Hello hello hello there, good writer! I was wondering if you'd be open to writing platonic HCs for the currently playable Archons in the game. Basically, way back when during the Archon War (or in Nahida's case, some point early on when she was instated as Sumeru's new Archon) the Archon's save a baby dragon's (the reader) life.Now, centuries later, at some point following the events of the Archon quests, they encounter Dragon!reader reader- now a fully-matured dragon (Dragon is the same element as each Archon. Individually, I mean, they aren't multi-elemental). The Archon recognizes them through any number of factors (a scar in a very particular area of Dragon!Reader's body, a discolored patch of scales, etc.) And as for how they encounter each other, maybe the Archon is accompanying the Traveler on a commission, and dragon!reader saves the Traveler or Archon's ass when the situation gets dicey, maybe the Archon senses a familiar presence and investigates, perhaps paths cross and they find themselves saving (or assisting) dragon!reader yet again, or maybe it's just a chance case of the stars aligning in just the right way. Apologies for the massive word dump, just thought I'd give you some prompts in case you have trouble coming up with ideas for this, if you want to do it, or course!
That is such a cool idea! And I really appreciate the word dump, it really helped me out a great deal this time around, so thank you, kind anon<3
I hope this comes somewhat close to what you had in mind. Hope you enjoy<3
Zhongli
Zhongli often looks back fondly at the times where he had adopted this strange baby dragon
the Archon War was a though time period, both for him and the people at his side, but having that baby to take care of by his side and teaching it all sorts of things made it somewhat bearable for him
he would often play around with it, sometimes even play fighting to show it a few moves and tricks and the dragon seemed to enjoy that a whole lot
though cuddling sessions always seemed to be the dragons favourite, especially when a certain spot under his chin was being scratched
it was a difficult spot for others to reach, seeing as it was surrounded by brown spikes, indicating your resonance with the Geo element, but seeing the happy expression on the baby's face made it worth it in the end
When the dragon later got older and grew up in Zhongli's care, it would often join him in various battles while the War still lasted
On one such battles, the dragon got hurt pretty badly in it's left eye, ultimately loosing it in the process. But it adjusted rather well to living with only half it's eyesight
Later, when the Archon war ended and peace had returned to Liyue, the dragon was all grown up now as well. And one day, without any prior indication, the dragon had just left, never to return again
Zhongli wasn't sad or anything. He understood that this is simply how nature works and he only wished the best unto his foster child
Sometimes, the Ex-Archon wonders if that dragon is still alive, but those thoughts always leave him rather quickly again. It's no use pondering about the unknown
And yet, imagine the surprise on Zhongli's face when he saw another dragon roam the sky just as he finished dealing with Azhdaha alongside the Traveller
Finding an opportunity to slip away from the group, he began traveling in the direction he saw the flying creature
it took some time, but he eventually found the dragon as it rested besides a small lake, soaking in the rays of sunshine onto it's scaled skin
fascinated by it, since dragons were a rare sight to see in this day and age, he decided to approach the creature, silently as to not startle it too much
as he got closer to the dragon, the creature soon picked up a new scent in the area and opened it's big eye, now spotting the approaching Zhongli
quickly, the creature got up and began roaring at him, and that's when Zhongli noticed a particular scar on the left eye of the dragon
Could it be... was it actually you?
Your name slipped past his lips and it made you hold in the middle of your actions. Zhongli could see the uncertainty in the dragons form, so he said your name again, staying still in his spot, only a few steps away
the dragon, still unsure, took another sniff of the surrounding air, taking in the scent of the new arrival, and suddenly, memories from its time as a baby came flooding into his mind, and you recognized the man in front of you
now seeming much calmer, you got closer to Zhongli, your long neck extending towards him so that your head was right in front of him
with a smile, the Ex-Archon extends his hand as well to scratch that certain spot under your chin, like he had always done many, many years ago
at this, the dragon closed its eye and a low grumbling sound could be heard deep within it's throat.
Zhongli almost couldn't believe it. His old friend was still alive and apparently doing pretty well for itself..
for some time, the two of them just sat down in the grass, enjoying the light of the still shining sun, while Zhongli just began talking, telling you of all the things that had happened while you were gone
And you were listening to every single one of his words, feeling happy to finally be reunited with him again..
Venti
Most people know about Dvalin - or Stormterror - and his connection to the anemo Archon. How he was one of the four winds that protected the nation of Mondstadt
but what the people did not know, is that there was a second dragon with the anemo Archon that had been taken in by him when it was only a small baby
as a result, the baby dragon has been raised both by Dvalin and the anemo Archon at the same time. While it learned typical dragon behaviour from Dvalin, Venti provided the baby other lessons important for its life ahead
the little dragon has always been a playful and adventurous one. It was getting into trouble quite frequently as a child, but such was the nature of freedom
Venti had always adored looking at this little dragon baby as he found the light green colour of your scales to be quite mesmerizing. He liked to think that the colour represented your connection with the Anemo element, and himself.
But what he found even more adorable was the little patch of white scales, right between the beginning of your legs and your hind legs. It was about the size of the palm of his hand, the colour never really coming through on that spot
While Venti and Dvalin engaged in the Archon war, you always decided to stay behind, rather enjoying the serenity that the nation of Mondstadt brought to you than to engage with bloody battles all the time
As time went on, you grew older and older, and Dvalin knew that the time would come where you would leave them behind. To find your own place within this world, without them by your side
and sure enough, one seemingly peaceful day, you went up to them one last time, seemingly telling your goodbyes with your eyes before you turned your back to them and flew off into the distant world ahead of you. Excited to see what was liying ahead, but also sad you had to leave them behind
many, many years have passed since that fateful day and a lot has happened since then. A mysterious traveller has appeared in the world of Teyvat, helping Venti to bring his old friend Dvalin back to his senses
Since that incident, Venti couldn't help but think back to the old times quite often, reminiscing of the memories all three of them shared. He would often wonder how you were doing these days, if you were well off..
on one such days, when he was laying beneath the tree at Windrise, thinking of old times, he did not notice a bunch of Abyss mages and their underlings approaching
when he did, it was already too late and he was surrounded by enemies. Though he tried fighting his way out, the number of enemies just seemed to increase, instead of decreasing
Venti began to worry and just as he was about to summon his old friend Dvalin for some help, a roar echoed from above the sky. All heads turned up as a huge creature descended downwards, instantly attacking the abyss mages and their hoards
for a second, the colourful scales made him think of a certain dragon, but he quickly shook off that feeling, concentrating on the battle at hand
it didn't take long until the enemies were dealt with, and as a moment of peace came to them, Venti turned and took in the familiar colour of light green scaling..
