#cloudenthusiast

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[cloudenthusiast2]

Genshin Men as Dads - Part 2

Genshin Impact x reader

Characters: Xiao

Type: headcanons

Genre: fluff

First part

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.

[bernadsuper]

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[sugakoni]

Karl is gonna get jealous, cloudenthusiast 😉

WHO SAID THIS AND WHY I JUST WANNA TALK I DONT WANNA MAKE KARL UPSET

[knifegirl8]

Am I wrong? Am I way off base? Correct me if I was wrong,  please.  set me straight .  if I made a mistake,  please accept my apology. @cloudenthusiast  I'm really sorry.

 and sorry for my poor English.

[cloudenthusiast2]

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.

[dotcomraja]

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#dotcomyuga #cloudenthusiasts #phd_in_machinelearning #10xwithnethra #dotcomraja #CloudComputing (at Dotcomraja) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMResX6jBJN/?igshid=1k1f54ylnik67

[cloudenthusiast2]

A chatty s/o - Genshin men x reader

Type: headcanons

Genre: fluff ofc

Characters: Zhongli, Itto, Scaramouche

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.

[cloudenthusiast2]

Genshin Men as Dads

Genshin Impact x reader

Characters: Zhongli, Diluc, Childe

Type: headcanons

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.’

[cloudenthusiast2]

Winter moments - Genshin x reader

Characters: Scaramouche, Venti, Childe

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.

[cloudenthusiast2]

Injuries - Genshin men x reader

Type: headcanons

Warnings: getting injured

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

Bennett, Itto

Leaves you there

Baizhou

[cloudenthusiast2]

Gifts - Genshin x reader (modern au)

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.

[cloudenthusiast2]

To be a human - Scaramouche x reader - Part 6

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.

'Let's go. Help me find Y/n.'

[cloudenthusiast2]

Hi i see you’re open for requests, if you dont mind can you do a fluff scenario with diluc where reader tries to hide their injuries so diluc doesn’t get worried but hiding the injuries only made diluc suspicious of them (I hope it makes sense!!) i love your writing and im definitely looking forward to more of your works <33

Hiding your injuries - Diluc x reader

Heyy! Thanks so much for requesting and sorry for taking too long! I hope I did justice to Diluc. And Kaeya:)

Type: oneshot

Genre: fluff

Warnings: injuries (obviously), brotherly bickering, Kaeya being a butt

The Dawn Winery vast and grand in every possible way. It made you feel tiny and increased the guilt as you stood down there with your cape on, hiding in the grape bushes.

It felt like you were an intruder in a place that was owned by your lover. It was a pretty stupid situation.

But you had your reasons and couldn’t go back now. So you clenched your teeth, arranged your clothes to hide your body as much as possible and started walking towards the mansion.

The sun hasn’t come up yet and there were only a few people around. Your steps were quiet and you made no noise as you sneaked towards the mansion.

You were a skilled adventurer so getting to the door was easier than taking candy from a baby. What caused you more trouble was the guilt in your heart.

It was genuinely hard to oppress it. You once promised Diluc that you’ll never lie to him and right now what you did felt like breaking this promise.

‘I won’t lie’ you tried to convince yourself. ‘I just don’t want to make him worry.’

You still hesitated as you stood in front of the huge, heavy wooden door. Wouldn’t it be just better to be straight with him? You were certain he’d appreciate your honesty. But you were also certain that he’d be immensely mad.

Not at you, of course. Oh, you wouldn’t be hiding then. It’d be easier to face him like that because that would clearly be the right thing to do.

But you couldn’t let him be angry at others. And in this situation, he’d surely blame the people you’ve already forgiven.

You shook your head. Finally making your mind up, you dropped a letter in front of the door.

As you rose your hand, the cape fell back and your bare arm became visible. The first rays of the morning sunshine elucidated all your injuries and scars.

You immediately grabbed the cloth and pulled it back to cover yourself. You looked around nervously and took a glance of the windows as well. But no one saw you.

Quickly, you disappeared into the shadows of dawn.

*

‘Good morning, master Diluc. Have you slept well, sir?’

‘Morning.’ The tall, red-headed young man stood in front of a maid, ignoring her previous question. He hated small talk and wanted to get straight to the point. ‘Has anything worth mentioning happened during the night?’

‘Yes, master’ the maid, not surprised at all, nodded and handed him a skinny, slightly dirty envelope. ‘We found this at the door this morning.’

‘Anything else?’ He took the letter but barely even glanced at it.

‘Nothing, master.’

‘Good. Dismissed.’

The young man turned around and walked straight to his study. The sun was already up and it was time to work.

He sat down to his hard-wood, elegant desk and looked at the letter once again, this time more thoroughly.

‘I swear, if it’s that rascal again…’

There was no name on the cover, so he quickly opened the letter with a knife, continuously muttering some not too nice remarks about Kaeya.

He went silent the moment his gaze fell on the name written at the end of the letter. It wasn’t Kaeya’s, who’s latest hobby was to annoy him through anonymous letters. It was yours.

“Dear Diluc,

I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you this in person, but I didn’t want to wake you up so early in the morning. (I hope you slept well.) I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it tonight. Or any night this week, actually. Master Jean increased the workload because a new festival is coming up and I’m going to be really busy.

