traveler would still know, so when they realize what has happened, they quickly take Scara to the creator to help him recover his memories. But surprise, this is the imposter au of SAGAU and the false god is sitting on the throne so they can't do anything.

They go to Ei and she's like "who is this". Then Yae with the same reaction and just when the Traveler is about to give up hope, they come across the player who scared of them but more so confused since Scara is being awkward and somewhat nice to them. The Traveler, who is tired of running around and doesn't care all too much for the creator, explains the situation and the player just goes "oh, ok" and accidentally does some divine shit and brings his memories back.

[ajxrn-archive]

Random Paimon theory, I've been thinking about genshin lore a lot so why not post this? I need to look further into lore as someone wanting to be a lore player, and don't know too deep lore regarding the gods and stuff atm so forgive any mistakes.

Long theory ramble underneath the cut!

I just watched a YouTube video mentioning the meaning behind the triquetra in genshin. Normally, it stands for a trinity of something, often the holy trinity. The guy mentioned the moon sisters theory, but I’m setting that one aside because I don’t know about the moon sisters and seelie story very well and the theory doesn’t hold as well imo.

On paimons outfit, there is a reverse triquetra. This usually signifies the opposite of whatever the normal triquetra means. The guy in the video mentions that we don’t know what the triquetra in this case would be, unless we look at the Genius invokation TCG game. There seems to be something called an Omni-element, which uses the symbol of the triquetra on it. It’s a combination of all elements, and is meant to be a sort of “light” element in genshin.

So if the triquetra stands for light in genshin, what would the opposite of that be? Darkness, or, the abyss. This ties into my own observation I made about Paimon. Now we all think she has ties to the heavenly principles & unknown god (asmoday), but what if Paimon isn’t a light being from celestia? What if she has closer ties to the abyss? So how does this hold up?

First, her name. Paimon. Paimon was a demon king who had close ties to Lucifer. Why would she have a demon name? The archons as well as the unknown god (asmoday sounds like asmodeus) have demon like names as well, which makes it even more compelling.

(^taken from Wikipedia)

Now let’s look at Paimon’s eyes. We all know what the abyss looks like now, having seen it various times. Why do Paimon’s eyes look eerily similar to the abyss? Why does nobody talk about that, actually? It’s really intriguing. She definitely has something going on and I’m curious about it. What conflicts this theory is the fact Paimon looks insanely similar to the unknown god as well. She definitely has ties to celestia, but why the abyss symbolism? Was she banished? Perhaps she sinned?

I haven’t ever seen anyone mention this and I think it’s really cool :( Paimons eyes look eerily similar to the abyss and it makes me question a lot of stuff, hence this theory post in the first place.

Another addition to this is Mona’s voiceline about Paimon, stating how she just can’t get any information about her, just like how Mona can’t get information about traveler, but this is because they aren’t from teyvat. However, Paimon IS from Teyvat, as her memories were wiped by Irminsul like everyone else’s during the Sumeru quests. 

(It sort of leads me to think something similar is going on with the Abyss sibling, since they apparently are from Teyvat, despite actually being an outsider, making them not be one of the descenders?)

Oh you know what’s weirder? The Chinese name for Genshin: 原神 (Yuán shén) means original god, like I mentioned earlier. However, if you flip the characters with eachother, it’s spelt: 神原 (Shén yuán) which HAPPENS to mean abyss in Chinese? Interesting…

Something is definitely going on with Paimon and I am really interested in finding out. Honestly, I really hate the Paimon = unknown god theory, but I do believe Paimon has a connection to her or is maybe a former god/deity herself? Especially because of the whole “original god” and “abyss” name thing, which sort of ties into genshins logo having Paimons circlet/halo on it. (Which could just be because she’s the mascot but shh let me have this)

anyways! What do you guys think? (Please be nice about this Ive only been playing since April last year and idk too much in-depth lore stuff!! This is just a fun theory I thought over. A GAME THEORY)

[bananamilkbunni]

greetings Miss Bun,

one of my best friends rts your account on twitter often and from what i have seen i have come to the conclusion Bun is somewhat of a Tartaglia analysis expert.

therefore i was wondering if you knew or had a guess about Tartaglia's loyalty to The Tsaritsa.

Do you think part of the reason Tartaglia is so loyal is because he believes it's what's best for his family, that the Tsarista does know best? or does he love the Tsaritsa & is loyal for a separate reason regardless of family? If Tartaglia had to make a choice to stay loyal to the Tsarista at the cost of his family getting hurt, do you think Tartaglia would make that choice? Is Tartaglia's family getting hurt worth making the Tsaritsa's vision come to fruition?

i understand if this is too heavy a question or if there simply not enough information to make a guess, just curious as to what Bun thinks as a fellow lover of Childe.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, hope you have a wonderful day

(^-^)

Thank you for asking! It's true that we don't have much solid information on this, but I'll do my best to answer your question based on the current info and my own personal interpretation.

Judging by what we've learned thus far, Childe's loyalty to the Tsaritsa is partially due to being granted a purpose.