But.. that couldn't be, right? It surely was just a coincidence.. another dragon that just happened to have a similar colour to the one he once raised..
But, as the dragon remained on the ground, patiently looking at Venti, he couldn't shake off that feeling of familiarity
And then, the dragon turned to its side, showing Venti the undeniable truth of a missmatched patch of white scales among a sea of green..
It really was you...
Joy spread over Venti's face as he realized it really was his old friend that had come back to see him again
It didn't take long until he was on your back and you began ascending towards the sky again. Up there in the sky, with only the winds holding you back, Venti also summoned Dvalin to him to complete this reunion
Many roars sounded all throughout Mondstadt on this day as there were now two dragons roaming the skies of this nation...
Nahida
As the god of Dendro, Nahida had always liked the nature and all of its inhabitants
she would always try to sneek away to find a spot somewhere within the rainforest where she could just sit down and listen to the sounds of nature all around her
while the sages at that time did not approve of her behaviour, she continued to do so with the excuse of wanting to form a connection between her and her nation as well as it's people
one day while she was out again, she stumbled upon a tiny dragon baby. As she got closer, she noticed that the baby appeared to be hurt quite badly, yet it still backed up when she got closer, scared of her
it took some time and gentle reassuring from Nahida's side, but eventually, the small dragon let her get close, inspecting the wounds inflicted to it
deciding that she wanted to take care of it, she used her powers to build a sort of little hideout where she nurtured the dragon back to health over the course of a few weeks
while doing so, the baby dragon began trusting her more and more, until eventually, they formed a kind of bond between them
once the baby was all healed up, it didn't dissapear like Nahida thought it would. Instead, it decided to stay with her, playing around and growing up with her
every single time Nahida managed to slip out, the two of them were always together. Either laying in the grass, listening to the nature around them, or playing around and sometimes, she even helped the little dragon in learning how to fly
when they got tired, they lay together on the ground, the dragon having it's head on Nahida's lap as she carefully caressed the top of its head where the beatiful, deep green scales where less sharp than everywhere else on its body. The colour reminded her of the rainforest itself sometimes..
but what she found almost a bit more beautiful were those missmatched eyes of the dragon. One in a beautiful, piercing blue colour while the other was deep red, a stark contrast between the two
But then came the day where Nahida was whisked away by the Sages and sealed into the Sanctuary
it took hundreds of years until the traveller arrived in Sumeru and with the help of some others finally freeed Nahida of her everlasting prison
Thankful to have finally escaped, she did her best to handle everything by herself the best she could. She guided her nation into a new direction and took care of everything that the Sages had taken over
which led to her not once having left the city since she has been freeed. Though Nahida yearned to just go outside and sit in the nature again, she had obligations to take care of, that required her urgent attention
until the Traveller came around another time, insisting on her taking a break for once. In his words, all those problems would still be there once she returned from the break, but her well being was important as well, especially for her people she needed to be in good shape
so, taking him up on the offer, the Traveller, Nahida and Paimon went into the rainforest like she wanted to. While wandering around, they passed the old hideout Nahida had once built for that baby dragon
Memories flooded her mind upon seeing it and she smiled a bit, though it appeared to be a bit sad. The Traveller noticed, but before he could ask Nahida about it, they heard some rustling behind them
Weapon at the ready, the Traveller was prepared to attack should the need arise
And then, from behind some trees, a dragon emerged, eyes fixed onto them
and Nahida instantly recognized you. Not because of the deep green colour of your scales that only seemed to have become even more beautiful over the years. But because of those disscoloured eyes that she was never able to forget
you seemed to recognize her as well, showing no signs of aggression at all, which made the Traveller lower his weapon again
finally reunited again after so many years, both of you seemed happy to be within the presence of each other again
you gently pressed the tip of your nose into her face, gently blowing air into her face which made her giggle a bit. She then climbed onto your back, resting there while the now four of you continued this walk through the rainforest
And even after that, you continued to stay by Nahida's side, always there to protect her should anything ever happen to her again. You were ready to make them regret their decision if people decided to ever mess with her again...
__alhaitham
ㅤ “...is that supposed to be a compliment? listen, i don’t like being in the spotlight and i don’t want to be important to anyone but you. … oh, that’s what you were trying to say? i still think you’ve misapplied the term.”
__candace
ㅤ “of what story? if you mean of my own… isn’t that how it works? but in general, i don’t try to stand out like that.”
__collei
ㅤ “oh, um… is this because of my spontaneous recovery? tighnari says it makes me a bit of a special case, but I'm not sure it's to that extent. i—i appreciate the compliment, of course.”
__cyno
ㅤ “are you trying to tell me i remind you of that one cartoon again? yu-ji-oh, or something? collecting cool cards doesn’t make me a main character, you know. but i’ll accept your compliment, if that’s what it is supposed to be.”
__dehya
ㅤ “really? haha, that’s sweet of you. i don’t think mercs make for the most heroic of main characters, and i don’t think my story is all that special, but you’re real nice to say that.”
__dori
ㅤ “it would suit a main character to be rich, no? i don’t think i’m quiiiiite there. perhaps you can support your idea… financially, hm?”
__faruzan
ㅤ “it is only fitting for you to see me in such a way. as your senior with a past shrouded in darkness, as well as being the brightest scholar of haravatat, i cannot be compared to another in teyvat. that makes for a sufficient protagonist, doesn’t it?”
__kaveh
ㅤ “i—i’m not sure what it is that you want from me. you better just ask it straightforwardly, since i’d rather not think about my existentialism first thing in the morning.”
__layla
ㅤ “oh… a couple different peers of mine have also said i act like one. it doesn’t sound like a good thing.”
__nahida
ㅤ “it is not the archon’s duty to be the main character in her land’s story. i only hope to allow more stories to sprout.”
__tighnari
ㅤ “forgive my disagreement, but i think it naive to believe there are main characters in this world. stories are meant to inspire, and so if i am inspiring to you, i thank you for the compliment. but i am no more important than the creatures and plants and skies of teyvat.”
__wanderer
ㅤ “are you scared of saying something of importance, or do you really just have nothing important to say? don’t insist upon trivial things like that.”
author’s note: thanks for reading! if you enjoyed, consider reblogging <3
(7,4k words. angst through and through, somehow ambigious ending. slowburn. so slow, it takes them quarter of a century to fuck.)
when you’re almost 8 months pregnant, you meet scaramouche.
it’s pretty awkward, actually - you sit under a tree in a chinju forest, trying to breathe, but you do a pretty bad job at that. everything hurts so much, you hoped no one would hear your crying, but gods like to laugh at you. you close your eyes from time to time, hoping you would never open them again. you never knew that giving birth is such a challenge, you only heard of it, and you thought you’ve prepared yourself. but it was supposed to be a month more untill you meet your child. and now, well, yeah. nothing is ever right in your life.
when you open your eyes again, after getting so tired of screaming and maybe losing your consciousness for a minute, there’s three of them right in front of you: a little girl with soft white hair in a pretty green dress, touching your forehead. a man with a stark red strand in his light grey hair, his gaze is so worried and pained. the third man stays behind those two, and you can’t even comprehend how he looks like.