But at least we’ll get to be together at a great festival, right? I can’t wait to dance with you, like we did last Ludi Harpastum. And until then, take care of yourself! And try being nicer to your maids.

Sorry once again,

Your Y/n”

Diluc leaned back on his chair. His forehead furrowed as he knitted his brows.

One thing that he was actually looking forward this week was your date together. Being with you was the only thing that he liked more than doing his work. It was actually you who taught him how to enjoy himself. Without you, he was still unable to do that.

He let out a little sigh.

‘Well, I suppose it can’t be helped’ he muttered to himself.

He was always fair and respected hard-working people. If you decided you’d rather work than to enjoy yourself with him, then so be it. It made him a little bitter but it wasn’t like he didn’t have a lot of work to do either.

He carefully placed the letter on the side of his desk and pulled a pile of sheets into the middle instead. Arranging and reading through them, he started working.

*

Only an hour or two have passed when someone knocked on his door.

‘Come in’ he said, hoping that it wasn’t some maid longing for a chit-chat.

The door opened and he looked up. Then let out a sigh of relief.

It indeed was a maid, but luckily not a talkative one. She wasn’t even one of his employees.

‘Good morning, Master Diluc!’ greeted him Noelle. ‘Hopefully I’m not disturbing you, am I?’

‘No, go ahead’ asked Diluc in a not too unfriendly way. He despised the Knights of Favonius, but he had some exceptions. You were one and Noelle as well. She was diligent and hard-working, therefore respectable. ‘Why did you came all the way here? Is it because of that festival?’

‘Indeed, Master Diluc.’ Noelle straightened her shoulders and her face lit up as she spoke proudly. ‘As the head of the festival committee, I came here to negotiate about the wine needed during the celebration.’

‘The festival committee?’ asked Diluc absent-mindedly as he stared at your letter on his desk. ‘I thought Jean was the organizer.’

‘No, this time it’s a little different. The actual members of the Knights of Favonius don’t take part in the planning and arranging, only those who are trying to become one, like myself.’

‘What are you saying?’ Diluc looked up and he was suddenly all-ears. ‘The Knights…’

‘Took a break’ Noelle confirmed once again with a big smile. Then her smile melted away and she asked worriedly: ‘Is everything… alright? Did I say something wrong?’

‘No, not at all.’

Diluc stood up but his expression wasn’t in harmony with his words. He looked quite tense.

‘You can arrange bigger orders with my assistant next door. And now, if you excuse me, I have somewhere to go.’

*

The Angel’s Share was always a bit empty around noon but Diluc didn’t mind that at all. Less drunkards meant more peace. He only needed one specific drunkard anyway.

The moment he opened the door, he’s already noticed Kaeya.

The young lad with the eye-patch was sitting at the bar chatting away with Charles who seemed quite entertained. But his laugh died away in an instant when he saw his boss.

‘Master Diluc! What brought you here?’

Kaeya turned around on his chair and his eyes – or more like, his remaining one eye – lit up when he saw his brother.

‘Master Diluc!’ he said with his usual teasing tone which annoyed Diluc like nothing else in whole of Teyvat. ‘It appears that my letters won’t be needed for a while. You finally set a foot in this city.’

‘You are dismissed, Charles.’ Diluc walked up to the men and stood behind the bar. ‘I’ll serve the guests while I’m here. Go, take a walk or eat something.’

Charles bowed and muttered some words of thanks then disappeared. Diluc was alone with Kaeya.

The red-headed man bended down behind the counter because he just couldn’t stand seeing the other one’s smug smile.

‘I’d like to get one cup of that amazing dandelion wine’ ordered Kaeya, clearly finding the situation amusing.

‘You’ll only get juice while I’m here’ Diluc straightened up, finally looking at his brother. ‘What are you doing here anyway, you shirker? Don’t you have to make arrangements for the festival?’

‘Thank Barbatos, I don’t’ Kaeya said in a perfectly calm tone. ‘I’m on a mini vacation right now. Noelle does everything in the Knights’ stead.’

Diluc slowly let his breath out.

So it was true.

He still refused to believe. How could you lie to him? But most importantly, why would you lie to him?

He stood there for a minute without moving, staring at the bar counter and the wolfhook juice on it. Nervous and confused thoughts raided his head.

Did you want to… leave him? But if so, why did you write a letter? No, that wasn’t the reason. But what could be?!

He didn’t understand and that was terrible. He started feeling his stomach clench, something he didn’t experience very often.

‘What’s wrong?’ Kaeya grabbed a cup of cold wolfhook juice and smelled it. His whole face turned into one big grimace and he tossed it away immediately. ‘I thought you’d be happy. You know, you can be with Y/n now.’

Diluc shuddered when his brother said your name out loud. Then he quickly got himself together and looked at Kaeya, ready to act like his usual self. But that slight flinch and change of expression was enough for Kaeya to understand everything.

‘Oh, perhaps there’s trouble in paradise?’ he smirked. ‘Did she ditch you and go to someone else on her day off?’

