At first you were too scared to share the news with him. Given his karmic debt and overall situation as the last yaksha, a child would probably be the last thing he'd want to care about
But you also knew that he wasn't heartless. He cared about you a lot, even if he didn't show it the way a human would. You wanted him to know and hoped with all your heart that he would be happy
You still prepared about every possible outcome carefully though, even considering the option that he would leave you
You were terribly nervous when you told him you were pregnant. And his reaction didn’t seem too great at first
He kind of just sat there, staring into his almond tofu you had previously ordered to get him in a good mood
‘A child? Do you not know that this kind of debt can be passed on to descendants? This human could already be in pain, I-’
You cut him off, telling him out of breath that you know and that you have taken care of him so far so you could probably manage another little Xiao as well. You understand of he leaves, you don’t except anything from him, you only ask for one little thing: to be there for them when they call out his name.
Needless to say you were incredibly relieved when he cut you off with these words:
‘Call out my name? Are you trying to ridicule the adepti? My child will never be in need to call his father for I am always going there with them. Hmpfh. Leaving... What foolish ideas you mortals have.’
Your hormones were so out of control at that point that you just threw your arms around his neck and broke out in tears. He hugged you back in the usual awkward but sweet way and you couldn’t have been happier
For long months, he took care of you in an unexpectedly but not uncharacteristically gentle way. You had been doing comissions up to that point but he didn’t let you any more. You couldn’t put yourself in any danger or risk and he only left you alone when it was a matter of life and death
Xiao had never thought about having a child. But when you told him the news he didn’t even think of any other option than to raise it properly like his father even though he had no idea how to treat children or just humans in general. He wanted to take advice from Morax who was immensely touched and happy for you. But there was one little problem: he didn’t know how to raise a family either
And then the baby was born.
You found yourself in a way tougher situation than you thought you would be in. Who knew having a child would be so hard?! It was sometimes even harder than maintaining Xiao’s worst waves of karmic pain
At least the baby didn’t suffer from that. Much to your relief, she was indeed very healthy and also very... lively
In the first weeks you could barely rest for a few hours every day. Xiao didn’t need sleep but the great Vigilant Yaksha panicked the moment you left him alone with the baby so you soon seeked help
The little girl was a half-adeptus anyway so it was only natural that the adepti took care of her sometimes. Ganyu and Madame Ping were all over her and even the always formal and distant Cloud Retainer couldn’t resist her cuteness
She really was like a mini Xiao. She had his soft, dark hair and undeniably pretty face. And to keep things in balance, she had your eyes that always shone with joy and curiosity
You were pretty jealous when her first word turned out to be "Papa" but when you realised how delighted that made Xiao, your bad feelings instantly disappeared. You teased him a lot about tho
'You know, if our little girl thinks you're the more important one, why don't you clean the house for us?'
'Tch. Show some respect for the father of your child.'
But he did clean the house that day
You both had learnt a lot already and continued to learn as the child grew. You now knew how to change diapers, how to convince Xiao that the baby should eat other dishes besides almond tofu and finally, you also mastered the skill of cooking almond tofu and baby food at the same time
Xiao hid them well, but he had a lot of mixed feelings before the baby came. He was uneasy and concerned and although he would have never admitted that one, a little afraid as well
But his worries soon started to fade away as he realised his daughter only made his life better
There was a time when he thought he had no place for love in his heart. Then you came and he decided to make an exception. Then the baby came and he realised he was way more capable of love than he had ever imagined.
He was happy; so happy in fact that he almost felt guilty for it
But that couldn't hold him back. Nothing could hold him back from letting a little smile form on his lips every time he saw you and his very own child.
He continued to protect Liyue and its people, but he had another priority now. You always came first, the little girl always came first. And he would've given away his own life just to keep you two safe.
I JUST read your headcanons about Scaramouche after learning more abt his backstory and all,I was wondering if u could write more but this time with the concept of 'what if he actually had someone he cherished,someone he loved? Maybe a crush?' I'll send more hc asks abt this if that's alright! I wanna read more abt him but most fanfics abt him are either yandere or very heavy angst,,,which there's nothing wrong with those,I jıst prefer fluff and comfort over those concepts 👉👈
Scaramouche x reader headcanons - After getting to know his past
A.n: This is what I wanted to write initially, it was later that I switched to general headcanons, but I'm glad you reminded me to go back to the original idea. Bold of you to assume I wouldn't go full angst with this one though... But don't worry, I added some fluffy parts just for you, anon:)
Genre: angst and fluff
Warnings: spoilers for the def artifact set
The Balladeer firmly believed that he was unloveable and not able to love either. His only goal in life was to get the gnosis and the power coming with it. He had kind of brainwashed himself into thinking that this is his only purpose
Therefore he denies all the feelings he actually occurs. Doesn’t matter where they’ve come from or what caused them, if they warm him, they must be false
At least that’s what he tells himself hundred times a day after he’s met someone who actually makes his heart beat faster.
