I should be writing but instead I have a zhongli question(s)
Heâs always saying that he forgot his wallet, so thatâs why other people pay for him, right? But Zhongli has a job that can pay up to $70,551 per year and $34 per hour (in china, I believe this is the pay), he definitely has money. WHERE IS ALL OF IT GOING???
is it all a scam so he never has to pay? if so, is he secretly filthy rich? what is he spending so much money on? WHERE DOES HE EVEN LIVE??
hiiii!!! may i request fragrant mashed potatoes + sweet madame + mint jelly and popâs teas + dango milk + ketchup <3 maybe like back when he was still kunikuzushi, he had a lover, and before joining the fatui he promised to return to them? tyy!!
âżàšâĄà§âżïž” BON APETIT MY FELLOW CUSTOMER ! ïž”âżàšâĄà§âż
name of order: weâll meet again
date: scaramouche (w/ gn!reader)
receipt: fragrant mashed potatoes (scaramouche) + sweet madame (reunion) + mint jelly and popâs teas (fluff with comfort) + dango milk (normal/normal au) + ketchup (hc scenario/bulleted form)
spices: spoilers to inazuma archon quest, spoilers to scaramoucheâs real name, fluff/comfort, mentions of fighting, reader can shapeshift into a fox like yae, and this fic takes place during the 2.2 event (except scaramouche doesnt show up in the actual event)
ingredients: he promised that heâll come back to you as soon when he grows powerful enough. he just didnât think heâll meet you this way.
chefâs note: wahh this is such a cute idea !! tysm anon for requesting, i hope this is to your liking <<3
there was once a time when scaramouche went by another name.
kunikuzushi was a name thatâs nothing but a reminder of a harbingerâs past. a reminder of a mere prototype puppet who was kicked out by the raiden shogun herself, a âwandering eccentricâ who goes by no name until an act of revenge against a certain blacksmith,
and a lover of a certain inazuman who resides in tatarasuna, working under the guuji of the grand narukami shrine.
scaramouche could only wonder aimlessly if you were still waiting for him after so many years. are you still working for the grand narukami shrine? are you still as kind as he used to know you before when he first met you? do you even remember him if you ever see him?
the harbinger could only cover his face with his hat in shame. shamed that he never got the chance to come back again after so many years even when he vowed to return just for you.
the vow still stands in his empty chest that holds no heart, but would you say the same?
âfear not, dear kunikuzushi.â you said reassuringly, patting the manâs head with a smile. âno matter how time has long passed, i will always be here in inazuma waiting for you.â
you then gave him a large hat, something that he swears to himself to cherish. âtake this as my farewell gift. if you ever miss me as much as i will be to you in the near future, you could always wear this hat and remember me.â
will you ever know how he rarely removes the very hat that you gave him?
you hoped he did.
you hoped, just like how a loved one does when a soldier goes to a war, that your dearest kunikuzushi is alright. you hoped, just like how a lover does when they think about their spouse, that he is happy as he could ever be even if youâre not the reason. you hoped, just like how a lover does when theyâre away from their spouse, that he still thinks about you just as much as you do with him.
you just keep hoping and hoping as years go by, often visiting the place where you bid him farewell whenever you have the chance, only to sigh in dismay when you couldnât see kunikuzushi anywhere.
âi suspect that i might find you here,â yae miko spoke up, walking towards you with a small smile on her face. âi was looking for you around the shrine for a task. is something on your mind?â
you slowly look away from the view of your old home thatâs now ruined by the harsh thunderstorms in the past, looking at the guuji with a reassuring smile. âiâm just checking up on my old home as the usual, i apologize for not coming back sooner and worry you.â you replied.
âno need for the apologies. itâs not like this is your first time getting away and get distracted.â the woman reassures you with a chuckle.
there was no single soul whoâs aware of your relationship with the lone puppet that the raiden shogun discarded except yae miko. although the woman isnât quite fond of how youâre often distracted unlike before, she couldnât blame you.
itâs just a shame that the fatui found him, the woman knows fully well that he wonât be able to come back to inazuma anytime soon but didnât see the point in telling you, not wanting to destroy that hopeful look plastered on your face that she had grown used to see everyday.
âmay i ask what task would you like me to fulfill, lady yae?â you ask.
âiâm afraid itâs not like any other tasks iâve given you,â she warns, crossing her arms with an apologetic smile. âi need you to keep an eye on a certain harbinger thatâs been lurking around the land. heâs a tall ginger-haired man with a hydro vision.â
you felt yourself stiffen at the mention of harbinger. ââŠdoes this harbinger have something to do with⊠kuni?â you ask hesitantly.
the woman shrugs in response. âunfortunatley iâm not exactly sure of the purpose of the harbingerâs visit to inazuma, but i suspect it has something to do with kunikuzushi and the electro gnosis â which is why i need you to keep an eye on him for now and see if heâs going to cause trouble.â
your heart leaped at the guuji mentioning your loverâs name. does this mean he hasnât left the nation?
âi.. iâll see what i can do, lady yae.â you spoke, bowing your head to the woman before rushing down from the mountain, leaving yae miko alone with herself.