There are three separate instances in which purpose/motivation is mentioned in regard to or by Childe, making it a recurring and significant theme for his character.

Childe's Collected Miscellany. In this video, Dainsleif says, "Since becoming a Fatui Harbinger, fighting for the Tsaritsa is his new motivation as a warrior." This statement raises the question of what his motivation had been prior to the Tsaritsa, or whether he even had a motivation at all. My personal theory is that he did not have one.

Labyrinth Warriors (Limited Event). "All those who stalk the battlefield yearn for meaning and value." This quote comes from Childe himself.

Childe's Act I Story Quest. The quote from this requires the full context, so I'll expand on this below.

In Childe's story quest, Teucer gets the opportunity to see Childe fight for the first time. After the fight, he says to Childe, "I wanna learn to fight too. I wanna be cool like you!" to which Childe responds, "...Fighting isn't about looking cool. You can only continue to get stronger if you know the reason why you're fighting. I can teach you. But think carefully, first. Why do you want to fight?"

Teucer briefly ponders Childe question. Soon, he replies, "I want to protect sister Tonia."

This dialogue between the two of them is crucial in understanding Childe's own individual purpose for fighting. Later in the quest, outside of the abandoned ruin guard factory, Childe references Teucer's response when speaking to Paimon, after she asks if he is concerned for his little brother's safety. His words are as follows:

"Of course I am...but no matter what the danger is, I will parry it. Isn't that what any older brother would do?" followed by, "Even Teucer understands that, now that he knows what he's fighting for...It's the very same reason that's been nestled in my own heart for so many years."

This means that, much like how Teucer concluded that he wished to protect Tonia, Childe wishes to protect their entire family.

According to the description of the Funerary Mask obtained from Signora, the Fatui's primary goal is to go against the Heavenly Principles, against Celestia. It reads, "...Only those who possess an obsession close to or exceeding the level of delusion might be willing to join this group that so rebels against the Heavenly Principles..."

This is to say that the Fatui possess a wealth of information and knowledge beyond the average citizen in Teyvat. They have knowledge about Khaenri'ah and Khaenri'ahn technology, the Abyss, Irminsul, the truth of the world—and Childe, a Fatui Harbinger with firsthand knowledge of the Abyss, who traveled deeper than any other living human being, is not exempt from this. He is aware of the stakes, and of the war they'll have to wage to defeat the Heavenly Principles. He knows what will happen if they lose.

With that being said, to sum it up, we can assume that his loyalty is in part due to 1) gratitude for being given a purpose and 2) to ensure a safer world and future for his younger siblings and the rest of his family.

As for whether Childe loves the Tsaritsa or not, that remains to be seen. Since the Tsaritsa is implied to be the god of love, this could serve as one of the numerous plot points for the future main archon quest of Snezhnaya in 2025. What does true love mean to a god, especially to the god of love herself?

The question also reminds me of a past discussion between myself and a good friend of mine, as to whether worship and love can be equated. Is love a result of worship, or vice versa? Is it possible to worship without love? Can it even be deemed worship without it? And how would these complexities influence Childe's path? How would this internal dilemma affect his relationship with his family? Who would he choose if it came down to that?

Personally I believe that, because Childe's devotion to his family is such an integral part of his character, it is unlikely for his loyalty to his god to surpass that, in the event that his family would come to harm. In fact, it is my personal belief that this is the one line that can never be crossed. It would be his tipping point. Not only are they an inextricable part of his life, but I have reason to suspect that their role goes even farther beyond what we've been shown or told. I believe that his responsibility to his family, as well as the love of his younger siblings, is the very thing that has allowed him to maintain his humanity.

(But this is already way too long. I cannot get into that. Lmao)

In Labyrinth Warriors, ran in version 2.2, we learn about Childe's sense of dehumanization—self-dehumanization, as it is self-imposed and reinforced by himself (though it was undoubtedly cultivated by the Fatui). The event's story contained strong parallels between Shiki Taishou—a shikigami in search of his master—and Childe. Both perceived themselves as weapons, and Shiki Taishou says an interesting line: "If I am able, I wish to retain the kindness in my heart until the very end. But a weapon cannot betray its master's will. If he was able to create me, then he is able to control me."

This evolves into a harrowing conflict when applied to the context of Childe's own individual story, especially with the addition of Xinyan's perspective on Shiki Taishou's dilemma.

"All you gotta do is find the thing that was most important and righteous to you."

In other words, my personal prediction for the course of Childe's journey as a character is this: Caught between multiple worlds, there will come a time when Childe is forced to make his own decision. Will he carry out the Tsaritsa's orders, or will he save his family from harm? Should a situation arise in which his family is in danger, I believe he will ultimately choose to protect them, even if it means going against the deity he loyally serves.

In a nation ruled by a god of love, a character choosing love above all else would be extremely impactful, a perfect fit for the narrative and a profound moment for Childe's own story and development. After all, I think that is the entire point of his character—someone who, against all odds, retains his kindness, even if he himself is not entirely aware of it.