‘I’ll shove all my grape juice down your throat if you don’t keep silent’ Diluc grunted in an unusually loud and aggressive way then he turned away from Kaeya.

He wanted to be somewhere far away from him. Where he could think of one possible reason why you’d lie and let him down.

Kaeya’s face slowly turned from merry to serious as he watched his brother walk away. He was grinning widely, even at the insult, but the grin faded away when he saw Diluc’s shoulders stoop.

He was a man who always stood and walked straight. Seeing him bending like that made him realise there was an actual problem.

Diluc’s hand was on the doorknob when he heard Kaeya’s voice from behind him. He didn’t intend to stop but his actual words froze him in his place as if Kaeya had used his Cryo powers on him.

‘Y/n went on a mission with some knights yesterday and there was an incident. I heard they were a little careless and she got injured. Could this be the reason she doesn’t want to see you right now?’

Diluc closed his eyes.

Imagining you injured made him even more worried, but the thought of the other knights causing pain to you… that made him absolutely furious.

His clench hardened on the doorknob. And this was the exact moment he realised why you’d lie to him.

He was never happy with you being a part of the Knights. Diluc had a very strong opinion about them and never missed an opportunity to recite it. It took a long time for you to convince him it’d be alright.

You just didn’t want Diluc to start opposing your job again.

He opened his eyes and stared at the door.

‘I have no idea what you’re talking about’ Diluc stated in a much calmer way.

‘Sure’ Kaeya nodded. ‘So… where’s my wine?’

Without saying a word, Diluc went back and poured a cup of dandelion wine. Kaeya smelled it and nodded in satisfaction.

‘Great. Much better than grape juice.’

Diluc ignored his words and bent down behind the counter to search for papers and a pen. When he found what he was looking for, he quickly scribbled something down. Then folded the paper and tossed it to Kaeya.

‘Give it to Y/n. And don’t you dare read it.’

Kaeya smirked.

‘…Or reply yourself. I’m so done with those cocky anonymous letters.’

Thus Diluc left the tavern to look for Charles.

*

“Dear Y/n,

I’d be more glad to see you before the start of the festival. After all, we have to visit a doctor if you want your injuries to heal properly.

I’m not angry. But I am worried and I want to see you. I’d look for you myself but I’m pretty sure I’d just scare you away.

Come find me as soon as possible,

Your Diluc

P.s.: Knights of Favonius. Always so inefficient.”

[cloudenthusiast2]

To be a human - Scaramouche x reader - Part 7 (Final)

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 6

Length: 4000 words

Trigger warnings: blood, mentions of loss

A. note: Scaramouche is my favourite character in the game and I really love him. But I couldn't help and feel awful when he said those words in Inazuma. Look, I don't think that Mihoyo is gonna let the huge opportunity slip and not make him playable (for which we need to have at least a tiny bit of friendship with him and well, right now mc straight up hates him) but in case that does happen, in case he doesn't get a redemption arc, I made one myself. I wrote this to redeem him in my own, and hopefully your eyes as well. I hope you enjoyed reading this story of that little bastard as much as I enjoyed writing it.

It was fair to say that Scaramouche was stunned by the sight of the local people.

Certainly not because he suddenly grew fond of them. It was rather because the way they appeared out of blue when little Yu gave them a sign. She let out three short whistles and the forest came to life in front of the harbinger.

Old men and woman, little children and whole families walked towards them. It was clear even for Scaramouche that they looked uneasy and hostile. They surely wouldn’t have appeared in front of the fatui if it wasn’t for Yu.

The sixth harbinger was astonished.

Because they would trust someone, especially a child so much.

Because there were so many of them.

He counted the people walking towards Yu. Way more than he’d thought there would be.

These people were injured, dirty and exhausted. But they were alive. And all because of one person.

‘Impressive’ he thought to himself.

Yu talked to them, explaining why the fatui was there and promising that they’re not in danger any more. The people seemed less at ease in his presence now but the harbinger still felt the piercing gazes. If looks could’ve killed he would have been dead in an instant.

He knew they all blamed him for the things that had happened. Maybe they even thought he was the one who made the abbys attack their village.

But Scaramouche got used to these types of glances during the years and he did not care about them any more. All that mattered was that they were able to help.

He stood behind little Yu who was still clinging onto her doll. Scaramouche stared at the bloodstains on the toy as she asked the people of Qingce to help find you.

The thought to promise them money crossed his mind but the instantly threw it away. He just somehow felt that it would be very wrong.

These people won’t help him because he can pay them. They won’t help because Yu asked them to either. They will help because you had been guarding them for years.

Mentioning your name caused them to stir up, to get loud and the all of a sudden the whole crowd was ready to go and search in the mountains.

It was obvious how much they loved and respected you. Maybe even more than Scaramouche used to, he realized.

Yu turned to him and nodded.

‘I think we can go now.’

‘How are you going to search everything?’ the harbinger asked as he crouched down to the child. It wasn’t needed since he wasn’t much taller than her but it felt like the right thing to do.

Yu’s eyes wandered to the hat. She reached out and gently touched it.

Scaramouche normally would’ve ended the person who messed with his hat but when the child did it, he somehow felt no urge to do so.

‘It’s because so many people are watching’ he explained to himself. But it still felt a bit weird not being annoyed.

