summary : wanderer stumbles upon a surprise— a child, specifically. he does what he believes is right.
contains : an abandoned toddler ; the drabble is set to take place in the period after the 'inversion of genesis' interlude quest
word count : 1k
The bustle of Sumeru City once night fell was nothing more than a hassle for Wanderer. The calls of the merchants and the chatters of the common folk were too loud. The wilderness beyond the city, however, was welcoming. Unlike the outdoors in Inazuma, thunder and lightning didn't follow his every step, and the serenity in silence was all he could ask for after hours of buzzing akademiya scholars.
He didn't venture out too far, for going south towards Gandharva Vile would only mean to walk into the forest rangers area, and north were too many hilichurl camps ready to disturb his peace. And so, his chosen path was towards Vissudha Field; not too far, but far enough.
Wanderer kicked at a stone at his feet, watching as it rolled downhill before claiming its place under a tree. From here, he could see the city without having to hear the unwanted banter between customers and merchants over prices, or the boastful bluffs of prideful scholars. To be alone meant to be at peace… or at least that was his belief.
Peace, what a delicate thing it is. Even the most insignificant of actions from anyone was enough to shatter it. But that only meant that you must treasure it, be careful with this fragile feeling.
The silence of the forest quickly disappeared and the Wanderer turned his head at the sound of crying. A scowl made its way to his face, but betraying his expressions, Wanderer got up. Earlier, he didn't have a destination nor a motive in mind, but now he moved with intentions to find out the source of the sound.
Any child could have run off from home while playing, only to be terrified once the moon rose. Wanderer picked up his pace, sensing the crying to come from somewhere near. Whatever was so terrifying about the this part of the forest? Definitely not the green grass nor the Sumeru Roses.
But those questions quickly dissipated when he spotted a child, far too young to have ran off— let alone walk— away from home. And... hilichurls. A 'tsk' left his mouth faster than he could think, and upon nearing the scene, he saw that the hilichurls simply stared, occasionally speaking something in a language long forgotten to time. And much to the Wanderer's surprise, the hilichurls merely walked off at the sight of him. Were the hilichurls only checking on the child for a moment? Hmm... maybe monsters too have their humanity. But those fleeting thoughts weren't much pondered upon because—
"Mama!" The child, now no longer crying, stretched out its hands towards him, as if asking to be picked up. Wanderer had never snapped his head in such a manner before.
"Who are you calling— ugh..." he sighed, knowing his words were futile, for they made no sense to the babbling baby.
"Mama?" The child once more said, this time as if discerning that the one present wasn't its mother. Wander sighed once more, kneeling down in front of the child.
"You're all dirty," he whispered, making note of the fresh dirt upon the child's hands and clothes. It wasn't long before it was left here, at the mercy of the wilderness. Not the smartest idea if anyone were to ask him.
"Were you too abandoned by your mother?" He asked, not anticipating an answer— not that the child had the ability to say anything other than—
"Mama..."
In the full moon's light, Wanderer was able to make out the tears filling the child's eyes, and he sighed once more.
"Such delicate beings humans are," he muttered, plucking a sweet flower from the ground before waving it in front of the child. Much to his expectation, the child had quickly forgotten the idea of crying as it stretched its hands above its head.
"Mama!"
Wandered furrowed his brows. Did this child even know what 'mama' was? Or did it just keep repeating what it heard? He wouldn't know.
A huff left his lips as Wanderer watched in amusement as the child took the sweet flowers from his hand, one hand clenching onto the stem of the flower, and the other taking his finger. But as soon as the child was occupied with the flower, a set of questions floated into his mind.
What should he do with the child? He couldn't leave it out for wild animals to find. But he had no business babysitting a child he didn't know. So, what now?
"Hey!" Wanderer tsked, pushing the hand of the baby away from its mouth using not more than his forefinger. He knew he had power to take down more than just humans, so to be with a child, he was more careful and cautious than he would accept he was.
