#nahida hcs

[ewthymia]

#. mother figure of nahida hcs!

warning: probably typos.

notes: english is not my native language and I constantly use the translator, so there will be errors and inconsistencies! i need more platonic hcs with nahida, love my little bean so much!

The moment you laid eyes on the tiny dendro archon, you couldn't contain your maternal instinct.

To say you adopted her the moment you first saw her at the Sabzeruz Festival would be an understatement.

And Nahida, though she didn't understand where that was coming from, didn't complain about the care and the way you started to treat her once she was free of your captivity.

Lumine and Paimon could only smile in amusement when they saw you handle Azar and his lunatic followers with nothing but atrocious ferocity, like a lioness punishing those who dared touch her cub.

You became ruthless with those who did the little archon any harm.

And even though she was an archon, with thousands of years of knowledge and wisdom under her belt and could even be stronger than you, it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Nahida, at first, found all these actions strange, she did not know or understand where this came from and was absolutely curious. Lumine had to help her understand this new aspect of her personality, and although the little archon still had her reservations, the way you cared for her so lovingly and always kept her safe was something that made her chest throb with an emotion she didn't feel. he remembered feeling since he was born.

She wondered if this was how people felt when they were truly loved.

It took her a while to get used to all these drastic changes, it was years of neglect and contempt after all.

One of the things she took the longest to get used to was his warm, gentle touch.

Nahida had spent so much time isolated and wandering her nation through dreams and bionic dolls that the sensation of physical touch was totally foreign to her.

But she loved the way you gently patted her head when she said something smart. Or when you held her hand during walks through the tropical Sumeru area. The soft, gentle warmth when you helped her comb her hair and do her standard hairdo was so nice, it gave Nahida a sense of belonging that she never wanted to let go.

The way you smiled at her, even when she said things you didn't understand.

The way you calmly explained about human matters that she didn't understand very well, in a simple way.

She loved her food and she loved it when you showed up at the Academy out of the blue with a snack for her of her favorite delicacies, even though she didn't need to feed as often as humans do.

The worried look when she stayed too long absorbed in her duties to organize Sumeru and keep the nation running.

The sweet words of concern when you asked her to take a break and rest.

His determination to help her when he saw that she needed extra help.

The advice and ideas you threw in the air for her, when something unforeseen came up.

You knew she didn't need you to be doing all this, that she was a goddess after all and you were a mere simple-minded human.

You knew, though, that even if she was a five-hundred-year-old goddess, she might still need special care.

And even if you tried to treat her like the superior being that she was, it was very difficult for you to just let the habits she ended up forming get pushed aside.

And Nahida, when you tried to pull away to let her be who she was, you didn't like the loneliness and empty feeling that took over her small form.

She was a goddess, yes, but...

But she loved you and wanted you to stay with her, to let her snuggle in your lap and fall asleep while you stroked her hair.

She wishes you were there to hum some tunes you learned from the Aranaras as she basks in her welcoming warmth.

She wanted you to keep going to Surasthana Shrine to keep her company and let her try the new recipes you prepared exclusively for her.

She wanted you to let her enjoy more of all the love and care she didn't know about before meeting you.

And it was during his supposed last day before going with Lumine into the Desert that she approached him, her eyes bright but conveying an anxiety and melancholy that was very uncomfortable for you to see in Nahida's eyes.

Lumine and Paimon said goodbye first, knowing that you and Nahida needed your time.

You approached the small archon, kneeling in front of her to get the ideal height.

She didn't say anything, but you knew what she wanted, little Nahida's flowery green eyes spoke for her.

You hugged her and she more than immediately reciprocated.

The way her tiny figure clung to you, as if she didn't want to let you go, as if you were the world to her, as if she was yearning with every fiber of her divine being… It was too much for you.

You placed a kiss on the little archon's forehead, who had tears forming in her eyes, her chest filled with the warmth of the affection and care you gave her.

It wasn't a final farewell.

But Nahida felt like it was.

“I'm leaving this world, but know, little archon, I'll be back, because I know that you, even if you don't need it, want me to come back. And I will, because I love you as if you were my own daughter, even if I am a simple human and you are a goddess.”

Nahida smiled with emotion, with love and you lightly ruffled her hair, your gaze giving her everything she needed.

“I will be waiting for you, mother.”

[love-marimo]

The Butterfly Effect: Conversations with Lesser Lord Kusanali

"It is an honor to be graced with your divine presence, great Dendro Archon." You kneel before the smaller figure in front of you. Nahida beams at your gesture and pats your head, her green eyes gleaming with delight.

"I have been expecting you. Do you have something in mind?" She calls your name, asking a question she already knows the answer to.

Nahida creates her holographic swing and sits on it and you heave a sigh and proceed to sit on a log beside her, watching the Sumeru sun rise in the horizons of its meadows.

Nahida senses your exhaustion from the way your eyes droop and your lips crack, not to mention your slouched figure as you form your inquiries in your head, careful of breaking etiquette in the presence of the archon herself.

"You can treat it like a dream. Dreams just happen, but they intuitively display the secrets of our hearts. Breathe, let the words form on its own. Just like a dream, let it happen. Speak." Nahida breaks the silence with her gentle voice, and as she finished her sentence, you feel a breeze course through your body.