“i think she’s dying” girls says a little too brightly. the man with white hair looks a little bit bewildered.
“don’t say it like that!”
“does it matter?” the third man says. “open your eyes, kaedehara. she is dying.”
“still, you can hurt her with this even more” the kind man sits in front of you - his touch is blessedly chill against your feverish skin. “lady, can you hear me? can you understand what i say to you?”
you can only blink slowly in response. because of the pain you can’t really scream anymore, but tears start streaming down your face once again. you want to ask them to kill you, because you’ve suffered for god knows how many hours by now. maybe you even do ask them, considering that the girl now frowns, the kind man tries to wipe your tears away and even the third man stiffens because of your cries.
“i am no expert, but i think it’s a preterm birth.” girl says, her tone really sad now “she really might die. we need to move her in some more of a clean space, quickly.”
“we can’t really move her, you know?” girl turns her head and you guess her gaze makes the third man sigh loudly. “okay, okay, don’t look at me like that” you hear his steps and he finally bends in front of you. you can’t really see his face because of how ridiculously big his hat is, but his voice is much softer now when he speaks to you directly “hold on my shoulders, lady, we’re gonna take a quick ride.”
you do as he says, feeling another wave of terrible pain shuttering your body. almost laying on his chest, yet you hear no heartbeat. his skin velvety and cool under your fingertips, when he easily lifts you from the ground, and from now on you don’t remember anything.
***
you took your son outside to play in grass, when scaramouche returns from sumeru. unexpectedly, as always.
here’s the trick: even if you can say now, that kazuha is your friend (and thank god for him, he’s the best human who ever walked this earth), nahida is probably your friend too, even though you don’t see her a lot and she’s much, much more reserved than kazuha (who is a grown man, despite his height), scaramouche is an interesting case. you’ve never ever asked him, who he even was, what he did for life. you felt like you had no right, since you’ve been nobody yourself. he’s just kinda...there. you don’t know what to think of him. you can’t label it, so you just don’t do it.
he visits you regularly. he’s at your house more often, then even kazuha; he has more than enough duties in sea, and scaramouche doesn’t. he just does as he pleases. and it seems like he wants to be near you a lot of the times. you don’t mind, really: he’s a nice company, very useful and not overbearing. he also seems to know a lot about caring for kids, which you find unexpected, but again, you need that guidance.
even if in the beginning you thought he was the one with a cold heart, now you’re definitely not sure. you gave birth that night and you’ve slept for over two weeks after. nahida told you, that she put you in that state, since she was afraid, you die. your body was so fragile after giving birth, she spent days and nights healing you. kazuha was busy building you new home with the help of the beidou’s crew - you don’t want to know, how nahida learnt, that you were homeless. in that time, scaramouche was the one who cared for your son: he fed him, lulled him to sleep, checked on his health. you’ve learnt that only months after, nahida told you that. but you kinda got the feeling anyway.
you could easily say, scaramouche liked spending time with the kid. he brought him presents anytime he visited. expensive toys from fontaine, liyue and snezhnaya, clothes from natlan, candies and some delicious food from sumeru. he says, he doesn’t care about mora, and it looks like he doesn’t lie, but you still feel uneasy with how much he spends on your son. but again, he helped you. he still helps you a lot. weeks, then months go by, and you’re so used to him at your side, you start to feel a bit lost when he finally leaves again. you know he’ll return, yet you still wonder, what if not.
“look who’s all grown up now” your son squeals in delight when he hears scaramouche’s voice, and you turn your head too, because your son tends to have better sight than you, he also hears a lot more than you.
scaramouche’s on his way to your little home, and you stand up to greet him. you actually stop, because he stumbles funnily, when you come near him. it’s as if he wanted to hug you, forgetting himself for a second. you see no problem though. you would hug him, if he wanted you to.
it’s always a happy time, when he’s at your home - playing with your son, while you make dinner, then telling you both his stories. they’re quite endearing, and he has such a nice voice, while telling them, it’s as if he was truly a balladeer. your son loves listening to him, he actually likes to sit on his lap and watching him speak. you usually stand near the kitchenette, cup of tea in your hands, watching them talk.
it brings you somewhere close to longing for something you never had. but you, weakly, love that feeling. and sometimes scaramouche looks at you strangely, like he wants to ask, what are you thinking, but even if he did ask, you don’t know what to tell him. you don’t know what you want of him yourself.
you love when scaramouche comes to your home. that you know for sure.
this time is only slightly different. your son is sleeping soundly in your arms, when you want to bring him to his bed. you hear scaramouche’s voice near your ear:
“lemme hold him. please”
you look at him with wide eyes.
he actually rarely took your son in his arms. it wasn’t like he didn’t want to, more out of his respect for you as your son’s mother.
he holds your son with such gentleness, caressing his hair through his fingers. you smile, because of how fond you find that gesture. he studies the kid’s face for a minute, and then he looks straight in your eyes:
“you really love him, huh?”
“what? of course i do. i am his mom”
“not every mother loves her child” and you know, there’s a bad, bad story behind those words, yet you say nothing on that matter.
“you love him too” you say instead. it’s as clear as the sky is blue to you. it’s clear for pretty anybody - read, nahida and kazuha - too.
and yet, for a second, he looks like a kid, who got cought stealing candies before dinner.
“bullshit. i’m just helping you because you’re such a baby and know nothing”
“yeah. that’s why you asked to hold my son”
“exactly”
“okay. give him back to me then”
he actually takes a step back. you think it’s funny how he looks like he will fight you if you try to snatch a baby back in your arms. so you laugh quietely.
“scaramouche” you call him.
“what” he snaps back, but quiet enough not to wake your son. you take one step towards him, then another, untill you can hug him lightly, and he’s so stiff in your arms, like a porcelain doll.
“it’s okay. you can love my son too,” you whisper, feeling how his head falls on your shoulder. “i allow that.”
you stay like that for long, long moments, and you’re actually so surprised that your heart doesn’t beat so fast. it’s just so calm to you, being near him.
“i wanted to say to you that it’s okay to stay here, you know”
“i always stay, stupid”
“no. i mean for real. i know you don’t want that, probably. but you can always stay with us. for however long”
you hear him laugh bitterly.
“you say you know i don’t want to stay? so funny”
“why?”