When he first set his eyes on you, he thought he had some kind of disease and later visited Dottore to have himself checked. Much to his confusion and annoyance it turned out he was completely alright.
It takes a really long time until he can actually accept he has normal human-like feelings. The more patient you are about this, the sooner he’ll feel comfortable with them
He is a puppet who was thrown away even by its own creator. He is not a human, he just longs to be one even though he's also scared of the same thing
He’s only not capable of loving in his own head. The only thing that's true is that he genuinely doesn’t know how to treat someone he has feelings for
He’s seen couples together before but it’s all very surreal to him. He’s desperate to have a relationship like they do though
So he’ll try in the weirdest ways possible. Actually, he does normal couples things but the way he acts them out makes it incredibly obscure.
Bring you gifts but throws them at your face. Insists that you sit down but doesn’t sit next to you, just stands near you straight like a broomstick the whole time. Picks a flower but instead of giving it to you, he shoves it in your pocket.
Incredibly awkward with physical affection. Try to hold his hand and he’ll pull away his arm immediately. That is actually kind of hurtful, but little did you know he only does that because he’s afraid his skin is too cold for you to touch
He goes through different stages all the time. One day he wakes up carving love and affection, next day he’s numb and crude. It takes a long time until you finally realise it’s not because he wants to hurt you, it’s because he still couldn’t perceive the fact he could be loved
He needs someone who loves him fully but loves him slowly. Let it sink in, let him register and fully understand it
He tries his hardest to be tender with you but he still manages to hurt you sometimes. He usually doesn't even realise, he's just so used to hating everything, hating mortals that the words accidentally slip his mouth
The other Harbingers were really amused by your odd relationship at first. Well, not just at first, they continued to seek entertainment by it even after they've gotten used to seeing you around the Balladeer
Except Signora. She didn't care about anyone outside her status but when she realised what you actually meant to the Balladeer, she didn't laugh at you any more. Your love reminded her of the one she had lost. And even though she couldn't really stand Scaramouche, she made sure to drag you away and tell you everything she knew about him in a dark corner. Then left like nothing had happened and she didn't just help you understand him better.
Except Childe. Scaramouche despised him and the sheznayan fighter loved to annoy his short colleague back. But when he saw how desperately The Balladeer tried to change for the better, he never made fun of your relationship again. Family meant everything to that man. So he made sure to drag Scaramouche away and tell him all of the advices he could think of. Then left like nothing had happened and like he didn't just help him understand humanity better.
A year or two has passed and he is now capable of holding his loved one's hand. He still worries about his cold skin but it's the hundredth time you tell him his cold touch only makes you want to warm him up and he slowly starts to believe it.
A year or two has passed and he doesn't call himself a puppet any more. But he doesn't call himself a human either. He has no idea who he is - the only thing he knows is that he is loved.
A year or two has passed and he still wakes up in cold sweat every night. The tears he used to shed no longer come but he doesn't feel the need to cry any more either. He has someone next to him and that's enough. She's enough.
...Or is she? He is incredibly attached now and has improved a lot. The flowers he picks, he puts in your hair. When he sits next to you, he rests his head on your shoulder. He doesn't accidentally hurt you with cruel words any more and doesn't get annoyed by your foolish mortal habits either. Instead, he lets you hug him, lets you play with his hair, lets you complain about pointless things, lets you sing stupid little songs to him.
But he still has his plans of getting the gnosis. You're the one that actually turned his life around and made him have a heart but he's still torn.
He knows he doesn't really need the gnosis any more but it's hard to let go of an aspiration, especially that it was the only thing that kept him alive for long years.
So he doesn't let go of it. But one thing is certain: if he does decide to betray the fatui and get the gnosis, he is going to do it while still keeping you as his number one priority. At this point he'd rather die than to let you get hurt. And if he does die, then so be it.
But, oh God, just don't let him lose you now that he actually has someone.
Can be read as platonic, I didn’t necessarily wrote this with a romantic relationship in mind. Under the cut!
Zhongli
The Lord of Geo was born to be a listener. He appreciates solitude at times so he can ruminate in silence but he loves being with good company even more.
He likes to sit down with you at Heyu Tea House after a long day, sip tea and just listen to your ramblings in peace
When you mention something that is in his interest, he immediately joins in and begins discussing the topic in a deeper way. So if you accidentally refer to a fisherman or some sort of, except him to start rambling as well
You talk a lot so obviously you happen to say some things you don’t actually mean but Zhongli always takes every one of your words seriously. You try not to complain because you don’t want him to worry about things that are actually not that important
You especially start doing that after he bought an entire set of new clothes from his savings just because you once said you grew a little bored of the outfit you had on.