He cleared his throat so Yu would focus on him again.

‘We know this place well’ she answered, letting her arms fall back to her side. ‘We will split up and warn each other if we find something.’

‘My people are out too.’

‘Then call them back.’

The harbinger glared at the child. She really was fearless, wasn’t she, huh. First touching his hat and now disrespecting the fatui.

‘You know…’ he crossed his brows as he began to speak but Yu quickly cut him off.

‘Everyone is afraid of them. And they’ll just be in the way. They don’t know the mountains, do they?’

Scaramouche clenched his teeth together. But he had to admit that the girl was right.

He stood up and walked towards the agents standing by a nearby bridge. They were there since the people appeared to make sure they don’t try to do anything to their harbinger.

He gestured to bring them closer then stood and crossed his arms.

‘First, I want to know how a big group of fatui agents were unable to find anyone when there was a whole village hiding in the forest’ he questioned them with a glare.

The agents were bowing already but now they bowed even deeper.

‘F-forgive us, our lord!’ a pyro agent answered. ‘They’re locals and we…’

‘Spare your apologies, I don’t care.’

Scaramouche closed his eyes for a moment and let out a sigh. He really didn’t care, he only snapped at them to let out a little frustration.

‘Call back everyone from the mountains. And let these people do what they want. Anyone who disturbs them in any way shall be punished.’

‘But my lord…’

‘Do as I say!’

Scaramouche turned his back to them and the agents hurried away. He watched as the people of Qingce split up and began their search in the forest, around the destroyed village.

He looked up to the mountains. Clouds hid the most of them, they were so huge, so high. And there were so many places you could be.

Was is it even possible that you were alive?

Scaramouche never lied to himself and this was the first time he wanted to. He simply just didn’t want to accept the small chances of finding you. He wanted to feel hope.

‘You better be alive, Y/n’ he muttered to himself. ‘For your own sake.’

For his sake.

*

‘Have you taken a look around in that cave too?’

‘I haven’t but I can go if…’

‘Stay.’

Scaramouche climbed to the cave and looked into the hole. It was smaller than it seemed from below and inside it there was absolutely nothing.

He quietly let himself down. He jumped on a bigger stone on the path under him, the bells violently jingling on his hat.

Little Yu asked nothing. It was obvious from the harbinger’s expression that he found nothing.

The air began to feel a little chilly in the mountains. The sun was getting ready to go down and let the moon take its place.

They’ve spent their whole day with searching. They’ve found absolutely nothing so far.

There were a lot of traces left behind the abbys order and the monsters. It was also clear that the fight continued outside of the village as well. Corpses of dead monsters bordered the narrow paths.

But your body was nowhere to be find.

Scaramouche looked up to the sky. The first star had already appeared. And with that, their last piece of hope started to slip away.

‘We haven’t looked there yet.’

The harbinger snapped out of his dark thoughts and glanced at the child in front of him. She pointed at a smaller mountain nearby.

‘That’s very far away from the village’ Scaramouche claimed. ‘We’d be just wasting our time.’

‘Then where do you want me to go?’ Yu asked.

The man let out a sigh. She was right, they’ve already looked through every bush and searched every rock on this mountain.

He started walking towards the other one without saying anything, and Yu silently followed him.

In the valley below them, lots of figures were moving and changing places. The locals still haven’t given up even though it was getting colder and darker with every passing moment.

A red dot appeared. Then another. They started lighting torches.

Scaramouche felt like choking. He touched his throat and fastened his steps.

He tried to banish the horrifying thoughts from his head but his desperate tries were unsuccessful.

You’re dead. They’re only going to find a cold body and not you. You’re dead and it is his fault.

He shook his head to quiet the voices and to get back into focusing on his search.

This made him realize that he hadn’t seen little Yu in a while. Scaramouche stopped and turned his head to check on the girl.

She was behind him a few meters away. Her movements were too slow to keep up with the harbinger’s.

‘Are you coming or not?’ The man growled at her. ‘Hurry up.’

‘Sorry…’ She was out of breath, quietly panting. ‘You can leave me behind. I know I’m just slowing you down.’

Scaramouche rose his brows at the young child who was not even tall enough to reach the ground from a bigger rock. Was she really that aware? What should he do now? Just leave her here? He was willing to do that, to be honest. The sun was about to completely disappear.

Yu grabbed the side of the rock. She let her feet down, trying to get down safely but she was too tired – the little girl stumbled and fell.

Scaramouche didn’t even realize he was reaching out – but a moment later he found himself holding the child in his own arms.

They stared at each other, the sixth Fatui Harbinger and the kid from Liyue. It was impossible to tell who was more surprised, the one holding or the one being held.

But it was the man who found his voice first.

‘Don’t think I’m gonna carry you like this to the other mountain.’

‘I didn’t think that’ she answered quietly.

Scaramouche cleared his throat and opened his lips. But before any other words could’ve come out of his mouth, a sharp whistle cut through the air.

They both jerked their heads up.

The sound was coming from below, south to the village.

The whistle was repeated – two short, two long ones.

‘They’ve found her’ Yu said.

*

Scaramouche had no memories of how he got down from the top of the mountain.