“because it means you truly know nothing”
***
your first kiss with scaramouche happens when your son is five and he learns that everyone has a father, except him.
interestingly enough, it’s kazuha, who tells you that. he visited you again, while being in inazuma, as he always did for past years. your bond only grew stronger with years, but you know that it’s nothing, comparing to his bond with scaramouche. they weren’t even that good of a friends. it’s more likely that something tragic bonded them, and you’re partly glad you know nothing about it.
you’ve learned a lot about scaramouche in past years while living with him. he still left sometimes, when nahida needed him or his duties called, but he lived with you for much longer. his trips were much shorter too. you fell into some kind of ruitine, and with that came few things you needed to know about each other.
he never actually hid anything from you, it’s just that you felt uncomfortable being persistent, so you learned thing at a time. you’ve learnt he doesn’t need to eat or drink, but he likes to cook and does this often. you’ve learnt he doesn’t care if it’s hot or cold outside, he’s fine anytime. if listen closely, you can hear how his joints quietely screeching everytime he moves. his skin is slightly velvety to touch, like cold porcelain. he sleeps with his eyes open.
he’s not a human, not really. you thought that would worry you more, with everything you’ve been through, yet you just... don’t care.
“i never thought i would tell you this, but it doesn’t matter. you’ve learned this yourself!” kazuha says, and you stand outside the room, hearing everything they say, hoping, they won’t see you. “you know, how much nahida loves you, and i know you love her - don’t you dare to interrupt me right now. it doesn’t always have to be blood. don’t fool me and say you don’t love the kid.”
“i do” scaramouche says after a long pause “and i’m not his father. there’s no need for a father at all. they’re useless.”
“but he wants one. he wants you to be”
“he has a father, he was born somehow, wasn’t he? do you see him here? me too. so that’s what i’m not. i’m not his father.”
you feel so much pain you can’t breathe.
you don’t even go out to say your goodbye to kazuha. you just sit on a stone near the cliff, watching foxes running and playing around. you hate them with your whole being.
“so you heard everything”
it’s rare now to see scaramouche parading in his hat and fancy outfit. his hair grew a bit longer, he wears no hat, and his shorts and shirt are very simple. his haori is a present from you on his birthday. he wears it religiously.
and you’re pained.
“i have”
“i see. may i sit near you?”
you nod, turning your head away.
he sits silently next to you. he’s still the most pleasant person to just sit next to in complete silence, and you despise yourself for how weak you were. you gave up on being close to him, but your son? what he ever did to him?
“actually, i genuinely hate inazuma” scaramouche says suddenly - your heart clenches, because yeah, of course, why would he love it here? you live in a deep of a chinju forest, in small wooden house with your son. he has an opportunity to visit anywhere he wants. whay would he want to even be there, of all places? “i hate it so fucking much, you can’t imagine.”
“i truly can’t”
“yeah, you can’t” he says again, no mockery in his voice. “this is the place where i was born and left behind. the only thing i ever wanted is to set everything up in flames here. and i felt like that for years. centuries.”
your heart sinks.
“i thought you’re i don’t know? twenty five?” kazuha is around thirty, so you’ve guessed he’s also around his age, even with how young he looks. scaramouche chuckles.
“yeah. slightly older than that” he looks at you with unreadable smile “still, i’m here. any ideas, why?”
“you’re masochistic?”
“no, anything else? come on, you can do better than that” his smile disappears as fastly, as it was brought. “here i thought you would explain me why”
you don’t answer anything to that. he chuckles again - more bitterly this time.
“i meant what i said. kid has a father. a shitty one, i assume. i don’t want to be anything like that. you need to believe me” he takes your hand in his and squeezes it slightly, making you look at him. and he’s so serious and worried right now, you feel your heart might explode. “i wish only the best on you two. i wouldn’t do anything to harm you. and you don’t have to tell me anything. i know a thing or two about how shitty those kitsune bastards can be. in the end, it’s your life, and i’m no one to you, you owe me nothing”
“are you serious right now?!” you almost yell, yanking your hand away. “you’ve lived here for five years! five! you’ve teached my son how to read, you’ve played with him, you brought him gifts, you brought me gifts, and you sleep in my room on a bed that stands next to mine, and you are no one to me?! you fucking selfish little-” you stop only when you hear him laughing. it makes you even more mad, but it disappears the moment you see how glassy his eyes are. and he keeps laughing and laughing and laughing, untill he stops completely.
“i do sound like my mother” he whispers, more to himself than to you. and then he looks at you again, his eyes are so clear and sad for how badly he hurt you. “i shouldn’t have said that”
the worst part is that you don’t feel hurt for yourself. you feel bad for your kid.
you never planned on having kids. your plan was to become a priestess in a great shrine, which is really ironic, considering of course it was a kitsune who made you change your mind. who made you drop everything you planned behind, to run away with him from your hometown, only for him to drop you the second he got what he wanted from you. and maybe he didn’t even want anything at all. probably that, because that’s just how cruel yokais can be. it was all just a fun game, and you kinda lost. you would strongly disagree it was fun at all.
that’s the reason your pregnancy was so difficult. the baby was just too strong for your human body. he keeps getting stronger every day, and you were so thankful to scaramouche because he seemed to know how to handle your son. he’s so strong willed and independent even now, that you need help. because yeah, you do not know how to raise a child.
your son looks like a normal kid, except for his now little dark claws. they showed when he became four, and he cried that night, thinking he’s very ugly now. and you know why he’s thinking that. some might say he’s scary and looks like a demon, but even though your son’s eyes are blood red with a vertical pupil, they remind you strangely of kazuha, of all people. your son is half yokai, yeah, and people might be scared of him, but his gaze holds no malice. he’s the sweetest boy, who loves you deeply, who loves scaramouche, nahida and kazuha. you hope, he’ll be like kazuha, because his kindness and gentleness is seen in him even now, and you don’t want to hate your kid just because for who his father is.
the dinner is very silent - even your son keeps it low, because he somehow sensed that something is wrong between you two. he thanks you for food, kisses you on a cheek while saying goodnight and then turns to his room.
“don’t you wanna say goodnight to me too?” scaramouche asks suddenly. your son turns to him, surprised. ever so gentle, scaramouche rarely openly show affection towards kid, even when your son wanted him to.
“can i?” he asks hesitantly. scaramouche smiles lightly and extends his hand.
“come here, give your dad a hug”
you drop the plate you were holding, and your son literally runs towards scaramouche. you know if it was you he would probably hit you (not intentionally, but he’s that strong at his age), but scaramouche catches him easily, and it reminds you of a day when he brought you here just as easily. you chew your bottom lip, while watching, how happily your son hugs said man, and that man, while smiling, looks you right into the eyes, as if asking for your forgiveness.
you turn away.
scaramouche usually reads after the dinner, yet you’re not surprised to find him in your room. he looks up at you - it’s late in the evening, your son is very much asleep, so it’s quiet and cozy here.