"Flowers are not for you to eat," he scolded. What was he even doing, talking to a baby? But, much to his surprise, the baby blinked at him, then threw the flower down. Not what he meant for it to do, but a good enough try.
"Do I take you— why would I take you with me?" He thought out loud, waving a finger in front of the baby, amusing it just enough to keep it occupied. Should it start crying, it might attract more than just a few hilichurls.
"The traveller is a goody two shoes, but if I remember right, they are to leave soon— far too busy with journeying Teyvat to look after you." Despite his initial reluctance, it took not long for Wanderer to reach a decision.
–
"Oh? Who is this little friend of yours?" Nahida turned around, hearing footsteps and the babbling of a baby.
"Someone," Wanderer answered half-heartedly before the child in his hands pulled at his hat, resulting in him making a sound alike the hissing of a cat.
"You didn't kidnap someone's child, did you?!" Came the yells of Paimon along with the traveller's stare, both astonished at the sight.
"If you're so smart, why don't you figure it out?"
A/n : I had this random thought: 'how would he behave with a child?' And that thought now resulted in this haha! I initially thought of Xiao in this scenario but ended up writing this first ( keep an eye out for the Xiao fic! )
Ps : I couldn't find of two pictures of wanderer with a similar colour scheme as my blog for making the headers... but i guess this works, kinda??? Oh and, if you liked this, then perhaps check out my Kazuha drabble!
TW/CW: Dark content up ahead!! Yandere headcanons means yandere content y’all! Mentions of abuse and violent acts either towards the reader or the character!! Mental instability, gaslighting, manipulation, stalking, possessiveness, obsession, emotional whiplash, etc. (Don’t think I’m missing anything but if I am, please do let me know!) This is your TW please proceed with caution!!
ALSO FYI!! A minor spoiler warning, it’s during the last paragraph of Lilias Headcanons! It’s slightly mentioned in book 6 but emphasized in book 7!
DISCLAIMER: These are my interpretations of his/her/their persona and none of these is 100% accurate. I don’t condone any of these actions in real life and all of this is purely fictional and should be taken as such! Underage characters will ONLY be given SFW headcanons, please respect this decision!
As always, banner made by the lovely bestie @herestrish thank you for making all of these, you’re literally the best I love you so much!
Keep reading
Scaramouche seems to only be able to treat you in two different ways - excessively harsh or excessively infantilising, neither of which you particularly enjoyed, though you could say you preferred the latter because it meant you weren't at active risk of punishment.
Today, he appeared to be in a good mood, if the scent of iron on his scarlet-drenched outfit was any indication. You clean his eyeliner from his face - trying to keep any thoughts of blood and gore away - and help him out of his clothes as you were taught to do, stepping back and lowering your eyes as he selects something more casual for the night.
He never has his servants dress him anymore - he always preferred it if you did.
He clicks his tongue sharply and you look up, surprised.
"Come here," he says, giving you a look that to others might have been a glare, but you have long since learnt to be the closest thing to a smile you have seen on him. "Or do I have to-?"
You waste no time in obeying, moving into his embrace before he can finish his sentence. Best to soften him a little while he's feeling warm - no telling when his mood would turn cold again.
"Hmph." He utters a sound of satisfaction, running a hand down your arm in your nightclothes. It isn't often he initiates physical contact, expecting you to know when and where he wanted your affection ("as spouses are supposed to do", as he puts it). Usually he liked you to give him a massage before bed or read something to him, but he reclines on his pillows tonight, holding you in the curve of his arm.
"Did you have a good day today, Scara?"
The nickname feels heavy and unfamiliar on your tongue, an illusion of closeness that could make or break you depending on when you used it.
His hand slides down to grasp your wrist lightly, and you tense.
"What a surprise," he chuckles. "You're behaving so well today."
You bite your lip, knowing it would be unwise to tell him that your conduct is the same every day, and keep still as he raises your hand to his lips, kissing it gently.