â..i could only hope to ei that youâll manage to encounter kunikuzushi, y/n.â the woman mumbled, sighing before walking away towards her shrine.
â
it took you an hour to finally find the harbinger that yae described.
sure, it was a hassle, but after exploring and asking certain adventurers exploring, you manage to find the harbinger thatâs been lurking around narukami island.
you stood behind one of the sakura trees disguised as a fox, watching the eleventh harbinger walking out from the place where the traveler and his friends ran in, causing your eyebrows to furrow. why did he come out from it alone? did he lay harm on the traveler?
âwhere could he be?â childe mumbles with a sigh, scratching the back of his neck as he walks around the area. âhe better owe me a thrilling battle by the time i catch that man.â
could he be talking about kunikuzushi, you wonder?
you slowly sneak around the harbinger, curious with the harbingerâs words. surely if the ginger is looking for your lover, then that means he could still be here and hasnât left the island with the gnosis, right?
you stopped pacing when you realized something.
if⊠kuni is actually here, then why didnât he come visit you?
you could feel your blood running cold from that thought alone, mouth slightly open in shocked. surely kuni would actually come to you when he had the chance..? but then again, he didnât even show himself when he came here for the raiden shogunâs gnosis.
âoh? i havenât seen a fox like you in the wilderness before..â childe spoke up, looking down at you with a curious look on his face. âyou must be a rare breed. you donât look like those foxes from that village nearby.â
you paid no mind to how the harbinger now stands in front of you, frozen from the thoughts that suddenly made your heart dropped in dread. if kunikuzushi is in inazuma right now, where could he be? why didnât he come visit you like he promised? did he.. forget about you?
âunlessâŠâ childe then smiles menacingly. âyou could be one of those beings that can shapeshift.â
the harbingerâs words were enough for you to finally cut yourself off from your thoughts, immediately stepping away from the man as he summons his blades. you shouldâve paid more attention to your mission! yae wouldâve been disappointed if she finds out that you got carried away by your dumb thoughts!
before things could escalate even more, the harbinger suddenly drops his weapons.
you watched in confusion at the sight of childe letting out a gasp, clenching his teeth at the sudden overwhelming pain inside his body.
âdonât you dare lay a hand on them.â
your breath hitched at the sound of his voice.
âŠkunikuzushi?
you immediately felt alarmed from the purple smoke surrounding both you and childe â whoâs now on his knees to the cold ground trying to breathe. âis this⊠is this one of your stupidâ stupid traps, balladeer?â he asks, clutching his chest.
without hesitation, you turn around and see your lover in all his glory, standing a few steps away from you as he glares at the fallen harbinger.
âand here i thought i was better off with leaving you alone and fool you about my whereabouts,â he spoke to childe, clenching his fists. âbut you just had to try and fight my lover.â
âand here i thought⊠i thought the ferocious balladeer wouldnât have someone to call a lover.â the eleventh harbinger retorts with a smirk, only to gasp out for air when scaramouche suddenly makes the air around him more venomous.
âcome, y/n,â he calls out to you in a soft tone- something that took you by surprise because of his sudden change of tone. âletâs get out of here before that rascal gets his hands on us.â
he didnât have to ask twice.
â
âare you out of your mind? why the hell did you go to that harbinger of all people?! he couldâve killed you if it werenât for me intervening!â he scolds you as the both of you stay in a camp thatâs far away from where childe was, both of you were panting in exhaustion from running away.
âi apologize.. but please believe me when i say i didnât mean to have my cover get revealed.â you said, not bothering to change your fox form. âi just.. got distracted by my thoughts.â
he furrows his eyebrows. âand what could possibly got you distracted?!â
â..i.. i was wondering why you didnât visit me when you came here for.. the gnosis.â you hesitantly explained, looking away from your loverâs strong gaze in shame. âi just.. i just felt confused a-and maybe hurt that you probably didnât want to see me after so many years.â
the both of you fell silent.
scaramouche stares deeply at your fox form, feeling conflicted.
ââŠchange back to your normal form.â he commands, causing you to frown in confusion. what is he planning to do, exactly?
nevertheless, you followed your loverâs command and instantly changed back into your human form once more, still looking down at the ground with a frown plastered on your face.
your eyes widens when you felt arms wrapped around your body into a hug.
âyou idiot,â he whispered. âyou have no idea how much iâve wanted to do this ever since i saw you in the place where i left.â
your breath hitches from his words. he⊠he saw you? heâs been visiting the place as well?
you quickly hug your lover back as well, lips quivering. âwhy didnât you come to me if you saw me then? did you.. did you not want to see me yeââ
âgod no,â scaramouche interrupts, clinging onto you tighter than before. âdonât you dare think that iâd hate to see you or forgot about you! i just didnât know if you wanted to see meâŠâ
you let out a laugh, realizing that the both of you were thinking the same thing. âof course i wanted to see you for so long dummy..â
the both of you stayed in the position for a while, enjoying each otherâs warmth for as long as youâve desired after so many years of being separated.
âi miss you.â you both said to each other at the same time out loud.