I hope I was able to answer all of your questions! I apologize for how lengthy this response is, but I'm just always very excited to discuss him. If you ever have more questions, you're always welcome to ask! I promise not ALL of my responses will be this long lol

[glassrowboat]

Michi Character Story.

“I must confess I find Michi unsettling. She is a woman I know little about, but everytime I come face to face with her it's like she barely perceives the world around her and yet also sees it in a way I cannot even begin to fathom. Many seem to ignore that because of her crass nature but…nevermind. I am simply saying you should err on the side of caution with her. No one needs to know what it's like to be held at the end of a gun's barrel.”

-Prudence Shawn as she shines the claymore Michi had forged for her.

A blacksmith with a penchant for letting their smithy go unmanned for days as the sound of hammers beating against metal suddenly go missing only to return again like nothing ever happened. Some say this is because Michi takes it too easy and she simply doesn't care for her work, but a select few can recognize her sharp eyes watching the crowd as it passes by, but you'd never suspect is as she kicks their feet up and watches the day go by all the way from sunrise to sunset.

Introduction.

Those who actually have stepped inside know the place is covered wall to wall in all types of weapons - Still, that doesn't change her attitude. She would rather toss back a drink or two with Captain Beidou at the wharf than chase someone down for the sake of harassing them into buying her goods. It's made a few people wonder how her business stays afloat when it only had a few habitual customers to the point some suspect foul play.

Even worse are those flies that always seemed to buzz around the shop that Michi never cared enough to swat down even as they landed on her shoulder, nearly glistening in the sun as their wings beat with each passing second.

Only those with eyes as keen as the owner of the Yue Guang smithy would know those dragonflies aren't as organic as they originally seem.

Character Story 1.

Error.

Irminsul does not have complete access to these files and can only give you corrupt data. If you wish to process click yes.

Bruises blooming as a broken voice begs for someone to stop.

Tears filling hazel eyes.

Confusion at being hurt by her own family after being told they were supposed to be a never-ending source of love and protection.

A head banging back against a wall as blood spills from the gaping wound. Only then was someone called for, a number being dialed in as her mother's voice begs for someone to come help her little girl for the first time since this started years ago.

A single paralyzed vocal cord.

Error.

Data incomplete.

Character Story 2.

The names had been getting annoying. Mute, dumb in the head, retarded, and so many more echoed in Michi's ears every time she walked through her school's halls. It was like they thought she was deaf, too.

To her chagrin, she wasn't, but having a pair of static filled ears would certainly help tamper down the annoyance she was feeling. Not a single glare seemed to deter anyone from shutting their mouths, so she had to simply grit her teeth through it and march on.

Error.

Her head whirled around at another name being called out, almost shouted right into Michi’s face like they felt the need to make sure she heard it, because what's the point if they're not one hundred percent positive, right?

After all these times people still haven't learned, then, at least not enough to block when her hand reaches out to grab the collar of this person's shirt and shove them to the wall behind them with a thud. Their pained grunt didn't even deter her from kneeing them in the gut.

The rest…well….the small group of friends she had at the time to pry Michi off the moment blood had fallen to the ground and someone was shouting how she broke their nose.

Meaning….

“Another fight occurred.”

That's what the principal said when Michi had to be picked up by her mother from school. The entire drive home had been silent except for the hum of the radio filling the air between them; neither of the two wanted to disturb it. The lyrics were familiar, annoyingly enough, making Michi tap their fingers to the beat.

“Again, Michaella?” Lorelei asked.

“Again.” She nodded, barely getting the single word out.

“I can't keep doing this. Leaving early work to pick you up to just-” Her hands left the steering wheel when the car finally jostled into place as they parked. The garage light above them flickered with every passing minute. “I put you through therapy, didn't I? I did everything a good mother was supposed to, but it's still not enough for you.”

Therapy she sat in on, Michi wanted to add, but she refused to humor this conversation when she already knew how it was going to end. It always had to be her mother's way, so it came to no surprise when Michi didn't even so much as look shocked when Lorelei said “I'm pulling you out of public school.”

With Michi's stubborn silence, Lorelei looked over at her daughter, taking in her slumped form and a new set of bruises on her knuckles, framing the skin splitting apart between the blotches of color.

“It'll be a good school, I promise. We can get you into one where you can learn to navigate your disability and when you're come, you can come back to the normal world and integrate yourself back into everyday society.”

Still, Michi said nothing as she tapped her fingers to the beat.

In turn, the radio was turned off with a resounding click.

“Please, Michaella, I- you know what? Fine. Throw another fit like always, but this is happening either way. That's that.”

The car door opened and closed with a resounding slam.

Sighing, Michi slumped further in her seat, trying to get the leather to swallow her whole.

“If I ever slammed a door I'd be getting a real stern fucking talking to, but if she does it….”

With one last flicker of the garage light Michi forced herself to get out of the car.

Character Story 3.

A baseball bat met a window, shattering it into pieces as the stained glass once picturing a god fell apart before their very eyes. Under her feet it only broke apart further with a crunch as Michi walked back to the endless pews lining the nave all the way up to the other teenager watching her.