You hate how fragile you feel next to him. You know you can do nothing to take him on physically, not when you've felt the effects of his electro vision firsthand. Politically is certainly out of the question, what with him being a Harbinger and all. You feel so helpless, despite being no smaller than him, and it infuriates you.
But you do not stir, not even when he reaches to switch off the lights and falls asleep, running a hand through your hair with your head resting on his chest.
— word count: 463. thank you for reading!
platonic au bc i can’t help myself. thinking about how abyss lumine could’ve met scara before his betrayals. how scara comes to view her as a sister, yet lumine only cares about finding aether. how scara feels hurt, though he doesn’t know why, after he finds out she has a brother (her only kin, she said, and he has never wanted to grab her shoulders and yell, what about me?) the betrayal he feels after she leaves to further explore teyvat. thinking abt scara hating aether, the golden boy, taking everything he’s ever wanted as easy as breathing — his mother’s recognition, the admiration of others, and having lumine’s affection as her brother.
and now he’s wanderer, helping aether in his search for his (their) sister. imagine them finally catching up, scara airing out his hurts to her and how betrayed he felt when she left five hundred years ago, only for lumine to look at him and ask who he is.
For the platonic yandere harbingers and tsaritsa imagine if reader goes through a "rebellious phase" which is just them wanting to go explore the world outside of snezhnaya on their own I'm curious as to how they would all react
Andksjdksdj not very well, that’s for sure
Most of them are absolutely against the idea. Pierro, Arlecchino and Capitano being the main ones to outwardly object to any and all suggestions of stepping even a foot out of Snezhnaya. You probably wouldn’t even be able to get a word in about the suggestion before they’re turning you down
I can see Sandrone and Columbina being the type to simply change the subject if you ever bring it up, but the more often it happens, the less subtle they get with their distaste for the idea
However I think Childe, Dottore and Pantalone wouldn’t be fully against the idea. Childe wants to show you how strong he is by bringing you places and letting you watch him kill everyone with ease. And he trusts in his abilities to keep you completely safe. Dottore wouldn’t necessarily bring you on a tour of Teyvat, but he’d be happy to take you on a tour of all of his labs and show you what he’s been up to. And Pantalone simply wants to spoil you. If you want to travel across Teyvat, then he’s happy to accompany you and pay for anything you want. Travelling with him might be a little suffocating though
Theoretically, those three are your best choice for being able to get out of Snezhnaya with permission, but you’re not really gonna be able to go anywhere without them. If you really wanna travel solo, you can try your hardest to run away but that task becomes quite hard when you’re under the watchful gaze of the strongest people in the nation
Yandere x Fem! Reader
A/N: because I genuinely can't stop thinking about Scaramouche putting his makeup on you! It's been keeping me up at night.
Diluc: With jewelry
You sparkle when you walk into a room. Not just your glowing eyes or large, puffy dresses, but also what adornes your body. A pendant around your neck, large gem rings on your fingers, and earrings, more expensive than most could afford. People wondered if maybe all of your gems and stones were too heavy, maybe that's why despite the fact that you looked so lavish, you never smiled.
Dilcuc would be at your side, slipping another ring onto your finger. The other ladies would fawn at the sight, silently wishing for a man who wanted to adorn them with silver and gold, but to you, every ring, every stone, every bracelet, and every gem was another lock on the chain harboring you to him, claiming you as his.
Childe: With Bruises
Your neck is littered with love bites, your thighs covered in scratches from where his nails would dig into them, your wrist would have markings around them, from where he would hold you down, pressing passionate kisses and maybe more if he desired.
Even though you were embarrassed by the blatant proof of what he'd done to you all over your body, he still made sure you wore rather revealing clothing. You'd flush with embarrassed, knowing eyes looking all over you, but Childe would smile happily. A hand around your waist would caress you, making it known that he wished to claim you more.
Scaramouche: With make-up
How did everyone know that you were married to number six of the Fatui harbingers? Well, they had to look no further than your eyes, framed in that familiar red shade. The first time he makes you wear it, it's because you watched as he did his own. His nimble fingers held the brush like it was second nature, creating the lines against his eye with ease.