All he remembered was the crazy pace of his heartbeat. The darkness invading his head. That terrific feeling clenching his heart, incredible, deep fear he’s never experienced before.

There were many people standing in his way in front of a big cave. He pushed them away as he rushed to get closer.

It was dark. Everyone stood with a torch in their hands. He heard the whispers but the words were incomprehensiblenext to the loud beating of his own heart. There were figures but they were blurry, everything was blurry…

Until he saw you.

You were laying on the ground. Your body completely still, your chest not rising nor sinking. Your clothes torn, bloody.

There was so much blood.

He stumbled and fell on his knees in front of you. A local turned to him and spoke but he understood nothing. His hand was shaking as he reached out to touch you.

You were… cold.

He forgot how to breathe and just stared down at your body. Your messy hair hid your face and that just didn’t feel right.

Why was this happening?!

Everything was supposed to become alright after they’ve found you!

How dare you be dead, how dare you not wake up to his touch, to his wishes, to all wishes around you…!

‘Balladeer!’

He snapped out of the blurriness when someone grabbed his arm. An old lady with a serious look tried to pull him back.

‘Let go of me!’ he hissed, pushing her away. He groaned when the grip became stronger instead on his arm. Pain in his heart and body blinded him as he shouted. ‘I said, let go of me or else…’

‘Please stay out of the way of my people’ the lady asked in a calm tone. ‘She needs serious help.’

‘What help can you provide when she’s dead?!’ he screamed at her in a hoarse voice. ‘You stay away from her!’

‘Please calm down. Y/n is not dead… yet.’

Scaramouche slowly closed his eyes. The words echoed in his head.

She’s not dead. She’s not dead. She’s not dead. Yet.

He took a deep, shaking breath. The cold air in his lungs cooled him off a little.

You were alive. But also, only barely. He finally understood what that meant. But he couldn’t let himself feel any relief nor fear…

He was a harbinger, he was part of the Fatui under the rule of the almighty Tsaritsa. He was Scaramouche, the Balladeer who simply could not allow himself to show any vulnerability in front of mere mortals.

Even if it was about you.

Even if he wasn’t the same person any more.

‘Bring a healer’ he said in a lower tone.

‘We don’t have any vision bearers among us’ the lady answered. ‘But we’ll do everything to keep her alive.’

Scaramouche nodded and stood up. It took a lot of strength to tear his eyes from you but he forced himself to do it and turned around.

‘Alert my people and tell them to give you all that you need’ he told the locals as he fixed his hat. ‘Tents, medicine, food, everything.’

The people stood there in silence for a few seconds, not knowing whether to obey him. They only moved when the old lady from before thanked him. Then they finally set off towards the village.

Scaramouche wanted to turn back and take a glance at you one more time to make sure you’re really there and not just a hallucination. But suddenly little Yu appeared in his sight and that made him stay.

‘She’s alive’ the girl whispered. The mask she had worn so far finally broke and her expression was an expression of a little child. She seemed tired, sad and a little happy. ‘I’m so glad… Scara.’

The harbinger nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. His heart was still beating fast with fear but those heavy weights on his shoulders finally started getting lighter.

He felt something touching his hand and he opened his eyes to the sight of Yu holding onto him.

This type of physical connection was very far away from what Scaramouche would tolerate coming from a human but he felt way too tired to resist. He just let the little girl clench his pinkie and they both watched silently as some helpers grabbed your body and moved it to a safer place.

*

You felt like something that had been sitting on your chest for a while finally moved. Something even bigger, a huge, scary type of darkness slowly left your body.

It left you with the first breath you were aware of taking in a long time.

You let out a small sigh. And opened your eyes.

There was a fabric cover above you.

You were in a tent, safe and sound. Alive.

The first thing you noticed was the temperature. It was warm, welcoming and comforting. Lot of soft blankets covered your body which hurt badly but the pain was dim.

You tried to look around but your head was too heavy. You could barely tip your head to the side.

But the sight was worth it.

Your breath was taken away one more time. You just stared in silence and you could feel your eyes widen in shock.

‘You’re awake.’

Scaramouche closed the book he was reading and looked at you with a straight face.

‘Finally.’

He put the book down with a slow movement.

Mixed emotions invaded you. You fell from relief to happiness to fright in a span of a few seconds. You were alive and Scaramouche was here with you, but – why did he seem so distant? Was he still angry at you even after everything that had happened?

You almost let fear overrun you. Almost.

But your gaze fell on his hands and he couldn’t hide his true feelings from you any more. His hands were visibly trembling as he still held onto his book.

Little did you know he could have not read a single word written in the last couple of hours. He just sat there and watched over your sleep, not dozing off for even a second himself.

The shaking of his hands became even more obvious and he couldn’t hold himself back any more.

He moved closer and placed his trembling palms next to the sides of your body. He looked down on you from above and as you stared back at him, you could clearly see something that wasn’t there before.

The usual cold, emotionless blur was nowhere to be found in his dark eyes. Instead, there was pain. And a lot of it.

‘How dare you do this to me?’

During the years of your relationship, he’s grown to be comfortable in your presence but he never ever showed any signs of vulnerability in front of you and you just accepted that it’s probably never going to happen.