They shared a smile, even if Michi had to force hers as she had to look back and forth between the wreckage under her and back to the one person who had stuck around after she had been dropped into an ASL school for her own convenience. Or so Michi has been told.

“Jennifer.”

The glass crunched under their feet again as Michi approached the other girl, her eyes narrowed to block out the last few rays of shining sun peeking through the abandoned chapel's windows. From beyond the walls of their makeshift safe haven, they could both hear the sounds of cars driving past and a single person, most likely a drug addict, cursing away like they just saw an angel descend.

“Remind me why you want to do this again?”

“I need practice.” Jennifer responded in turn, a lighter already flicking on to birth a flame now licking at a needle she was holding. “I can't go around asking for money for giving people piercings if I'm not any good at it.”

“So I'm your victim in this?” Michi asked.

“Yes. And don't blame me if you get infected.”

The bat clattered to the floor, almost hitting Michi’s black and blue legs on its way down before filling the stone room with its echo. Right next to the gleaming wood sat Michi's knees as she kneeled down with a painting of the all holy himself facing her back. His eyes watched every movement as the needle Jennifer was holding caught a stray beam of light.

It shined beautifully.

“You better know what you're doing, Jen. I'm no good with pain.”

“You can get me back in a moment. You always do.” Jen patted Michi'a cheek, right before taking their lip between her fingers and refusing to let it go.

She didn't even relent as Michi tried to pull away.

Error.

A simple song filled the abandoned chapel again after all the years it had gone without hearing a choir: Michi's whimper as a pointed tip pierced the skin under her bottom lip.

“Just a little more.” She was assured, so Michi held tight and let the burning sting send shocks all the way down to her toes and back up to her head leaving her mind feeling hazy; swimming in a feeling Michi could never forget.

Error.

Error.

Error.

The moment the needle was pulled away from the second piercing Jennifer had jabbed into her once soft flesh Michi pushed the other girl's hand away, forcing her back until they both fell off the pews and down to the ground below. Dust from the unswept floors tried to cling to their clothes, but it barely mattered when Michi was already pulling Jennifer's shirt off.

With a single golden piercing in her lip and an empty wound waiting for a new piece of jewelry to join it in a matching set, a kiss was pressed to the wound, blood spilling from the new puncture in Michi's already scraped skin to Jennifer's mouth before the two filled the chaoel with a new song.

Their moans, one sweet and one broken, echoed together as a single spider pin fell from Jennifer's shirt tucking itself under the various pews as their clothing fell away.

Character Story 4.

The right to speak properly had been robbed from Michi fairly young, leaving her with a rasp in her throat, a single functioning vocal cord, and a scar on her neck to prove she had tried to at least get it fixed through surgery.

Another failed attempt at trying to integrate herself back into normal society, just as Lorelei wanted, had passed when Michi woke up to find the surgery was a groundbreaking failure.

Things had gotten worse after that. Michi's patience for vocal therapy had finally snapped in half as she tossed a chair at a wall and stormed out, refusing to look back no matter how many times her name was called.

And it was all because of one person: her sister.

The one who had robbed everything from Michi. Who forced her to have to get injections shoved into her throat every few months even though the prick of the needles left her as nauseous as ever. Who robbed the feeling of home right from under Michi's feet the first time her closed fist met Michi. Yet she was still welcomed into what was supposed to be Michi’s safe haven time and time again with ease as their mother cried with relief every time that -error- returned.

Like there was nothing wrong between them all.

Like everything was picture -error- perfect.

The right to feel safe in her own home was robbed from Michi once again, so they did what anyone would and found somewhere else to turn to. At first it was Jennithe's place before her parents banned Michi from coming over, then it was the church before it was torn down, and now it's the back of a classroom as Michi tries her best not to draw the teacher's eye.

He had welcomed Michi in without a single hint of hesitation every time she snuck past him only to drop before one of the many winking monitors of the, quite frankly, old computers. The light would reflect on her face for hours at a time as she stationed herself away, trying to delay the inevitable.

“If you're going to stay here, you might as well work on something.” He had once told her that before pulling out a course class, his regular students went over and left Michi to her own devices.

Truly, he had too much faith in someone known to cause trouble, but she wasn't going to complain.

So Michi stationed herself before a computer in the STEM lab and went over the courses to fill their time to avoid going back to a place she could only bring herself to view as a house rather than a home. Her fingers flew over the keys, adept as ever after all her years using ASL, and typed away.

The labs came easy, it was just taking something simple and putting it into practice, the coding took a moment to get used to, and everytime she had the chance to put her hands on something and make it from scratch with nothing more than a few bits and bubbles made the time seem to fly by with the same ease as a dragonfly until each course was complete everyday after school until there was nothing left to do.

‘Complete’ the monitor read out before her.

Eventually the teacher overseeing it all came by with a stack of college entrance exams and asked one simple question: “Would you like to do more with your life than this, Michaella?”

With her eyes flickering back and forth between the screen and the pen held out to her she could only ask one thing, her words coming out broken and hoarse. “Where do I start?”