“Come here,” he'll order while still standing in front of the mirror. Before you can ask what he needs from you, he's already squeezing your cheeks between those same fingers, holding your face in place.
The brush tickles as it slides across your eyelids, making you shake a bit in his grasp as you hold back laughter. The smile on your face making his demeanor melt for just a moment, he softens and stops his work, just staring at your features, “I know how it feels. Stop moving,” he'll order. And you do your best to obey.
The sight of your smile is more than enough to make this a habit, instead of a one off thing. Everyday after your kimono dressing, he calls you to him, holding the brush stained with that familiar red makeup.
The Tsaritsas and the Harbingers obsession
note -> These HCs are based off of the Pulcinella grandchild AU by @hunnieknight ! (I didnt include Signora cause she is 💀)
paring -> Yandere! Tsaritsa X gn! reader, Yandere! fem! harbingers X gn! reader
warnings -> yandere themed, blood, kidnapping.
content includes -> yandere! characters, obsessive! characters
The Tsaritsa
The first time the Tsaritsas had met you, she knew she was obsessed with you, she found you absolutely adorable
At first her obsession was only platonic, she adored you like a mother would adore a child, but as you grew and reached adulthood, so did her obsession
The Tsaritsas would often tell your grandfather to leave you with her, and while he didnt want to at first he eventually agreed
She would often spend time with you in her garden, the only place where the flowers bloomed, she made sure you knew that your only home is where she is, that that is where you belong, with her
The Tsaritsas wants you to be hers and only hers, but she doesnt mind sharing you with a few of her harbingers
Arlecchino
Arlecchino never had a good relationship with your grandfather, that was one of the reasons why she was suprised that you were his grandchild
Her obsession began when she met you during one of the meetings when your grandfather brought you with him, she knew she had to have you
While she knew that the Tsaritsa already had a unspoken claim on you, that didnt mean she could only have you to herself
Arlecchino would often bring you to the House of the Hearth, and while she May "love" you, she is no afraid of punishing you until you behave
Arlecchino agreed to share you with the Tsaritsa and the other harbingers, tasked to make sure you never escape their grasp
Columbina
Columbinas obsession started the first time she saw you, she found you absolutely adorable and she wants to make you hers
She knew the Tsaritsa and the others already had an obsession with you too, so all of them agreed to share you, which she was pleased with
Columbina would often sing to you to calm you down, especially after every punishment you were given for trying to escape your lovers
She, alongside Sandrone, would dress you in cute outfits and show you off as their precious doll
Columbina would make sure your grandfather doesnt mingle in your affairs, you now belong to the Tsaritsa and the other harbingers
Sandrone
Sandrone is not sure when her obsession started, but she knows she will make you hers, she doesnt care about the Tsaritsas claim on you, you are her perfect doll
She would dress you up and make you into the perfect doll for her and the others, she will make sure you are an obedient little doll just for them~
Sandrone often has one of her robots with you for protection, and to make sure you never escape them
She is the harshest when it comes to punishing you, thats why you always make sure you are obedient for her, because you know she will hurt you
Your poor grandfather has to deal with the fact that he will never see his precious grandchild again, but they could care less about him
.。*♡ Warnings: platonic yandere content, implied child neglect, reader's parents are bad
.。*♡ Day twenty eight: Running away from home
"Hi, little one!" You say to the tiny fairy. The sound of bells left her mouth and as usual you don't understand what she say, as humans can't really speak fairy language but you are used to it and smile at her anyway.
"Lilia said that if I ever needed, I could ask you to take me to him. So, can you show me the way, please?"
She made a face, pretending to think, while your heart was beating loudly as the seconds go by. She made another sound and then held your pinky with her whole tiny hand, making you walk quickly to follow her lead, as her little wings worked harder and faster.
Around you, the forest stretched out before you like a green and mysterious blanket, birds flying and chirping around you, along with squirrels who sometimes crossed your path to offer you some fruits and nuts.