“that was super weird.”
“which part?”
“i’m not his father. i’m not anyone’s father” he frowns “and it felt really weird saying things like that”
“oh, really”
“don’t fucking laugh at me, woman” you think it’s adorable, how his harsh words don’t match the soft tone of his voice. “i’m not-”
“scaramouche”
“what?”
“can i kiss you?”
you’re afraid you broke him for a minute - he looks at you with such a strange expression on his face, you can’t comprehend it. he looks so young and vulnerable and alive, you can’t imagive, how he’s not a human. and how much you want him by your side.
“yes” he says quietely, voice not above just a whisper “yes, you can”
***
your son is eleven, when his... father decides to show up.
and you think, why would it end differently? of course there’s always a way to ruin it for you. last few years was the best you ever had in your life, so something needs to change to show you, how are you not actually in charge.
your life became just a little bit too perfect. it consisted of you, scaramouche and your son having a breakfast together, then you stay to study with your son, while scaramouche works in a garden, because you can’t do hard work, so your health won’t worsen. later you usually go for a walk to a shrine or at the seacost. you’ve visited countless festivals and watched fireworks together. in evenings you still listen to scaramouche’s stories, and then you say goodnight to your son, so you can to bed together. years later, you still only sleep together. he likes to kiss you, yeah, but nothing more. you’re fine. you’re not sure your body won’t betray you anyway.
so of course it has to be ruined.
and this prick - you really can’t even bring yourself to call him a father of your beautiful, kind, sweet son - shows up looking exactly like you’ve seen him last time. you know time flies, and you’re fine with you aging, yet it feels like a slap in a face. you’ve never felt this way with scaramouche, even though he too, obviously, doesn’t change a bit.
give me my son, that prick says. you did everything i’ve wanted from you. now it’s time for me to teach my son how he needs to be.
your blood boils with such rage, you think you’ve never been able to feel this much. you remember how one morning he just never returned, and later you found out you were pregnant. how much you cried, feeling horror almost in your bones, and how high priestess said that if you decide to keep the child, best case scenario it’ll take a good half of your life. the decision wasn’t up to you anyway. it was late, and you made peace with the fact that you will probably die soon.
did you really think i’ll just leave my son be with you, he asks, not really wanting you answer.
fuck you. scaramouche is his father, you think stubbornly. and, also, fuck you again.
he says, he’ll return back when your kid will turn twelve, and he’ll ask if he stays with you or go with him. he will know that man who raised him never was his father, and he’ll hate you for it.
and maybe if you were stupid young self, you would listen to him. you would dread the date and think a hundred times over how to tell your son that... how to tell him anything. you would cry because your son might turn into his father, hurting more and more people, without the possibility for this cycle to break.
now you’re smarter.
you see there’s a lot of foxes near your house. your son sits at a table, focused on a book scaramoche presented him just a week ago. it’s a book from nahida, so it’s very special. scaramouche is nowhere to be seen - he’s probably in city, buying stuff you need. your heart aches for how heartbroken he will be.
foxes get closer to your son. be it your young self, you would cry out of horror.
but now you’re smarter.
so you take your son’s hand and just run.
***
you hide with your son for five years, when you meet nahida.
your son is first to pinpoint her in the crowd. people moving and dancing around you, there’s smell of hot spice and something sweet in the air, the sun is so hot and red. you change regions frequently, you need to, but natlan so far is the least favourite of yours. you hate how loud it is, how hot it is. there’s no serenity in those lands, only war and feasts.
“nahida? nahida!” your son’s voice helps you to snap out of it. you feel something between panic and excitement.
there she is: still so small and young, an adult in a kid’s body. you’r afraid people might hurt her. but she moves right towards you, her gaze stoic and unwavering.
“nahida!” your son kneels so he can hug her and she does immediately hug him back, her little hands look even smaller on his back. your son is not very tall, rather lean and not so broad. he reminds you of a fox - the only one you won’t hate.
“i’m so glad to see you. it’s been so long” you blame yourself for longing in his voice. you took everything from him too.
“how have you been?” she asks him, holding his face with her hands. he smiles widely.
“we’re fine. wanna talk to mom? i thought you like me better” she finally giggles and pats him on a head.
“we’ll have plenty of a time to talk. but yes, i need to talk to your mother”
you can’t let go of your habits that easily - all those years you spend watching your son every moment, so no one would steal him from you. nahida sees that, she was always capable of seeing through people.
“i wonder what it takes to be able to hide from everyone, even from the goddess of wisdom” she starts.
you sigh.
“you wouldn’t want to know”
“i always wanna know” she argues “i can’t believe i was finally able to find you. we’ve all tried to find you”
“please, don’t torture me like that. please.”
she gets quiet for a moment.
“you look sick” it’s because you are sick. there was no peace in your life, not a second since you were on a run. you don’t age like normal humans, not after given a birth to yokai, yet sometimes you wish you just get grey hair and that’s it. your body hurts all the time, so much, sometimes you can’t sit straight. “i told you years ago, if you don’t watch yourself you will-”
“don’t care”
“but i do. your son does.” you know who else does too, probably. “can you at least tell me, what happened? i can’t help you if-”
“no one can help me.”
“i think we might argue about that” she gets closer to you and takes your hand into hers. you immediately feel strange relief, as if something very heavy was taken off your shoulders. “tell me. we will find a way. i, as an archon of wisdom, will find a way for you”
there’s sunset, and music gets louder, people start dancing again. your son looks at you, his lips trembling. you so, so want to go back to your home in a dark forest.
“please, mom” he whispers, almost inaudible. “let’s return”
the ghost of his father still haunts you at nights, but with years passing your horror started to fade away. there’s no way somebody was able to make your son someone different. he loved you deeply, yet you knew he judged you for not saying anyone a word.
he looked so much like scaramouche sometimes, it brought you to a physical pain. he frowned like him, his smile was just as mischievous and fond as his, he liked to read, liked to watch fireworks and work in garden. he was so softspoken even when he was hurt or angry.
there’s no way he could be like anyone but his father.
you blink once, twice, feeling tears sting your eyes.
and start speaking.
***
you’re with kazuha in mondstadt year later, when scaramouche steps in your rented room.
“there you are” is all he says. you almost jump off the chair, turning to him immediately.
“i’ll leave you two” kazuha stands up and winks at you. “good luck”
traitor.
what you expected to see? scaramouche looks exactly like six years ago, still young and lean, though he looks much, much darker now. his clothes are from the way back, when he dressed in black and turqiuose, but now it has more purple to it. the bells on his veil dangle dangerously.