He remembers everything you say and when he refers to them after long weeks or months, it always makes you feel delighted. And he knows that very well so he always makes sure to pay attention to the little details.
Itto
Itto loves to talk, that’s not even a question. He complains, enthuses, screams, sings loudly and sometimes even speaks just to hear his own voice.
So when he first met you, who - even if it’s hard to believe - was just as much chatty as him, he was deeply offended and took your whole existence as a competition
The people in his gang suffered from serious headaches every time you two got together. At first you were a little confused why he always tried to outtalk you and cut you off every time you began a new sentence. It took a little time for you to realise he was actually trying to dominate... in a conversation
This stupid situation made you laugh a lot but he didn’t get it why. He also continued rivaling but despite this chaotic situation, you still managed to soon grew closer
But even though you were now friends, he still didn’t let you speak that much. Needless to say, that started to really annoy you. But you knew telling him would be no use so you had to make a strategy to succeed
It was a simple plan: you just simply didn’t say a word for an entire day.
Itto felt great at the beginning. He could talk as much as he wanted to without a competitor. Then he slowly started feeling weird, like something was missing. By the end of the day he figured out what that thing was: your voice.
He learnt his lesson and never cut you off any more. Or not that often. You were now in perfect harmony with each other and talked with the other one listening. He made you laugh a lot and you were more comfortable in his presence now that he actually made sure to pay attention to your words.
Scaramouche
He hated, hated, hated social butterflies. Since he only used his cutesy, talkative side as a mask in front of strangers, he began to believe other people were like that too. Every time he saw someone acting happily or speaking loudly with joy, it annoyed and made him think they were just faking it
You were no exception. He despised you thinking you were only wearing a mask
He saw you every day. You had a vibrant smile on and laughed cheerfully at everything. He hated your voice and shook you off every time you tried starting a conversation with him
Weeks, months passed and he still saw you every day. You had the same smile on and still tried to talk to him. He slowly started becoming immune to the annoyance and sometimes even react to your words
One day, while you were babbling to him about some bugs you saw at the camp, he stared at your smile and suddenly realised he didn’t hate it that much any more. Perhaps he never hated it to begin with - he was just envious of happy people.
You continued to talk to him every day and he let you. You even managed to reach a certain point where he wouldn’t just stand and look at you in obvious boredom but rather sit down somewhere and wait until you’re finished
He mocks you for babbling a lot but secretly finds it a great discraction. He can just wander off in mind while not being alone for once
He doesn’t pay attention to your words all the time but when you’ve actually got something important to say, he’s all ears. If you complain, he does tell you to shut up but then actually give you some great advice
When he’s calm, he’s good company and though he’ll never admit it, he finds your lively presence quite healing as well.
Genre: fluff, maybe a bit of angst in the end if you squint
Part 2
Zhongli
While you were pregnant, he was the sweetest spouse ever. He did the biggest part of the housework, only letting you do the easiest tasks like folding sheets
He somewhere read that the unborn babies can hear and react to their parents voice when they’re still in their mother’s wombs
So he made sure to talk to them every single day and sometimes he even sang a little
When the baby was born, tears poured down Zhongli’s face. Although he had his own pride, he didn’t try to hide them from you. You deserved to know how proud and thankful he was to you
When he first held the baby, he had a distant, strange feeling he didn’t understand at first. He later realised that was actually a turning point in his life
He no longer longed to relieve his past life. He now wanted to live the new, current one which he wanted to make as beautiful as possible
His happiness was unmesaureable for days, weeks and an even longer time
The only dark cloud appearing on the crystal-clear coast of his was your strict opinion on what books should be read to the baby
‘Honey, I still don’t understand why you didn’t approve of The Liyuen Fishermen’s Economic Progress In The Last Hundred Years. It’s a great book, don’t you trust me?’