Other people could only dream of getting to know the forest like you did, of discovering its most curious secrets and the best corners for picnics and playing hide and seek.
The winds welcomed you, gently caressing your face with its invisible fingers as you ran along a muddy path, your yellow galoshes stained brown. You had explored that forest since you were pretty younger, you had cried and laughed with your fae friends - especially Lilia. The older fae pretty much raised you when your parents were too busy fighting each other.
The almost setting sunlight hit the leaves, casting dancing shadows on the ground. Your fae friends, magical creatures you had known since you were a child, seemed to be hiding much deeper into the forest today.
This forest was like your second house and you were happy to be back each and every time. And this time, you would not go back. Things got too bad to bear. You couldn't handle it anymore.
You couldn't handle the screaming and crying, and the fights. You couldn't handle being ignored.
And sometimes, they hid themselves to tire you out and convince you to stay the night. They would never have to do this again, for you didn't plan to ever return "home" now.
Sometimes, they used to do that just to play games or take a nap without being disturbed by human presence - lazy faes, you used to thought, they could just cast some spell or something but they almost never did it. They liked teasing and scaring humans too much.
You stopped running when the little fairy did. She waved you goodbye as she flew away, the sound of bells echoing in the silent forest, a thin bead of sweat running down your forehead as you took a deep breath.
And Lilia really liked to spoil you to the point of being suffocating. You suppose it was because you were a human, a mortal and ephemeral being in his eyes.
And yet, a member of his little family.
Sometimes you would hear playful laughter or the sound of branches breaking, but when you turned around there was no one there. Lilia was definitely in the mood to tease you today and it didn't seem like Silver or Malleus were around to stop him from continuing. A soft smile appeared on your lips. For someone so old and wise as he claimed to be, Lilia could be so silly.
They looked like they hadn't aged a single day in the past five years. And you remembered the time when you were a young child lost in those forests, confused and afraid, and crying inconsolably about how no one would find you. You remembered Lilia's gentle touch on your head and his gentle smile as he wiped your tears with his fingers or the way he held your hand as he led you out of the forest.
In the distance, a soft glow caught your attention. Running in that direction, you emerged into a dark clearing. The sun had set very quickly or perhaps it was Malleus's powers acting to conceal their presence, the forest you were in, despite being beautiful, had a reputation for being haunted by dangerous and treacherous fae.
The same fae in front of you.
The same fae who taught you how to dance, how to escape making a deal with a fae. Who treated you so gently, like you were made of glass.
The next day you returned. After telling the story to your parents, they didn't believe it and said you were dreaming. But you knew it wasn't. You walked purposefully through the forest, trying your best to retrace your steps as you also forced yourself to remember the way back home.
That day, you met Malleus, tall and stern, and dressed in black and green, and you asked if you could touch his horns. He laughed so hard he cried. But in the end, he let you touch his horns while he listened to you chatter about his father, making a comment or two sometimes.
Somehow, you felt like he looked more fae than human, sometimes the necklace he wore around his neck glowed and he had such a gentle, comfortable aura. Instead of sharing the sweets with Lilia, Malleus and Silver, you ended up falling asleep with the platinum boy under a willow tree. When you woke up that day, you were at the entrance to the forest, covered with palm leaves serving as a blanket.
In the days that followed, you brought them sweets. Your mother had told you that if you made a friend, you should share food with them so you wanted to do so, you brought so many sweets that they kept falling out of your pockets and you had to bend down to pick them up. This time, the one who came to your aid was Silver, he was also a human, but he told you that his biological parents had abandoned him in that forest and then a fae decided to take care of him.
Humans can be worse than fae, he told you. And his tone was full of pain as if he was older than he actually looked like.
Sebek, you met after running away from home for the first time. Your parents were fighting for some stupid reason again and it made you so stressed. You kicked every stone you found on the way and grimaced every time the sun touched your face with its rays. Everything in the world seemed boring and cruel that day. You, however, took your mind off it as you were captured in a trap, steel wires binding your legs together and pulling you up until you were suspended in the air.