Another exasperated sigh.

You want to cry, but you cannot bring yourself to do so. You know that no one can never not be vulnerable around her, even if they choose to display their emotions or not ー the Lesser Lord Kusanali knows.

Oh, how convenient that must be. You wish you could read minds. You want to know what your mentors want. You want to please your fellow Kshahrewar scholars. You want to know what everyone likes.

You want to give them everything ー and you reached the point where you will tear yourself apart just to become someone worthy of being gifted with the title of a scholar.

"Stupid designs! It's… it's all foolish. Everything I make… "insufferable, inadequate, obsolete, senseless…" the list goes on. I… I don't know what to do. I try my best in creating designs and I study the works of renowned engineers and architects all across Teyvat. I analyze how their systems work and I emulate their processes into my own designs to make sense of it all… and yet… and yet…"

You buried your face into your hands, and there was silence. For a while, you thought that the archon has left you to tend to other things.

But you hear the melodic beat of her steps as she jumps down from her makeshift swing to sit next to you.

And when her soft hand began to stroke your back, memories of a recent past began flooding your brain. You hear your mentors scolding you for a repetitive architectural design. You hear fellow scholars gossip about how unkempt you look despite being the 'failure' of the Kshahrewar darshan.

"Do they even try?"

"It does look like it."

"In fact, they try too hard. It's pitiful to even look at them."

"Are they even a true scholar?"

The voices of scholars and academics surround the caverns of your mind. It was overwhelming, and you can only imagine what you looked like in their eyes.

There was one, then two, then four drops of tears that started to finally fall from your eyes. You covered your face even more, ashamed to let the archon even see you like this.

"It's not enough, my lord. How can I make it enough? Will I ever be enough?"

You finally say, in a hushed whisper that you thought she won't hear.

"There are flowers that only grow in the fields and mountains of Mondstadt, where the winds are far more gentler and nourishing. They are called Windwheel Asters. When these flowers bloom, they do not just stay still and wait for the day they wither. They dance and follow the direction of the spirit of the wind itself, until their last days." Nahida removes your hands from your face and holds them, her face forming a small, but comforting smile.

"Pardon me… but what are you trying to say…?" You ask.

Nahida reaches for your face and wipes your tears with her thumbs.

"These flowers grow and bloom for the wind, which is an idle element in itself. They move, but they stay where they are rooted. Now, do you think these flowers are lost or have they found their purpose?" Nahida asks you, soothing the bags under your eyes.

"I… I think it's useless to exist to follow something that is fickle in nature. What about their petals? Do they not get swept away by the wind during a storm?" You reply, unsure of your answer. Nahida's eyes soften at your answer. She looks to the bustling city of Sumeru and she replies,

"That is what you are doing right now. You follow the path of those who are on their own journey when you have one to call your own."

Nahida reaches for your head and rests it on her lap. The distant chirping of birds echo through the rainforest and the sun's rays are continuing to reveal their beautiful glow as you both witness it by the cliff.

You were suddenly hit with the realization of the archon's words, and you began to cry again. And so you ask another question,

"But… I don't know where to go…"

"One's mind, if used too much, tends to cloud the true musings of one's heart."

"…"

"Don't lose heart. Sometimes you might feel like the unluckiest person in the world, but for all you know, it could just be an unfortunate situation.* There is always a solution to every dilemma, but there are times where the solution itself is to let go."

"…Are you suggesting I give up on my dream of becoming a Kshahrewar architect?"

"You know what you want deep in your heart, so I will not be able to answer a question that only you know the answer to."

"But what if I get caught up in chasing my dreams?"

Nahida pauses for a moment.

"Human beings are fickle minded. But it is not a bad thing, however, most of them are devoured by their hunger for ambition. They chase it one after the other, until they hit rock bottom. And they build themselves up all over again ー and this perpetuates an inevitable cycle they will live through their very last days." She finally says.

"…"

"You can choose to wear your heart on your sleeve. You can choose to be like the wind ー become a free spirit, letting life take you on its course. You can choose to read the stars and look into the map of your soul ー where the answers you are seeking reside. Just remember, life is just not about yourself. Each and every one of your actions shapes you and the world around you.*"

Nahida smiles at you, and you return the gesture to her. You close your exhausted eyes and rested in her presence.

"Thank you, Lesser Lord Kusanali. Your wisdom has eased my heart."

Nahida lets out a small laugh. The sun has risen, marking the early hours of morning.

And you realize it's time to wake up once more.

"The world offers many choices for each and every one of us to take, however, at the end of the day, it is up to us which ones are we going to make."

Nahida's voice fades out slowly from your hearing.

You awoke in your bed, the piles of parchment scrolls scattered on your desk never looked so inspiring until now.

You chanted a prayer dedicated to the dendro archon, thanking her for visiting your dream.

You looked at yourself in the mirror and saw how messy and exhausted you are, then you looked back at your architectural plates.

Shaking your head and smiling to yourself, you decided to make yourself your favorite dish.

You decided that the world can wait.

*These are lines by Nahida that I used from the game itself.

Also, about the windwheel aster question that Nahida asked, it's kind of like a perspective question where there is no right answer, but how you view it reflects your state of mind and your subconscious. I hope that made sense! Thank you for reading ♡

ー Lolita