"let’s summarize what we have here” he says as if nothing happened, as if you haven’t seen him for so long. “instead of talking to me and just saying you need some help, you decided to run away and hide for years, am i right?”
“it wasn’t like that”
“oh? tell me how it was then”
you have no words. you knew he would be mad, that’s why you begged nahida not to tell him anything. nahida said okay. and there was kazuha, who didn’t say anything, when you tried to ask for his promise to stay silent.
he probably did it for your son. he wanted to see him so much, it became hard to keep him low.
“i hear nothing” the venom in his voice almost burns you.
“i couldn’t say anything. he would take my son away”
“he wouldn’t”
you smile sadly. you still feel heavy in your stomach, your back hurts.
“he would” you repeat, and for the first time scaramouche looks less mad. “when i returned home, after i found out i was pregnant, he followed me. i didn’t know that. and when i told my family i needed help, well...”
he looks at you expectantly. you feel so cold in your limbs.
“what did he do?” he asks you, way calmly this time.
“my yonger sister, she... she went out one day and never came back. my parents searched everywhere, nothing. and week later another girl. and another”
he stays silent, yet you see how he clenches his fists so much, you hear that sweet, sweet sound of creaking joints. you can’t smile anymore.
“i know it was him.” you say simply. “there’s no evidence. i don’t know what he did to them. i hope they hadn’t suffered and died quickly, because he enjoys... he loves to play.”
“i killed him” he says matter-of-factly. you feel cold sweat on your back with how calm and lifeless he looks. “he broke the rules anyway. so i did what i had to do”.
“what rules are you talking about? how did you even found him?”
“i asked my mother” that surprises you. “see, i could, of course, just kill him in silence. but the forest belongs to yokai. there are rules. kitsune can’t really mess with humans that much anymore. apparently, that made everyone’s life difficult, and it was not easy to lure him in... long story short, he’s dead. he won’t bother you anymore.”
“you asked your mother?”
now he looked nervous.
“i had to. i needed help to track him down. this is her land. she knows where he could hide, since she’s yokai herself” you remember all the times he spoke to you about his family, his mothers or his sister. he rarely did this, granted, yet it pains you even more to hear him going through it alone.
“are you okay?”
“you kidding?” he looks at you, bewildered “that’s what you choose to ask me?!”
“i don’t know what else to ask” you asnwer truthfully.
you see the gnosis on his chest starts to shine - he closes it with his hand, as if his heart hurt. you know he has no heart. you’ve never heard his heartbeat.
suddenly the door slams open.
there’s kazuha with your son, standing in front door. kazuha took him under his wing, helping you hide him, because there’s no such place as the ocean, and though kitsune usually hate water, your son loved it. you’ve seen him only yestersay, thinking he’s already on a ship, which is now under kazuha’s command.
but it seems like everything goes not how you expected today.
you see so much emotions on scaramouche’s face. from surprise and joy to sadness and anger. he’s angry at you, because you’ve stolen him of those years he could spent near you and your kid, like a family that you were. you see, that it’ll take time for him to forgive you for those years he lost, net seeing your son growing up, changing and become who he is now. they’re the same height now, the eyes of your son are still bright red and kind, but not at all naive. he’ll only learn now, how simillar they look, when they get angry, or how their sense of humour is basically the same. they look nothing alike, and yet it was your son and his behaviour who reminded you always of what you’ve left behind. and you’re so sorry too.
you’re so, so sorry you hurt them both.
and then scaramouche smiles - widely, so fond and kind, like years ago.
“so grown up now, you don’t even want to give me a hug?” he says, only half-joking. he’s testing waters, if he could take what was his once back.
your son runs towards him in a second.
kazuha pats your back reassuringly, as if saying that it’s going to be okay now. you’re sure you’ve never seen scaramouche cry. it’s just tears down his face, as he smiles and hugs your son tighter. and you actually now know, what you want to ask.
can you return home?
***
it’s almost twenty five years after you first meet scaramouche, when you finally can say you’ve found peace.
scaramouche chuckles, when you say that to him, as if you said something really funny.
“your standarts are still really low” he says, and you nod thoughtfully.
“yeah. i’m living with you at the end of the day”
he glares at you, but says nothing. you’ve learnt a lot from him in those years, so now he keeps his mouth shut.
when you first returned to your home in a forest, you were too busy bringing it back it’s cozy view. it was still not as abandoned, as you imagined. kazuha told you, scaramouche returned here regularly, hoping to meet you here one day.
it took him a year to become less paranoid. you could understand that, since you too couldn’t really let go of the feeling that you’re free to do what you want. finally, what you want. not what you need. nahida took your son to sumeru, to help him become more independent, and you? you were truly all for youself, the first time in your life.
“what is going on inside that brain of yours now?” scaramouche asks you impatiently. you only smile in response.
“that’s a secret”
“ugh. disgusting” he holds you closer, eyes sparkling with mischief “tell me”
you look at him and can’t not smile. he’s so beautiful in your eyes. you could never understand, how he switches so easily between being angsty teen brat and a centuries old wise son of a god. you think that that sounds right, because only a god could create someone so endearing and loving and vulnerable and brave-
“you’re doing it again”
“doing what?”
“drifting off” he says seriously. “what’s on your mind?”
what’s on your mind? your son was no longer there, so you couldn’t tell yourself scaramouche was here only for him. however much he loved him, it was stupid to stay in denial. you couldn’t afford that anymore.
“do you love me?” you ask him. he looks surprised for a second, but collects himself very quickly.
“of course not. i just enjoy spending years of my life near somebody i hate”
“you would love that. you easily could do that out of spite, don’t lie.”
“you know me so well” he retorts sarcastically, but stops himself, seeing your face “why you asking stupid questions?”
“because i want more”
he stays silent, and you hate how sometimes you truly can’t say, what he’s thinking right now.
“okay let’s forget-”
“you’ve seen me naked” he starts cautiously. that you did. “i’m not human. i am a puppet at the end of the day.”
“do i look like somebody who would spend years of their life living with a puppet and suddenly find out that yeah, i might actually care that said puppet has no dick?” he coughs, as you quirk your eyebrow. “yeah, exactly”
“but can you imagine my mother designing my dick?” he asks in the most flat tone, his face unreadable. you can’t help but cackle. the corner of his mouth twitches, as if he tries to supress a smile. “that fox bitch definitely could though.”