Character Story 5.

Things had been easier and worse all at once.

A new life had opened up before Michi all from a few measly hours she had spent every afternoon after school trying to keep herself safe from the harm she had become so familiar with. Like doors finally being unlocked for the first time after she had gazed at them with a fierce curiosity to learn what was hidden away by their existence.

Coding was natural to her, making little gadgets for work was easier after all the practice she had getting her hands dirty- in multiple ways- and it all seemed to perfectly fall in place like it was meant to be from the start. Even if the one person she had who stuck around all those years left because Michi decided to go her own way.

But things were good.

They had to be.

Error.

So why did they just hear…that?

The phone in her hands slipped from Michi’s hold as the words echoed in her hold, bouncing around like they were trying to shatter her skull from the inside with each hit to the porcelain white dome.

“What are you talking about, Michi? Your mom knew what was happening. I remember telling her.”

Michi's mouth opened only to fall closed again, the metal of her piercings clicking against her teeth as she struggled to not only talk but to breathe.

“Michi?” Her cousin called. The same one she had over for sleepovers and birthday parties when they were both younger- who had seen everything.

Mom knew.

Mom knew.

Error.

Michi's hands reached up to their throat, shaking as they wrapped around the long column to feel the scar she always hid behind chokers or turtle necks. Beneath her fingers it was easy to find, almost laughably so as her nails grazed against the white patch from where she had been torn apart on an operating table for the sake of….fixing something that could have been avoidable if her mother had been aware what was going on.

But she did.

She-

Error.

The voice called her name again, but it was drowned out by the sound of jingling keys and a door slamming shut behind Michi as she marched down to her car with a stumble to each step. Being drunk would be easier, she surmised. The years of throwing back the contents of a full bottle while Jennifer encouraged her to chug it all down had proven that, but now Michi could barely manage a straight line all the way to the cheap Ford she bought second hand.

In its windows Michi’s frantic image was reflected.

“I just need to talk to mom. That's all.” Michi swore, already pulling out to go drive to the same house she had grown up in. The same one with a blotch of red in the carpet her mother had never been able to get out despite years of trying. Like she was trying to erase the entire event despite it leaving an everlasting mark on Michi.

Maybe a call would have been better, but it was hard to think right now as her foot slotted against the gas pedal.

Error.

Error.

Trees and buildings seemed to fly by with ease as she sped through the roads, trying her best to think straight even when she was barely able to feel the steering wheel through the layer of nervous sweat coating her skin.

Five more minutes and she would be back home- at the house? She would arrive.

Just five more minutes.

Error.

Headlights.

A single loud honk.

Error.

“Five more minutes….” Michi whispered as her car lay flipped over in the middle of the highway with scraps of metal laid out all around her, and everything went black.

Error.

Blacksmithing.

The flat face of a hammer slammed down on the bright red metal before her causing flakes to fall off the steel rod Michi was trying to shape. They flew through the sky, fireflies in the middle of the day until they fell back down to the ground to be smothered by the world around them; swallowed by the dirt.

Drawing out the bar had been an issue of hers despite it being such an important step, so here she was swinging the same hammer that had been forced into hands the moment she arrived at this dingy little summer camp.

Lorelei had been the one who sent her off here.

Michi had just gotten home from the hospital, the would on the back of her head from where it met the corner of a table still aching when she had tucked herself into her bed for a single night only to wake up the next day to find Lorelei had decided Michi shouldn't be at home right now. Her sister, however? Oh, she could stay. Of course-

Another swing.

This time it dented the metal, leaving the print of the hammer in what's supposed to be a simple dagger as it rattled against the tongs Michi was struggling to hold properly. They didn't even fit properly in her hands leaving them aching at the end of each day as they shook in her hold every time she stepped before the anvil to get to work.

This was her one way of releasing her anger.

Another swing.

Because how was she supposed to scream when it left Michi coughing and tears in her eyes from the pain that would rip through her?

The hammer fell from her grasp, dropping onto the upsetting block with a clang.

Why wasn't she home right now?

Why was Michi the one who was sent away?

A shaky breath left her as Michi looked back and forth between everyone around her. There were boys and men, but not a single girl like her, and back to the rod of steel slowly growing colder with each passing second as that bright red fades away.

She would have to throw it back in the forge, but for now, Michi could barely bring herself to move as she stood there trying not to cry.

Vision.

The subtle heat coursing through her as Michi held a single glowing gem in her hand was the only comfort she had as snow whirled around her. Its red light pulsed, a beacon through the storm she had trudged through with a pink nose and chattering teeth as she tried to see through the swirling haze of falling flakes.

The storm was like nothing she had ever seen before. All encompassing. It left her with a surety she would freeze to death even with this odd gem she had woken up with tied around her neck. It had been her one saving grace even as she had tripped and fallen into the patch of snow beneath her. Knee high, but like this, it might as well have swallowed the woman whole.

Would she be just another body lost to the cold in some place she didn't even recognize?

It was a haunting thought.