Diluc
When his baby boy was born, he swore to protect him at all cost
He was unusually soft and gentle when the child was just a baby and Diluc unintentionally got used to acting like that in the end
So when the child grew, he only saw a kindhearted, righteous, sometimes a little sad but never a grumpy or a mean man
That’s why he never understood why everyone was intimidated by his father. Even if he heard gossips about him being irksome, he never even thought about the possibility of that being true and all he did was to passionately defend his father
Diluc knows about these gossips but never acknowledges them. As long as his child and you truly know him and feels close and secure with him, he doesn’t care about the others
He also tends to start neglecting his duties as the Darknight Hero. You knew about his role and didn’t mind it but when you both learned you were pregnant, you made him promise that he would be a hero in his home first, not out there
He likes to take long walks with his family on the nearby hills. He teaches his son how about plants and animals you see on the trip
Sometimes he sees young Kaeya in the boy. And then he proceeds to spoil him even more because of the guilt and regret hiding deep down his heart
He swore to never let his relationship be ruined with him as it was ruined with Kaeya
Childe
There wasn’t a happier man in all of Teyvat when he heard the news
You had been actually a bit afraid of his reaction since he was a Harbinger and they weren’t exactly allowed to have kids, but Childe cherished the concept of family even more than he cherished the Tsaritsa
He would’ve even left the Fatui for his child. But in the end, it wasn’t necessary - which he was also glad about
Still, he was very aware of the danger that will surround his child. Many humans and non-humans wanted to take him down and they would likely grab the opportunity and try to stab him where he was had a weak point
So he became very protective of you while you were pregnant. While your hormones were acting up, you felt incredibly restricted and poured all your anger on him for that but the honest words he said to you somehow always managed to calm you down
'The love of my life and my child will not be my weak point. I have to do everything I can to protect and strengthen that part of me, understand?’
He held onto that ideology even after his son was born. After the child has reached a certain age, he started training him
And your son also enjoyed every part of the training. It became more obvious with every passing day that he was born to fight
You couldn’t help but feel a little pained about that. You tried to hide it but your attempts were unsuccesful. You couldn’t hide anything from Childe, who was also very understanding but determined on this topic
'You shouldn’t worry about that, love. Unlike me, he doesn’t fight to kill or survive. He fights to protect himself. And when he learns how to do that, we can both protect you better as well.’
Type: fluff... and angst. But it’s very peaceful, it felt like being healed when I wrote this
Hope you’ll feel the same way! (And if so, tell me. You can also request characters in the comments)
Scaramouche
Red nuckles and choppy lips. His skin is freezing but he insists he isn’t cold at all. You still try to make sure he stays warm, putting a scarf around his neck, sneaking gloves into his pocket. He says it’s pointless but you can’t help but worry for him in the sinking temperature at midnight.
You watch his breath, it’s being lightened by the city lights. It seems like white, sheer fog. There are cars and people rushing towards their destinations as you both stand facing red light at a zebra. You stand in a sloppy layer of snow.
Your heart beats slowly but you’re reminded that you’re alive. You’re both still breathing and both of your hearts are still beating. Life is hard on both of you but now you’ve found each other and won’t let go.
Your breathing adjusts to his and you open your mouth to see the little fog leave your body. You suddenly feel a hand that isn’t yours intrude into your pocket. So he’s cold after all.
The red light changes to green and you start walking at the same time. His hand stays in your pocket and as much as you want to hold and secure it, you’re afraid you’d scare him away. So you stay like this, a little bit close, a little bit apart.
At least he seeks warmth now.
Venti
Snowmen and snowball fights. Cafes with fairy lights and exposed brick. He takes pictures of the winter drinks you have and you’re not even surprised when you one day find out that he’s actually printed the photographs out and keeps them in his drawer.
You’re sitting in front of him at a cafe that looks like one straight out of Pinterest. But you don’t care about the light wood panels or the twinkling plastic stars on the wall. You want to see his face - but it’s covered by his phone right now.
You ask him to put it away for the hundreth time on that day. He finally lowers it, but so little that you can only see his shining turquoise eyes. You can tell he’s grinning by the way they’re crinkling. He takes another picture and you know it’s going to be printed because you look stupid enough on it. But you still can’t be mad at him.
There’s an unspoken truth you both know but never actually acknowledge. You understand why he’s so desperate to make memories.
You understand and want to make new ones too but enjoying the moment seems more important right now. So you fight the bittersweet feeling down your throat and begin drinking your delicious gingerbread latte.
When you hear another click, you smile.
Childe
Endless snowball fights. Frozen fingers you can’t bend until you put them in hot water. He wears thick boots, jacket and a scarf but never a hat. He enjoys the cold wind blowing through his hair and always closes his eyes so he can truly grasp the feeling. His sight is both ridiculous and breathtaking.
You’re walking down a hill alone, just the two of you. You’re moving slower than him because of the huge amount of snow. It causes you many problems but he doesn’t seem to be affected by it at all.
Childe seems to have finally found a snowy pine tree that he likes. He gets his axe out, ready to use while he explains what kind of pine is the best for a christmas tree. You’re nodding but not paying any actual attention. You only focus on his sheer power, his raw strength as he cuts the tree down.