It was shocking, almost scary seeing him like this.

The desperate expression on his face softened and he let his head plop on your shoulders.

‘Scara’ you whispered. Your voice was hoarse and dry but it was your voice. You were able to speak.

The realization of how unlikely your survival was suddenly hit you and your eyes teared up.

‘Scara, I… I really thought I was gonna die…’

‘Then you’re stupid’ he answered, speaking into the blankets covering your shoulder. ‘You should know that you can’t die without my permission.’

You laughed through your tears. They streamed down on your face, straight into your ears. But even that felt so good. Crying was a sign of being alive from the very beginning of life and you never understood that so much than at that time.

‘Don’t… leave me ever again.’

You didn’t event think, the words just left your mouth.

‘Don’t worry.’ Scaramouche finally got himself together enough to sit up and at least pretend that he was alright. ‘You have successfully proved you’re not capable of taking after yourself so now I’m definitely stuck babysitting you till the rest of our lives.’

His movements said otherwise though. The way he caressed your cheek to dry the tears up showed that he’s not just stuck. He wantsto stay.

Just what kind of thinks did he go through in the past days? – the question occurred to you.

To think about it… why did he even come back? How did he hear what happened? And your people?! Were they safe?

So many questions echoed in your head and you couldn’t even put most of them into words that made sense. So opened your mouth and quietly asked:

‘What happened?’

‘I want to know the same’ he said. ‘What happened? How did you get so far away from the village? How are you alive in the first place?’

You thought back to the night. Pain stabbed you instantly and you had to close your eyes for a moment to calm it.

‘I don’t remember much. But I think the abbys wanted to take me with them. Is that… possible?’

‘I heard all kinds of things about them’ Scaramouche nodded. ‘It is very possible. Continue.’

‘There isn’t much to say… Obviously I tried to resist but there were too many of them. They probably realized I would be just a burden. I remember a mage knocking me out. But they didn’t kill me…’

‘Well, given your injuries, they must’ve thought there’s not a lot of time left for you. It really is a miracle that you’re alive.’ Scara stated. ‘And you were in that wet cave for an entire day too. You were nearly dead when we found you.’

‘We?’

You stared at him and your heartbeat dropped.

‘You mean…’

‘Yes’ he sighed. ‘That people of yours.’

He went silent for a moment then rolled his eyes.

‘They helped me out… I guess.’

‘So they’re all alive and safe?’ you asked and couldn’t help but laugh in relief. ‘That is so amazing! Thank you, Scara!’

‘Thank yourself, idiot’ he snorted. ‘You were the one who kept a whole abbys army away from them after all.’

The harbinger shook his head.

‘I hate that you were so reckless to do that… but I have to say I’m impressed. We should spar again sometimes.’

‘Aren’t you afraid you’re getting your ass kicked?’ you grinned.

‘I compliment you one time and you get this cocky?’ he crossed his eyebrows. ‘I have to put you back into your place, I see.’

You laughed and as you were finally strong enough to move a little, you grabbed his hand. He had to oppress his smile with force.

‘And how did you know… we were going to be attacked?’

The question made his task much easier. The harbinger’s face turned back to being serious once again.

‘I have my connections’ he answered briefly. ‘But you don’t have to worry, the fatui had nothing to do with the attack.’

‘I would never think that’ you rushed to make your words clear. ‘I just… hope that my people feel the same.’

Scara shrugged. Then averted his eyes as he thought of someone.

‘I don’t know about the others but there’s one person who clearly does.’

‘Who?’

‘That girl… Yu or whatever her name is.’

You stared at him in surprise. You’d never thought the day would come where he mentions a child and doesn’t frown. And to think that it’s Yu as well! Yu who was normally wary of strangers and such a gentle child…

Just what happened to him? – you asked yourself again.

You searched for answers in his eyes but it seemed like there were things that even this new type of Scaramouche, this more vulnerable and open one wouldn’t tell.

But it was alright. Maybe you didn’t need to know. You were just happy to be there and experience it yourself.

‘How is Yu?’ you asked.

‘Alright’ Scara muttered.

‘Her mother?’

‘Oh, her… Well…’

He hesitated for a moment and that was enough. Every good and warm feeling was instantly replaced by cold ones and you found yourself sitting up in dread.

‘Please tell me… She’s not…’

‘Hey, don’t sit up! Lie back right now!’

When you didn’t obey, Scaramouche pushed you back with his own hands. He was right, your body started aching terribly from moving and the physical pain almost outgrew the pain in your heart.

‘Is she…’

‘Yu’s fine. Don’t worry.’

‘No! I need to talk to her!’

‘You won’t.’

You clenched your teeth together in despair and Scara flinched. He saw himself in you when you did that. Earlier this day his expression was still this full of pain.

‘Scaramouche!’ you said, calling him by his first name which he suddenly realized, he hated more than that stupid nickname. ‘I will go and talk to her and you can’t stop me!’

‘I…’

‘Just think about everything you felt while I was missing! I know you don’t want me to go away again but you need to understand.’