Even then, her mind seemed to compete over if the storm or her mind was more concerning as she tiptoed between a lingering sadness Michi refused to acknowledge and a festering hatred. The feeling was an old friend greeting Michi and holding out its hand to her in its one show of compassion as she was told to stand tall once again. To refuse to let this be her end.

So Michi got herself back up with a sputter and trudged on. All the way to a camp full of chatter and bright lights nearly as blinding as the one she had seen before it all turned black.

The symbol fluttering in the wind on a blue banner barely meant anything to her in comparison to the promise of a proper fire rather than the one sparking at her fingertips and a hot meal. If anything, it was the promise of a saving grace she desperately reached out for.

It didn't even matter they came face to face with a sneer that failed to hide sharp teeth as a figure covered in a white cloak stared down at her only to ask “And what's this?”

The last thing she remembered before succumbing to the cold, the gem in her hand nearly scalding her skin with how hot it burned in an attempt to keep her blood flowing properly, was red eyes peeking out from behind a mask. They narrowed as Michi fell into the ground, her short stature nearly swallowed up by the powder surrounding him before Dottore turned and moved to walk away.

With a single gesture of his gloved hand, two more men in masks came and dragged this strange woman back with them as they whispered under their breaths where she had come from.

Their talk filled the journey all the way back to the room Michi was forced into after having woken back up. Feeling had returned to her fingers, still intact from what she could feel. Though, admittedly, it was hard to tell when they were tied behind her back as she was being tugged and pulled along by these people who called themselves Fatui.

They jostled her and forced her down onto her knees before a woman who seemed to radiate ice and snow while sitting high up on a throne.

Michi’s head bowed, mocking the actions of the man with the red eyes next to her as the frosty woman spoke all as a single glowing red gem hung from Michi’s neck.

“Welcome to Teyvat, Outlander.”

Silly little Michi facts.

-The spiked piercings she originally wears before Baizhu gifts her a new pair is to represent spider fangs

Michi and Aloy have the same vision casing

-Michi 100% would have been pissed if she didn't get isekaid through a car crash because it ruins all her jokes so I am just letting her have that one

-Dottore gives Michi injections for her vocal chord now that she's in Teyvat, but she's refused his offer to get another surgery. She doesn't want her hope to bubble up only for another disappointment.

-Michi is a flirt cause one of the few ways she's learned to receive attention that doesn't involve any pity

[lunareclipsa1026]

Genshin x TWST AU Headcanons (might be more soon)

Yuuri does the most commissions for Lumine, so that way she can focus on finding her brother and rather than the commissions. Ace & Deuce sometimes help too.

The twst squad somehow create their own realm space in the serenitea pot with some magic, the space looks like the island NRC is located, their house is literally a copy of Ramshackle Dorm, the space in the realm has copies some things that are from the NRC & some details from the dorms, like Bonatical Garden, Stautues of the Great 7, The Roses in Red Pain & more.

(more below)

The twst squad would probably take some Genshin Characters to their world & experience it, mostly Lumine & Paimon.

After the We Will Be Reunited Quest, when Lumine was on the verge of breakdown of Aether not returning to her, Yuuri, Grim, Ace & Deuce would comfort her & reassure here that they will find Aether & will be there for her no matter the darkest of time.

Lumine sees the squad as her family now

Yuuri & Deuce = Cool & Calm Energy; Lumine & Ace = Confident Energy

Grim would sometimes be a bit of a thorn to Paimon whenever she said something dumb (like she doesn't know what an alibi is for example; Diluc story quest) , and would probably brag to her that he went to school unlike her (Grim has gained knowledge for the past 4 years attending NRC, he's still the stupid cat we all know and love)

Tho Grim and Paimon got along well with their love of food. Paimon is a bit weirded out when Grim eats the weird or bad tasting food.

Ace & Scaramouche/Wanderer get along well (at first they didn't, but after the whole Irminsul ordeal & after some time they got along well), they both are not afraid to speak on what's in their mind, and like to tease others sometimes. They ar basically each other's rant buddies

Yuuri brought the Ghost Camera with them, taking pictures & making memories in Teyvat. When people were to find out how the Ghost Camera works they'd probably bombarded Yuuri with question on how they obtain such an amazing device that can take photos that can jump out of the picture and replay scenes/memories.

Zhongli reminds Yuuri, Ace, Deuce & Grim of Malleus a bit, when it wa mentioned Zhongli was quite curious about Malleus.

Yuuri considers Childe their Frenemy and acts nice and civil towards him, despite him being a Harbinger. To which Childe happily accepts.

Yuuri likes Cyno's jokes that they express laughter which is a rare sight to see. Ace & Deuce are contemplating whether to be glad that Yuuri is expressing emotions more or cringe at the fact that Cyno's bad jokes are what Yuuri finds funny that made them express laughter.

Yuuri is pretty mad at Aether (Abyss Prince) for leaving Lumine behind without giving any explanation & that he chose the Abyss' mission over family. They swore next time they see him, they'll kick him in the nuts (literally)

Lumine is the 4th Descender, & since Yuu, Grim, Ace & Deuce came to Teyvat at the same time, they count as the 5th descenders, basically like MC & Grim being half students, this is a 4 in one. 4 people as 1 descender

Yuuri's favorite Region is Inazuma, mostly because it reminds them of their home back in their world Earth.