“maybe it’s for the best she was stopped”
“probably, yeah”
you want to say to him, he’s not a puppet, he should stop thinking of himself like that, but you know it would just anger him, if anything. he was always realistic. he was a puppet. with his own mind, his thoughts, desires, feelings. he was just...like that.
and the thing is, even with your inexperience, you know, that there are definitely more skilled men in a block. maybe you could even snatch one for a good night, but you don’t want to, genuinely. you never did. you want this puppet - you want him - and there all it is to it.
so when he finally gives in and kisses you, rolling on his back so you would be on top of him, you can only sigh. he sits up and puts your hair from your face with quiet, yet so fond smile, you can feel your heart breaking your ribs.
“you’re so beautiful” he whispers, while looking you straight in the eyes “always were and always will be”
you kiss him with desire you refuse to ignore any longer.
he’s definitely not the most expirienced either, but what he lacks with skill he makes up to with his patience and tenderness. he has to be gentle because of how fragile your health is, so he tries to do that exactly. his smile so innocent, almost angelic, if only it wasn’t for the devilish sparks in his eyes, that lit up when you whine his name. you quickly decide, that you both love that. that, and how cool his skin feels under your touch, especially when he kisses your neck, while telling you to lift yourself a bit. you shiver in anticipation and yet still moan, when you feel the first finger inside. you don’t see his face, but you know that now he must be smiling like a stupid arrogant brat that he is.
and yet, his fingers feel so good, you clench on his shoulders with such force you fear you can break him. he only shushes you, his other hand patting your back, mouth never leaves your neck for long. he fucks you slow and steadily, keeping you in place, so you don’t move and he’s the one deciding the pace. even when you beg him to go faster, he only kisses you lovingly and continues to torture you with slow deep thrusts. you hate him for it, but not really.
you come with his name on your lips, and he keeps fucking you through it, so tenderly you feel tears in your eyes. to your surprise, you feel something wet on your neck too.
“scaramouche?” you ask worriedly, lifting his face with your hands so you can look at him properly. “are you okay?”
his eyes are glassy, and his cheeks are wet with tears, but you’ve learned a long ago that his tears are the only way showing anything of his emotions. and even though he cries, that’s not all to it.
“i’m great” he chuckles and kisses your shoulder, as you ruffle his hair “better than i have ever been”.
***
it’s winter, when you talk to scaramouche abouth death.
you have always dodged this topic elegantly. nahida told you, now decades ago, that your life won’t be long, nor that it would be joyful. scaramouche argued with her on that, but you silently agree with her. your life was on a thread the minute you felt your son in you. you can’t believe he’s so mature now, even though he still looks like a teen boy. and while scaramouche doesn’t visit his mothers ever, your son did visit his mom once. he later stayed in her shrine for about a year, learning from her, since she was, in scaramouche’s words, a knowledgeable bitch.
but it wasn’t you and your condition, that triggered that talk.
kazuha dies so suddenly, it leaves everyone in shock. of course he was an old man now, but still you hadn’t expect it. you’re sure, if it was up to scaramouche or nahida, they would try to save him, but he just... dies in his sleep, that’s kind of it. the most peaceful, most kind death one could ever imagine. your heart roars in loss when you hear the news, your son cries in his bed when he learns his favourite unckle won’t ever return. he was your friend, the best friend of your small family, his kindness saved you the day you wanted to die - losing him feels worse than losing an arm. even nahida, who, you know, is very, very reserved, can’t help but shed a few tears.
only scaramouche stays stoic. even months after, you don’t really talk about how he lost another human that he loved dearly.
you lay in bed together, your face in his neck, while he stares at a ceiling, swirling a strand of your hair between his fingers.
“you're angry” you whisper. you know he is. you know his fears all too well now.
but he surprises you.
“no” he says quietely. “not really”
“huh?!”
“if it was me, say, hundred years ago, i would be so pissed with him” he says with a smile - not his usual arrogant one, something different. “that would make me so mad, i would probably find a way to bring him back alive just to kill him myself for that. but i think i get it now. huh. we really do change through our lives, don’t we?”
you don’t know what to answer to that, so you just lay there silently.
“i asked nahida to turn my head off, when you die”
this is such a shock, you stand up on your elbows to look at him. but he looks back at you - calmly and peaceful.
“what did you just say?”
“i said, i asked nahida to turn me off, when you die.” he scoffs softly and caresses your hand gently. “because you will die, y/n. like i said, i get it know. it’s not something you can’t decide not to do. yet i can decide what to do with myself. and six hundred years is more than enough”
“you can’t just decide to kill yourself” you whisper in shock, “nahida won’t do that, she won’t do that to you” he looks at you in surprise, but then smiles.
“oh, it’s not like that. she just... she’ll change the things in my head, i don’t know. she’s way better with tech, than me. so one day i’ll just stop working, i guess.” it’s impossible to you how he smiles dreamily, how content he looks “huh, i don’t know for how long i’ll walk on this land after you, but i’m looking forward to find it out.”
“what about our son?” and there it is, the only pain he lets himself have.
“nahida will take care of it. and, like i said, i won’t be gone in a blink of an eye. i’ll take care of him myself too. i guess, i’ll just finally have a life i’ve always dreamt about” he again turns to you and smiles fondly “i had a purpose and i fullfilled it. that would be a normal human life. have i ever told you? i once wanted to become a god. now i want nothing, but to become a mortal.”
you know it’s useless to argue with him, but you try to keep in mind that he really is centuries old. you would never know what it feels like to be this old. and to think of it - you don’t really want to find out. you see the example right before your eyes, how lonely it can be.
“you look so worried”
“i feel like i’ve been bamboozeled”
“oh, you definitely have been” he laughs and puts you near himself, so he can kiss your forehead. “but let’s use what we have now yeah?” you nod and he smiles wider, while rolling you on your back, so he can be on top of you. he looks so smug doing it you can’t help but scoff.
“alright then” he kisses your nose lovingly, and you giggle again. “hold on my shoulders, lady. we’re gonna take a wild ride.”
Forgive me for my selfishness but it's always a pleasure seeing you. It's rare that I meet someone who thinks the way I do, and can relate to constantly analyzing the world. I don't mean to equate myself to the literal god of wisdom, but I find familiarity in you and that's enough to put my nonstop mind at ease.
Anyways I gift to you one of my favorite books, 'The Diamond in the Window'. It's a fantasy story about dreams and knowledge. Hopefully it can bring you some enjoyment :)
- A friend
nahida held the unfinished end of her flower crown in one hand, reaching for the star with the other. the cool shell crumbled away, a book and a letter falling into her hand. she quickly tied off the crown, setting it aside. perhaps she’d give it to one of the aranara later.
she turned her attention first to the letter, undoing the string that tied the envelope to the book and reading.
the young god smiled, childlike glee bubbling at your words. you thought her similar to you? she could never imagine what it’s like to have made so much, to have seen millions and millions of worlds live and die as you surely have… and yet you thought she was relatable? she might be the god of wisdom—or a version of one—but surely she couldn’t compare to you, the god of all.
and yet, she did. you found similarities in her that were evidently missing elsewhere, ones important enough to you that you handpicked a book for her to read—one of your favorites, in fact.
nahida didn’t bother with the envelope to the letter, instead focusing on the book you had given her. the glimpse of your world, your character, of how you’d changed throughout the years. she didn’t remember much of you, her memories from irmunsul blurry and faded, but.. perhaps this would grant her wisdom on the mind of the divine.