‘All I’m trying…’

‘Maybe I really am cocky to think that it was painful to you but if I’m not and it really was, then just imagine that Yu feels like that too right now. And on top of that, she has no hope whatsoever. She knows that her mother is dead and there’s no…’

‘Oh, to Celestia, can you shut up for a moment?’ Scara interrupted you harshly. Then he frowned and quickly continued. ‘What I was about to say is that under no circumstances should you get up with these injuries. But you can talk to Yu.’

‘I can…?’

‘Yes, idiot. I’ll call her over.’

You stared at him in silence.

‘You’d… do that?’

‘Yes.’

‘So… you won’t mind if she stays with us?’

‘I guess not?’

‘Not even for a long time?’

‘I said no, stop asking these stupid questions.’

You were speechless and just gazed at him without saying anything for a long time.

You had mixed feelings about the Scara you woke up to so far. But this had finally convinced you that he really has changed into something better.

A slow smile formed on your lips. It grew bigger and bigger and it completely lit your face up.

‘You’re grinning like an idiot’ Scara claimed but nothing, not even his salty remarks could take away your happiness any more.

‘Scara, I really love you.’

‘You better do.’

He stood up and turned away as quickly as he could to try and hide the blush on his face. He knew if you saw that, you’d be teasing him about it till the rest of your lives together.

You were still grinning “like an idiot” as he was rushing to leave the tent. But even though he was in hurry, before he’d stepped out, he made sure to turn back and say:

‘I’ll be back.’

[cloudenthusiast2]

To be a human - Scaramouche x reader - Part 4

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 3 Next: Part 5

Length: ~1000 words

Trigger warnings: yelling

A.n.: Sorry I was a little late with this. But as a compensation it's really long! Here ya go, have some angst

You have been walking around in circles for almost twenty minutes in the kitchen when you finally decided you needed some fresh air.

You grabbed your spear - which was an essential to have even in times like this - and ran out of your home.

The house you lived in was built on a cliff so you could see everyone and everything well. Qingce with all of its beauty and treasures laid in front of you.

The first thing you noticed when you stepped out was the lack of agents.

The fatui has left the village.

Sudden pain stabbed into your heart. Before this all you felt was anger and confusion, but now... it's become official and somehow clearer too.

'What have I done?'

You covered your lips after these words tumbled out of your mouth. You desperately looked around, trying to find someone, trying to find a little shilouette with a ridiculous, huge hat...

But he was gone.

The only people standing around were the people of Qingce village. They tried to pretend they were just working or talking with each other but you could see them taking quick glances of you.

Finally one of them, an elderly, sick man you helped out multiple times looked directly up then started approaching your house.

You took a step back and realised you didn't want to talk to anyone at that moment. It didn't matter whether he wanted to thank you or ask what happened. You wanted and needed to be alone.

As rude as it may have been, you turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. Towards the huge mountains.

You escaped into the forest. Your steps became faster and faster - and suddenly you were running.

Loud gasping echoed in your head. Your hands were shaking, not being able to grab anything properly. A wet, itchy layer blurred your vision as you stumbled through bushes and rocks.

It was a miracle that you got up on the mountain in one piece. You didn't even know how you did it - in one moment you were still climbing and in the next you were standing on the cliff, looking down and being dazed by the height.

You came to this spot on days when you had nothing to do. You liked to write letters, sharpen your spear and most importantly, think everything through here.

For a minute, you were just standing there still, breathing in and out the chilly, fresh mountain air. The rough wind blew through your hair, lifting then letting it go. It fell down and covered your face. You slowly rose your hand and fixed it, staring into the distance.

The sun has reached the top of the sky. But it was still cold around you.

You had hoped the cool weather would be able to clear your mind but it helped nothing. Instead, it made you feel like you were breathing in nothing - like there was no oxygen in your chest at all.

You were suffocating.

Your lips opened to gasp for air but it felt like you were still drowning. Your legs started shaking and you immediately fell on your knees. This broke an invisible gate. Tears started streaming down your face.

He left...

Oh, how much you suddenly regretted your harsh, angry words. You could've just talked it out, you could've just explained it to him calmly...

But would he have really understood?

Loud screech as you clenched your teeth. You did everything to hold back the tears, but it was too late now, you had lost. You sobbed desperately, painfully, alone, in an abandoned top of mountain.

*

Scaramouche loudly slammed his hands on the table and there was no mercy in his ice-like eyes as he stared at the agents in front of him.

'How many times do I have to say this?! Don't start fights the Millelith! We already have diplomatic issues with Liuye Harbour because of that damn incompetent Tartaglia!'

'Apologies, my lord' a pyro agent bowed in front of him while the mirror maiden followed his example. 'We thought...'

'I couldn't care less about what you think' Scaramouche cut in enraged. 'Just follow your orders or I'll make sure you won't ever see the sun coming up again!'

Deep silence followed his words in the tent.

Scaramouche tossed his hat back to glare up at the agents. But they didn't dare look at him. They were always wary of the harbinger who was probably the most powerful and surely the most unpredictable among the Tsaritsa's followers. It wasn't hard to notice how angry he was that day as well.

The cicin mages in the camp were sure it was because of that Liuye girl but most of the agents refused to believe that. It seemed impossible that he would be so upset about splitting up with a mere mortal like you.