The twst squad would compare the Akademiya to Night Raven College at times from there time at Sumeru.

Yuuri would collect materials from Teyvat and experiment with it by combining it with materials from Twisted Wonderland in potions to see the results.

Since Teyvat Language is deffrent from the language the TWST squad speaks & reads, they luckily have a spell put on them whenever they to a different world that makes them read & understand Teyvat's language easier (like in the 1st epeiode of Welcome to demon school Iruma kun)

Similarly, the currency they bring from their world turns into the other world's currency whenever they go to another world (Madols/Traumarks turn into Mora when they got to Teyvat basically)

Anyway that's is all for now. If you have more suggestions of headcanons of this au, feel free to say it in my ask box or this post.

💧︎□︎❍︎♏︎⧫︎♒︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ⬧︎⧫︎❒︎♋︎■︎♑︎♏︎ ♓︎⬧︎ ♒︎♋︎◻︎◻︎♏︎■︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ♓︎■︎ ❄︎♏︎⍓︎❖︎♋︎⧫︎📪︎ ⬥︎♓︎⧫︎♒︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♒︎♏︎●︎◻︎ □︎♐︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ❄︎❒︎♋︎❖︎♏︎●︎♏︎❒︎ 🕮︎ 🏱︎♋︎♓︎❍︎□︎■︎📪︎ ♋︎●︎□︎■︎♑︎ ⬥︎♓︎⧫︎♒︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎♓︎❒︎ ♐︎❒︎♓︎♏︎■︎♎︎⬧︎📪︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♍︎♒︎♋︎❒︎♋︎♍︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎⬧︎ □︎♐︎ ⧫︎⬥︎♓︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎♎︎ ⬥︎□︎■︎♎︎♏︎❒︎●︎♋︎■︎♎︎📪︎ ✡︎◆︎◆︎📪︎ ☝︎❒︎♓︎❍︎📪︎ ✌︎♍︎♏︎ 🕮︎ 👎︎♏︎◆︎♍︎♏︎ ⬥︎♓︎●︎●︎ ❍︎♋︎■︎♋︎♑︎♏︎ ⧫︎□︎ ❒︎♏︎⬧︎□︎●︎❖︎♏︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ⬧︎♓︎⧫︎◆︎♋︎⧫︎♓︎□︎■︎ ♋︎⬧︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎⍓︎ ♍︎□︎■︎⧫︎♓︎■︎◆︎♏︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎♓︎❒︎ 🙰□︎◆︎❒︎■︎♏︎⍓︎ ⬥︎♓︎⧫︎♒︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ❄︎❒︎♋︎❖︎♏︎●︎♏︎❒︎📬︎

(Have fun translating this 0u0)

[ephemeral--dreams]

take it & put it inside of me (2/2)

Scaramouche/Reader

Rating: T

Word count: 1564

Warnings: Some references to what happened in part one but no violence in this one

Notes: Fucking around and finding out with the genshin lore

( part 1 ) 

☆ ☾ ☆ ──────────────────

Sifting through the information contained within irminsul comes with all manner of temptations and distractions.

It's not what he's here for, but he can't help prying a little. Who can blame him for his curiosity? You're an enigma that he can't pry apart, and here lies the chance to unravel the mystery. Just a peek. A detour, just to investigate you.

It's only the briefest of explorations. Scaramouche must return to seeking the information he's here to get. But he takes what little he finds and keeps it inside.

☆-

Getting his own memories back undoes what he did. Slowly, his existence returns to irminsul, memories of him seeping back into the world. And when they do, you eventually seek him out. 

Sumeru is so full of life. To see someone as lifeless as you standing in such a vibrant place feels wrong. You were more suited to the cold, dead environment of inazuma. Yet regardless, here you were.

"It's been a while. What, missed me too much to go on without me?"

"I was hardly going to hand myself over to be anyone else's outlet," You gaze at him assessingly. He can't quite read your expression. Never has he been able to. You linger on his vision before meeting his eyes again. "You look different."

"Well, I am different. Things happened. Life goes on. I'm never going back to Snezhnaya, before you ask."

"Where does that leave me?"

He waves a hand. "Do what you want… I guess I wouldn't complain about having you around again."

It's as much of an invitation as you would ever get from someone like him.

"Then I suppose I'll stay for now."

And so it is.

He lets you stay with him. You don't have anywhere else to go. Just by being here you've gone against the Tsaritsa. How foolish, that you've dropped everything just for a man who has only ever used you. Then again, that was exactly what you'd asked him to do.

Not that he is even doing that, as things are.

There really is something fundamentally different about Scaramouche. His words hold less bite, his teasing is more playful than harsh, but most of all… He's far less angry than he used to be. He hasn't raised a hand against you since you reunited. 

It's odd. 