Do you have headcanons for like an older sibling reader?
Mainly for characters like Klee, Diona, Nahida and Qiqi. Because even though Nahida is technically a god and blah blah she deserves protection and an older sibling who 100% got arrested for stabbing the sages.
It’s even funnier if the reader isn’t even older then Nahida, they’re like some young 17 year old kid who saw Nahida one day and is like huh.. is anyone going to adopt her mentally? And then did.
Older Sibling Headcanons
All these kids are running around without supervision, and you had to step up, of course.
Sure, you are not even technically an adult at the ripe age of 17, but you could handle it.
You spent hours helping Qiqi find a cocogoat, only to discover that it was a drink, not an actual animal. Of course, you couldn't blame Qiqi and promised to get her some coconut milk.
When you found out that Klee was put into isolation again for causing a mild explosion, you helped break her out. Ain't nobody keeping your sweet Klee locked up.
You tell Diona that you want to help her make the worst cocktail. But in reality, you are just trying to keep her safe by not testing any dangerous ingredients.
Naps with Sayu are common, but you mostly do it to keep her safe while she sleeps.
You 100% got arrested for stabbing some of the sages when you found out what they did to Nahida. You only managed to get three, and they all survived, but it was worth it.
Once you were free, Nahida joined your gaggle of children. She loves when you push her on her swing and talk about the world and about humans.
Each of the kids has a nickname for you (Chi-Chi, Oniisan / Oneesan, etc.)
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 ♡
Info: OOC? Mentions of other characters, writing sucks, sorry if I get some lore wrong with some characters! Fyi, none of this is cannon besides the occasional lore mentions (also I was a bit lazy near the end)
Alhaitham: Alhaitham is surprisingly good at color theory, despite not using it often. How did he learn about it? No one knows
Kandace: Kandace always insists that you should keep your weapons in top shape so they don't stay dirty or break, that being said. Kandace will go out of her way for hours, just polishing/cleaning every single weapon she owns
Collei: Whenever Collei's Eleazar gets out of control, she'll have to use crutches for the time being, of course only if she's slightly stable. If it was any less, then she would immediately be put on bed rest. Collei also decorated it with stickers and bracelets to make her feel a bit better
Cyno: Since Cyno has white hair, one time when Tighnari was getting really fed up with his jokes, he emptied out his shampoo and instead put in black hair dye. For about a couple of weeks, Cyno had a weird black mop on his head that looked like roots
Deyha: On a rare occasion, when someone underestimates Dehya, she'll immediately pretend to be bad at something. When she's finished, she'll point out a flaw she made before going wild and showing off her skills
Dori: Dori used to have extremely bad handwriting, but when she started becoming a more popular merchant. She upped her game and practiced with her handwriting for days until she was proud of the result. She's even dived into calligraphy
Faruzan: Whenever Faruzan has time to herself, she absolutely loves learning about fossils and what animals or creatures used to walk on Tevyat grounds
Kaveh: Kaveh has a very long skincare route and will feel uncomfortable for the rest of the day if he wasn't able to do it in time
Layla: Surprisingly, Layla is secretly really good at ballroom dancing, but not tangoing
Nahida: Nahida has a very soft and unique singing voice, and during the time period when Wanderer was healing, she would use her voice for lullabies to lull him to sleep. Most of the time, she would sing to him when he was asleep, having a nightmare, but it would quickly turn into a dream when he heard Buer's voice
Nilou: Nilou is secretly really good at theater, but since she's put up a more confident persona when dancing, she gets really nervous and shy whenever she has to play pretend since she's not as confident
Tighnari: When Tighnari was growing up, he absolutely loved making fairy houses, and as he grew up, he got better and better at making them! He's even now taught Collei how to make some
Wanderer: Wanderer absolutely sucks at cutting hair, but since he's so used to his usual bowlcut, he's much faster at cutting his own hair
If you repost this on another website, please give credit. Any like or repost is greatly appreciated -dixidin
He adds WAY too much sugar at first. ((You had to double the recipe lest it be to overpowering, but you have a sneaking suspicion that’s what he intended.))
He INSISTED you make either rum or apple cookies. Somehow, you managed to find a recipe that included both.
The counter is covered in flour. It looks like it’s snowed in the kitchen.
You’re ALSO completely covered in flour. (Curtesy of Venti)
The cookies are the UGLIEST things you’ve ever made, but they actually taste pretty good.
Z H O N G L I
He lets you choose the recipe. (( You end up making ginger snaps. Zhongli also made some tea to go with the cookies when they were finished. ))
He follows the recipe perfectly, and you wonder how exactly he managed to keep everything so orderly.
The kitchen is somehow cleaner after you two baked than it was before. ((It’s a little embarrassing, actually. ))
Somehow, Zhongli’s range of stories includes the culture behind desserts, so you listen to him ramble while you both bake. ((It’s fine, though. You’re learning new stuff and he has a very nice voice.))
The cookies turn out looking gorgeous, and you swear they’re sparkling.
E I
She wanted to bake with you, but unfortunately she has no skill in cooking.
You both go to a bakery instead, and buy cookies. (( Ei felt bad about being unable to bake, and ended up getting several of each type of cookie that the bakery had. The poor shopkeeper looked ready to pass out.))
After visiting the bakery, Ei drags you to three other dessert shops against your protests. ((As the pinnacle of skill, not knowing how to bake was an oversight on her part. She never expected to have need of that ability, and as such, she must make up for its lacking.))
The night ends with you struggling to find a way to transport all the sweets, which are WAY too much for the both of you, and Ei apologizing sheepishly. (( She may have gotten a little carried away…))
N A H I D A
Theoretically speaking, she should know how to make cookies. She’s seen them made several times using her ability to transfer her conscience.
She lets you choose the recipe, and seems pretty confident in her baking abilities. ((That’s where things went south…))
While the two of you added all the proper ingredients and followed the instructions, after putting them in the oven—
The cookies didn’t form properly, and they were a little extra crispy around the edges.
You were going to try and eat one if only to make Nahida happy, when the oven suddenly caught fire.
The rest of the evening went like this : You and Nahida put out the fire, you vacated the house for the smoke to pass, and ended up getting takeout.
After the fact, you find the whole thing hilarious. ((Nahida doesn’t understand why you think its so funny.))