You’re amazed and feel safe. Just this evidence only that he would be able to protect you from pretty much anything is enough to make you feel warm. And you’re simply... happy. You suddenly call him Ajax and he seems happy too, hearing his real name. That reminds him of something and he tells you he wants to visit his family on the day after christmas.
You both turn around and start walking back to your house. He’s fortunately slower now, that he has to carry a tree on his back. He bends down and listens to you with a quiet smile on his face as you tell him about your plans for the holiday.
You know he’d be ready to kill the moment there’s the least sign of danger but everything around you is safe and it looks like he’s finally let his guard down at least a little.
It’s one of those rare moments he seems actually peaceful.
Basically, how they react to you getting injured in a fight. I hope this piece can bring a smile to your face in these hard times and sorry for being absent a lot!<3
Immediately rushes over to see if you’re alright
Chongyun, Diluc, Venti, Aether
First slices the enemies down then rushes over to see if you’re alright
Childe, Razor, Itto, Xiao
He's taking his time with helping but only because he thinks you're strong enough to endure it
Albedo, Kazuha
Is too busy fighting, calls others to help
Gorou
Yells at you to get up, thinking it’s nothing, then gets really nervous when you don’t move. For a moment, the thought of you dying crosses his mind and with the power that fear gives him, he ends all enemies nearby with one slice. Then, after seeing that you’re fine, he yells at you again
Scaramouche
Makes fun of you for getting injured, but only because he’s trying to cover up his anguish
Kaeya
Makes fun of you for getting injured. Yep, that’s it, he’s just mean
Xingqiu, Ayato
Recites poetry about your heroic fall. It's not too helpful
Venti
Is not too worried. Asks if you’re alright in a calm way and reacts depending on your answer. He becomes really serious though if your injury is heavy, and be ready for a whole lecture as well
Kazuha, Zhongli
Tries to help but he also gets injured in the process
What I think Genshin characters would gift on Christmas (Yes, I’m a bit late but bear with me!) There are no implications for a romantic relationship so can be read as platonic as well
Characters: all male playable characters (+ Scaramouche hehe)
Genre: fluff
Venti: a song
This one doesn’t even need to be explained. Venti’s broke but he still wants to gift something to those who stand close to him. He thinks handmade gifts are the best anyway, so he doesn’t think twice before beginning to write a new song dedicated to you. Despite what you migh think, it’s not a meme, it’s an actual letter in which he explains how grateful he is that you’re a part of his life.
Kaeya: champagne
Turns up at your door on 24th. You’re still in your funky, Christmas-patterned PJs while you glare at him for ringing the doorbell for an unreasonably long time. He just grins at you and lifts his hand with a glass of fine champagne in it. ‘What about we drink this together?’
Diluc: a letter
He doesn’t turn up on Christmas Eve, thinking he would just bother you on this private day. But he does send a pretty postcard to your house and when you open it, your curious gaze meets with elegant, hand-written words. Diluc put the thoughts he normally never says out loud into a letter. It’s so unexpected and sweet that you can’t see a word through the tears by the time you finish the letter.
Childe: gym membership
At first you think it’s an implied insult saying you’ve eaten too much recently but before you can get angry at him, Childe quickly explains his intentions. He thought this would be a great way to hang out with you more since he goes to the same gym and as a professional, he can also help you there. In the end you decide to just laugh it off and agree that it really was a good idea.
Aether: neck pillow
If someone knows how painful and exhausting travelling can be, it’s certainly Aether. That’s why he bought you a neck pillow: so you can rest more while sitting on different vehicles. There’s one tiny little problem though: you don’t travel at all. You try to hide your confusion but he knows how you feel about the gift and points out a note on the wrapping. On the slip of paper, there are a few messy, handwritten words: ‘Because I think you should be with me more:)’
Zhongli: books
He knows people don’t read that much any more but he still thinks books are the best gifts. They contain entire worlds, incredible stories and things you can’t experience in other ways. If it was possible, he’d gift an entire library to you, but since he’s (as always) a little short on money, he could only buy one book. He spent days considering which one you’d enjoy the most and which one is the closest to him so it would be a heartfelt gift as well. And in the end, it comes out well since you’re one of those rare people who still love to read. You also appreciate the fact that he didn’t end up buying a book on fishing for you.
Gorou: blankets... and a lot of them
He has his tail to keep himself warm on cold winter nights but he can’t even imagine how you survive without having one. He thought he could solve the problem by buying some blankets. But well, since he’s used to purchasing for an entire army, he may have ended up with a little too many. Now be ready for a hell of a lot of sheets that will last till the rest of your life.
Xingqiu: theatre ticket
He’s not only keen on reading, recently he’s been getting interested in theatre plays as well. And well, because Chongyun’s too scared to go there with him (since that one time Xingqiu dragged him to a bloody tragycomedy that traumatised him forever) he has no one else to enjoy the play with. ‘Well? Fancy a threatre visit with me, my liege?’