In many ways it's a good thing. It's good, that he has grown, that he has changed. But it leaves you with this insistent, unscratched itch deep inside, one that hasn't been sated since the day he disappeared from the Fatui. 

You figure there is little you can do but wait and see. It's not the way it used to be, where a few well-placed words would provoke him. Your silver tongue is used for only two things - to keep people at a distance, or to lure them into playing into your hands. It is only able to do one of those things, to him, as he is. 

And it's not as if you're going to walk up and beg him to hurt you. That isn't the way it works between you. Not to mention how absolutely pitiful it would be to do so. 

You are a boat set adrift in too-calm waters. It's somehow worse than the storm.

A couple of weeks in, the dendro archon visits. Scaramouche seems irritated when he sees her at the door, but lets her inside nonetheless. 

Nahida is… very different than your former archon. Not in a bad way. It's pleasant enough talking to her. She doesn't seem at all surprised that you are there, but considering who she is, it makes sense that she knows already.

It's not until she stops in front of you before leaving, eyes suddenly sharp, that you feel uneasy. 

Her small hands hold one of yours. Her touch is careful in a way you're not used to. "You hate yourself so much. Is that why you think you should be hurt?"

The bluntness, the unexpectedness of the words sends you reeling. You've made yourself so hard to read, created so many layers of distance between you and everyone else. You suppose if anyone would be able to pick you apart it would be the archon of wisdom. Still, to do it in front of him-

"That's not relevant," you say, voice more unstable than you'd like for it to be. 

"I think it's quite relevant. Perhaps not to me, but to the two of you," someone who looks that young should not be this perceptive. "That's not for me to decide, though. Welcome to Sumeru. You're free to stay as long as you wish."

And then she's gone, and you find yourself avoiding the eyes of the only other person left in the room. You can feel him staring at you, like he's trying to figure you out. And now he's been given the information he needs to do it, too. 

☆-

He wants to be mad at Buer for meddling in his affairs, but for once he cannot bring himself to be. Not when he's been handed what he wants on a silver platter.

He's had quite a while to think. Months to ponder on you, on the way he felt, on all your enigmas. The last pieces settle into place after Nahida's words. Yes, he has had more than enough time to come to terms with his own feelings.

Making you confront yours, on the other hand…

There's something purposeful in the way he moves forward. Scaramouche has never once been gentle with you. Or anyone, really. Yet the intensity of his gaze as he observes you is almost off-putting with how softly he reaches out to touch you. 

Your eyes are blown wide, like you're ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Not that he would let you escape his grasp. Not now.

Not ever.

The kiss, too, lacks the sharp edge of teeth the both of you are used to. He can feel you jerk against him, the movement slight but noticeable with how close he is. 

There's a part of him that wants to tear you apart right then and there, now that he's got you vulnerable. Instead, he pulls away to meet your eyes again. He's already made such a mess of you, and he's far from done. He's never once seen you this off-kilter or reactive. 

"What are you…" You trail off, like you can't quite gather your words together when he's behaving this way. "This isn't…"

"You're still mine, aren't you? You gave yourself to me so that I could treat you however I wanted to. Well, what I want right now is this."

He leans in to brush his lips across yours again, gentler than he had any right to be. You shudder as if you're about to shatter apart, tears pricking at your eyes, as if being loved is somehow worse torture than anything else he'd ever done to you. There's something almost cruel in the delicate way he handles you, ripping down each one of those carefully crafted walls that had kept him out for so long like they're nothing but paper. 

It's satisfying to finally get a reaction out of you, to feel like he finally understands.

(Scaramouche amends his former statement. You're not like the gods. You're like him, he thinks - so starved for anything like love that you have no idea what to do when you receive it. Trying to escape the need for it altogether. And in the end, failing entirely to run from it.)

He keeps you there for long minutes. He doesn't particularly need air, being what he is, but you do. It's the only reason he finally moves back. 

You gasp for breath, still shaking. A slow smile curves his lips.

"Red is a nice color on you. Let's make it happen more often."

"Don't-" you huff out, unable to look at him. The flush deepens. He smiles wider. "Don't say things like that."

He scoffs. "That only makes me want to do it more, you know."

"This isn't how things are supposed to go."

"It's how they go now. You're not exactly running for the door, are you?" The way you stay is all too telling. You can't resist him and more than he can resist you, even now. "Didn't think so. Want to tell me what fucked you up this much, or am I going to have to pick you apart for another few years for that?"

"That's hardly your concern," there's that familiar iciness to your tone, trying to keep him from prying. It doesn't work as easily as it used to. You're trying to put back all the defenses he just broke down… But he'll let it be. Scaramouche has gotten what he wanted for today. He will have forever to figure out the rest. He has never once backed down from a challenge. 

Sooner or later, he will know all of your mysteries. 

"Sure it's not. I'll put it this way, then. Since your so difficult. If I'm forgiven despite everything, then you can't reasonably say you don't deserve the same," he leaves little room for argument. "Well, it doesn't matter to me either way. You can even consider it punishment that you're stuck here with me."

Perhaps, in piecing you together, he can do the same to himself.