Scaramouche let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes for a moment to rest and think a little. He stood there silently with crossed arms and wrinkled brows.

The Millelith. A pain in the neck. How could they possibly avoid them while taking advantage of the small villages around Liuye? Villages who don't have protectors should be an easy prey...

He didn't even realise what a dangerous direction his thoughts were going. He just found himself thinking about you all of a sudden.

This was the hundredth time this day.

It's been almost a day since he turned his back on Qingce. He left the village without looking back, thinking he was free again and that he would be able to finally focus on his work.

But why were you still turning up in his thoughts over and over again? Why did he feel a constant knot in his throat? It didn't loosen, even when he yelled or coughed. He tried both multiple times.

He felt impatient. His body ached to move on, his mind tried to make big plans for the future...

But something in him still didn't want to think about anything or anyone other than you.

This was so stupid.

So unnecessary.

When did stupid humans become so important to him? He killed them off with handing out delusions not so long ago without any hesitation. It was the right thing to do. He never doubted that. Not even for a second.

You were so stupid to say otherwise! Why did you say otherwise?

For a weak moment, he tried to think from your perspective but even then, he understood nothing. All he could think of was that you were just crazy.

Humans deserve nothing. They born, they live so their superiors can make use of them.

You were no exception, he decided. It was ridiculous of him to even think you could be more than just a tool to him.

Why did he even start seeing you?

Memories started to emerge and they invaded his mind in a blink of an eye. And suddenly that weird feeling around his stomach started to strengthen again.

He remembered your smile, the playful and incredibly disrespectful way you greeted him when you two first met. He was out on a quest, alone but still recognisable. You knew he was a harbinger yet you acted like he was a regular mortal.

He hated Liuye. He got lost on his first day in the mountains and who knows what might have happened if you didn't run into him on your way back home.

After making fun of the fatui and its "clumsy" harbingers you offered to be his guide and that had to accepted even though he couldn't stand you at all. You were teasing him all the time, never taking him seriously. And most unforgivable of all, you messed around with his hat.

On the first day, he absolutely despised you.

On the second day, after you have dealt with multiple treasure hoarders without any of his help, he had to admit you were a pretty good fighter.

He was in denial on the third day. You picked violetgrass for him and put them in his pockets, claiming that they suited the boy. He threw them away in a second, getting ready to face your anger. Instead, he was shocked to see you laugh it off. You had... a not so horrible laugh.

Fourth day. Your smile was not that terrible either, he realised.

Day five was the day he saved your life. You were cllimging a mountain together when you saw a Qingxin and reached out to grab it.

He caught you by the arm in the last second. Called you stupid but couldn't hide his blush when you rewarded him with the beautiful, pale white flower.

Then the quest came to an end and he went back home.

Only a month or two have passed when the harbinger came back. He went directly to your door to tell you he will be seeing you. It was not a regular ask - he literally ordered you to go out with him.

No one could tell who was more surprised when you still said agreed to it.

You two were an odd, hard to manage couple but a powerful one.

You could've been happy.

Why does it... hurt so much?

'She's just a stupid human' Scaramouche told himself. The thousandth time that day. 'Completely... replacable.'

These were the words you were the most hurt about. But he tried not to care any more and repeated it to himself.

'Replacable.'

'My lord!'

Scaramouche flinched and looked up as if he had been dreaming all along.

He realised he had been standing there the whole time thinking about you while the agents did not leave yet.

'What is it?' He grunted loudly and all of his weird, almost sad feelings got replaced by anger again. 'What do you want?'

'Your order to stay away from the Millelith' the mirror maiden dared to speak. 'Does it apply to the Abbys as well?'

'The Abbys?' Scaramouche frowned. 'What business do we have with them?'

'It's just that we've recently stumbled upon them multiple times on our quests' she started to explain but the harbinger wasn't patient enough to listen to the whole story.

'Hurry up.'

'Yes, my lord.' The mirror maiden hesitated for a moment but when the pyro agent nodded to her she continued. 'We just think that they might about to target villages next.'

'What are you talking about?' Scaramouche growled at her. He couldn't stand still any more so he started walking around in the small tent.

'The Abbys gathered a lot of hilichurls and monsters together lately. We suspect they might attack a bigger village or town.'

Scaramouche stopped as if he got frozen in his place. The maiden continued to explain what kind of disadvantage that might be for them but he heard nothing of that.

He turned around slowly, barely being able to move his own body.

'What... places will they attack?' He asked in a hoarse voice.

'We can't be sure' the pyro agent answered. 'But Mingyun village is a possibility. And... Qingce probably as well.'

Scaramouche stared at the ground.

So many emotions. Most of them he couldn't even name since he has never felt them. The only familiar ones were anger, confusion... and fear.

Deep, overwhelming, terrible fear. It started in his stomach and slowly reached out to grab his throat with its icy fingers.

He opened his mouth but at first no understandable words left his lips.

'My lord...?'

'Get ready' he finally found his voice.

Scaramouche turned his back to them so he could hide the fact he was shaking. Something terrible froze everything inside him but the fire lighting up his eyes was burning hot when he said:

'We're going back to Qingce.'