Chongyun: cinema ticket
Same as Xingqiu. He has no one to go there with but he really wants to see a Christmas horror movie that’s been advertised everywhere in the last few months. He says he’d just be a little bored alone but you know that’s not the only thing that would bother him. ‘Me? Scared? O-of course not! But... You’re still coming with me, right?’
Bennett: a movie
Given his luck, he doesn’t like to go to crowded places. He still wants to see a film though and since he’s too innocent to know what torrent sites are, he bought the movie in a shop. Now he’s at your place setting the kitchen on fire making popcorn and being very excited about the first movie night you’re about to have together. While you try your best not to laugh at his raindeer themed pajamas.
Razor: cupcakes
As a foreigner in your country, Razor doesn’t really understand the concept of Christmas at first. But when Bennett explains it to him, he gets genuinely excited about it... just to get sad again, thinking he has nothing to give. In the end he manages to come up with a good idea though: he bakes cupcakes for his friends. You get the ones with sprinkles and you’re pleasantly surprised with how good it tastes. ‘Do you... like? Really? Razor is... happy.’
Kazuha: a cat
It’s the 24th of December and late at night when you hear the doorbell ring. You open your door carefully, expecting an intruder, then feeling relieved recognising Kazuha who’s standing in the dark corridor. You try to invite him in but he says he doesn’t have a lot of time. Then, instead of giving a longer explanation, he just hands you a kitten. ‘I know he’s going to be in good hands. Merry Christmas’ he says gently. You stare at the kitten in confused happiness. And the next time you look up, Kazuha is not there any more.
Thoma: dinner
Christmas means a lot of things to the peace-loving Thoma, but it mostly means that he can finally rest a little. So around these snowy, quiet days he doesn’t like to cook at all. He rather invites you to the finest restaurant in town and tells you you can order anything you want from the menu. You end up eating a lot of desserts, sharing them with each other while telling a lot of stories and laughing out loud, much to the snobbish guests’ annoyance.
Albedo: plants
He’s an enthusiast of both the life of humans and nature. So he finds it quite fitting to gift one to another: a plant to a human and a human to a plant. He knows you can take care of his plants and hopes his plants will take care of you as well.
Xiao: the snow globe
Xiao told you a thousand times that Christmas is just another weird mortal holiday to him. But that just makes you more determined to change his way of thinking! You try to make the period of Advent as enjoyable to him as possible with baking cookies, listening to music, skating and decorating the house. But that’s still not enough, and even though you really wanted to spend Christmas Eve with him, he just doesn’t turn up. You’re sad and disappointed... until you find a weirdly wrapped box on your table. Inside, there’s an adorable snow globe you two saw the day you dragged him to skate. Next to it, there was a short letter: ‘Sorry, Y/n, but I’d just ruin the day for you. Holidays really aren’t my thing. Merry Christmas to you, though.’
Scaramouche: a necklace
Unlike Xiao, he doesn’t just dislike Christmas, he genuinely hates it. He finds hypocritical all the happiness and peace it’s supposed to symbolize. He tells you not to buy him a gift but obviously you get one and give it to him on Christmas Eve. He gives you a deathstare while you grin at him. Then he gestures for you to turn away. Even though you’re a bit scared you do as he wishes and in the next moment, you feel something cool touching your neck. You look down to see a lovely, refined necklace. As you audibly gasp, he lets out a scornful snort. ‘I can’t be indebted to someone like you, you know? And, khm... Merry Christmas or whatever.’
Itto: an amazing day
You have no choice but to have him on Christmas Eve. He’s been excited about it for months and planned all the things you’ll do on the holidays with him. You’re a bit worried of what’s gonna happen but in the end everything turns out super fun. As childish as he is, Itto is a master of entertainment and his little games are genuinely amusing. You play multiple card, board and video games including ones you’ve never even heard of. Itto also brought an amazing amount of candy and Christmas-themed lollipop and you don’t even eat anything apart from sweets. You do wake up with a bellyache next day but Itto’s convinced it was worth it.
You knew committing to a relationship with Scaramouche would be no easy task but you loved him dearly and unlike others, you believed he wasn't evil. But as a mortal and the devoted protector of your village you were too much of a good person, too much of a human compared to him and your differences slowly start to show.
Previous: Part 5 Next: Part 7 (Final)
Length: 2000 words-ish? Who knows
Trigger warnings: DEATH (yes, you read that right), blood, corpses, angst, angst & angst
Scaramouche's figure stood steadily in the gates of Qingce. The slow, gentle wind blew through his hat's black vail and made the little bells on the side clink.
He was watching the remaining ashes of the village burn.
It was around six or seven in the morning, and there was nothing left of Qingce. The pretty houses, fences and pavilions, even the huge mill in the side of the mountain... there were only vestiges left of them.
He watched a little piece of ash aimlessly hovering in the air. He reached out and touched the little thing with the tip of his fingers. It burnt.
'How dare you do this to me' he whispered. But he wasn't talking to the piece of ash.
The air was heavy, too heavy to breathe in. It almost felt like he could still hear the death screams and desperate shouts from the battle last night.
Scaramouche suddenly clenched his fist, crushing the little ash. He stared into the distance with a glassy expression on his face. He seemed distant, wondering and even calm.
It was his gaze he couldn't control: the look in his eyes was a man's who was undeniably and horribly agitated.
He came too late.
When they arrived an hour ago there was nothing left to save any more. The abyss did a throrough job.
He looked through every single face on the battlefield but he recognised none. There was no hope that you were alive though. Despite the little amount of human corpses, there were no signs of survivors.
He sent out his agents to go and search for your body. He sent out all of them because he knew how much work it takes to search in the mountains for something so little as you were.
And because he didn't want anyone to be near him.
Scaramouche slowly started walking towards the heart of the city. He could see the ruins of your house from the corners of his eyes. He lowered his head to cover the view with his hat.
The ground was bare and black. Dead hilichurls' bodies lied everywhere among human corpses. He stepped over a monster's burnt body. The fire must have been huge here.
His gaze fell on something laying on the ground. It seemed unrecognisable for a moment. Then he realised.
It was a little doll.
He couldn't have explained why he squatted down to grab it. But he did and he stared straight into the human toy's eyes.
It had blood and burns on it as well.
Scaramouche had been emotionless so far but as he looked over the pathetic toy he suddenly felt sick in the stomach. He quickly threw it far away and shook his head.
Stupid. This was all so stupid.
Why did he come here on the first place? After he left so gladly. He really thought showing his back to you was the greatest decision he had ever made.
'I leave you alone for one moment' he muttered to himself. 'And this happens.'
He clenched his teeth together.
'You're one ridiculous human.'
All humans were ridiculous. With their unnecessary emotions, wishes and ambitions...
The worst was that you really were one of them.
He tried not to think about it but the words he had said in Inazuma constantly echoed in his mind.
"Human life is worthless."
"Just like a bubble on the water. Beautiful for a moment... then total destruction."
He stared into the distance. His legs started to tremble and not just because he had been squatting for a long time.
It... had to be true.
His body was strong but he suddenly felt incredibly fragile. He lost his balance and fell on his knees, the bells on his hat violently ringing.
It was true... right?
But if he was right, then his statement had to be true about you as well.
And Scaramouche slowly, finally realised he didn't want you to be just a bubble on life's water.
What ambitions did you have? How much did you love him? How did you want him to love you? Was he actually your ambition? Did you accept the fact your life could be only a short period of time? And if yes... how?
So many questions appeared in him and he could only curse himself for it was way too late to find answers for them. He was going to bury you in the cold and lonely dirt this very day.
If they can even find your body.
He punched into the ground.
The corners of his mouth were dangerously shaking...
'My lord!'
The voice of a fatui agent pulled him back into reality in the last second.
He was on a verge of a breakdown but as soon as he heard the approaching footsteps, Scaramouche straightened up.
And when he turned around his face had no emotions written on it any more. He looked sharp and professional as ever as a cold-blooded harbinger.
'Did you find...?'
He wanted to ask if they had found your body but the sentence died away without being finished as he saw the figures coming towards him.
It was a cicin mage and a mirror maiden and between them... a child.
The village had survivors?!
He didn't recognise the little girl's face until she stepped directly in front of him.
She rose her head and the stone-hard, weirdly mature look in her eyes surprised him. He even forgot about the horrible pain in his chest for a moment and just stared at the child.
'We found her in the forest at the side of the rice fields, my lord' the mirror maiden said. 'But we didn't find anyone else.
'How are you alive?' The words popped out of Scaramouche's mouth before he could've thought twice.
The child tilted her head to the side. Her expression was speaking quite loudly but she remained in silence.
Her clothes were burnt and tore apart, her hair fell out of the bun and covered her tiny, fragile shoulders. She was dreadfully pale.
'Agh' Scaramouche grunted unpatiently. He felt a sudden rush of hope and he didn't want to let go of it. 'You could speak a few days ago! Come on now!'
The child's gaze could have told entire stories. But her lips still haven't moved.
The two agents looked clueless as well. Scaramouche crossed his arms and furrowed his brows at the girl.
He was about tocthreathen her when he suddenly remembered your words and finally understood.
You always told him the villagers weren't fond of the fatui's presence and how afraid they were of them.
'Leave' he barked at the agents.
The maidens bowed, then turned around and walked away. As soon as they became distant enough, Scaramouche turned to the girl again.
'I advise you to be able to speak now.'
'Yes' Yu answered in a clear voice but her change of expression almost made Scaramouche flinch. Now that his agents were gone the girl didn't look so distant and serious any more. She just looked like a six years old who went through something horrie. 'I will speak now.'
'Good' he muttered, not taking his eyes off her. It was obvious how much she was shaken by everything that happened and yet she was able to remain serious. It was pitiful... no, rather painful to watch.
'The abbys order attacked my village last night' she said in a quiet, monotonous tone. 'They burnt down the village. And took away everything. A huge monster attacked my mother. Miss Y/n...'
'Do you know something about her?' Scaramouche interrupted avidly.
'She disappeared after she helped us.' This was the first time Yu averted her eyes.
Scaramouche clenched his teeth and reminded himself to keep his cool. He hid his incredible disappointment and nodded to the little girl to continue.
'She... saved... many people. I saw it with my own eyes. She came from the sky and killed many-many monsters.'
'This was her work?' Scaramouche looked around and seeing the amount of dead hilichurls took away his voice for a second.
'Why are you here?'
'What?'
The question felt too out of blue. He glanced down frowning.
'I want to know why you are here' Yu repeated. She clearly understood the heaviness of the harbinger's presence but she still seemed fearless as she asked him upright. 'Are you here to hurt us? Or to help?'
Scaramouche stared at her for a long moment. She was getting bold, too bold and he did not like that. It irked him and on top of that, he was really disappointed that she was no use for him.
'Why did you come back?' Yu kept on asking, trying to force an answer out of him.
Scaramouche opened his mouth to shoo the child away. The rude, cruel words were on the tip of his tongue...
But something held him back in the last moment.
'I came back to end the battle.'
He got furious at himself. Why would he even answer a question like that? Especially that it came from a nosy little child.
Yu tilted her head to the side again but her expression didn't say much this time. She studied Scaramouche's face as he was cursing himself.
Then quietly asked:
'So you love her?'
Scaramouche froze.
'You wouldn't have come back if you didn't love her. I don't want to help you because mommy said you are a bad person.' Yu explained. 'But I do want to find Miss Y/n. And if you love her then you want to find her to save her... right?'
The man stared down the little girl speechless. She looked back at him with a wondering expression but for the first time, sadness and exhaustion appeared on her face as well.
She was just a tired little kid who had been through way too much.
'Mommy died last night' she suddenly said in a low, dull voice that sent a shiver down on Scaramouche's spine. Her eyes were almost scary. They were so big but mirrored no emotions. 'I'm alone. I need to find Miss Y/n. Please... be a... good person...'
Probably the first time in his life, Scaramouche has no absolutely no idea what to say.
He just stood there, on the ashes of a fallen village and stared at the little girl who was slightly trembling.
His hands winched when she began to quietly cry. He straightened his fingers... then moved them back into his fists.
The child had been holding back her tears for way too long. She cried so desperately now, sobbing into her dirty clothes, tears falling on the ground where her mother fell.
Scaramouche closed his eyes for a moment. He didn't know what to feel.
Or he just tried to deny that he did feel something.
This abandoned, lonely child was... him.
They couldn't have been more different. And yet, for the first time in his life, he felt similar to a human.
He felt like... a human.
Scaramouche closed his eyes, pressing them down with force. His face crinkled like he was in horrible pain.
He turned around and walked away with quick steps.
Little Yu's sobbing paused. But before she could've processed that her last hope has left her, Scaramouche stopped near the ruins of a house and hastily knelt down on the ground.
He grabbed something then stood up. And came back to Yu.
He handed her the lame, burnt doll he had thrown away before. Then took some steps back in a hurry.
'Stop crying now' he told her. He seemed unnecessary firm and strict as he spoke but it was just a mask he put on fast in despair. 'You have... a doll.'
The little girl stared at him with her eyes wide open. That made Scaramouche very-very uncomfortable.
He just growled and pulled his hat down to cover his face.
'Can we go now?'
He knew these weren't the right words to say. Even though he had an awkward feeling he was acting too much like a human, he still had no idea on how to be kind and understanding. That suffocating feeling he felt because of a mere mortal was already enough for him anyway.
And she stopped crying... right?
He took a quick glance from under his hat.
Little Yu hugged the doll tightly while she was rubbing her teary, smudge face.
Scaramouche let out a relieved sigh.
He tilted his hat backwards and looked straight at the girl again.