But the sweets were gone. That night, you dreamed of big red eyes watching you sleep in the dark, but they were gentle and protective eyes, as if they wanted to guard your sleep.
To thank you for the sweets, for making friends with Silver and Malleus.
To this day you don't remember what Sebek was hunting or trying to do, but the story still made you laugh, especially because he was more panicked than you, screaming and shaking. And when Lilia came to his aid, he was also laughing at the situation.
Five years later and it still feels like nothing has changed. Silver had in his hands an ancient and delicate lyre, his fingers plucking his strings in a peaceful rhythm as if inviting his listener to relax and let go of their worries. He once tried to teach you how to play, but you didn't have much talent for it, preferring to listen rather than play.
And it was always a beautiful sight to watch him play, he was ethereal in those moments, as if he was playing a secret song that the world has forgotten, a song that made your heart inside your chest spin.
That called you. That made you feel welcome.
Malleus and Sebek, however, had no such concern and danced arm in arm and spinning in circles. It was a silly and fun dance, and at that moment, you wished you had your cell phone with you so you could register it forever, but you had quickly left the house and forgotten it.
The music was addictive, your body almost moving to the beat. But you stopped yourself in time, knowing that Lilia would offer you to dance with him, he always did because he knew you couldn't accept it. Dancing with a fae is like a drug, one that you don't have a medicine for and that once you try it nothing else in the world makes sense.
And whenever you would agree to dance with him, he'd go on and on without ever stopping.
Well, you'd have to commit this entire precious moment to your memory then, you suppose.
They noticed his presence almost immediately and Silver nodded his head in greeting as he played the last notes of his song.
After finishing their dance, Malleus came to you and, as he always did, wrapped you in a warm hug that instantly makes you melt. Your face sinking into his chest as he stole any and all worries you might have been harboring within yourself to him. A long sigh left your lips and you looked at him fondly.
"Any news to tell us, Yuu?" He asked.
So many things. More things than you could think of at that moment. School, new friends, new changes, everything was new and completely terrifying, and you were abandoning everything. Because it wasn't worth it.
There in that hug that ended very quickly, with those beings that everyone had an irrational fear against, you were at home. You were free to be who you were without any fear of possible rejection from them.
"Too much to say, not enough time for everything." You replied, a little laugh present in your voice. You held onto his shirt, silently asking for another hug and giving him your best puppy eyes, and Malleus, laughing, enveloped you into another of his warm hugs.
"But... I ran from home, this time for good." Your voice was muffled against Malleus shirt.
Sebek was beside you in a moment, and your ears hurt from anticipation. "What do you mean by that, little human?"
You winced, your lips wobbling as you tried not to cry. You failed in getting your voice steadier. "Mom and dad were fighting again... They were screaming, and there was crying, and at some point, they were breaking stuff. And they blamed me for everything, even if i didn't have any fault at all."
Malleus’s eyes widened, and his hands tightened over your shoulders, not out of anger, but out of a fierce, protective desperation. His sharp eyes softened as he saw the tears brimming in yours, the way you were trying so hard to hold them back, to not show any sign of weakness.
You fell into silence, too afraid to cry to continue speaking. When you cried while your parents were fighting, they used to belittle and mock you.
Your mom used to say that her life would be better without you in it.
But to him, there was nothing weak about your tears. It made his chest ache to see you so small and fragile, curling into yourself like you wanted to disappear. He tightened his hug over your figure.
“They blamed you?” Sebek repeated, his voice low and dangerous, as if he could scarcely believe it. “How dare they? Those insolent—” He stopped himself, his fangs bared for a moment before he managed to calm down. He could feel his rage bubbling, but he knew that anger would not help you right now.
“You are not at fault, little human. You never were.” He said softly, through gritting teeth.
You glanced up at him, trying to find comfort in his words, but the hurt you ignored for so long ran too deep. “But they said—”
“They were wrong!” Sebek’s voice boomed, making you flinch, but he immediately softened, realizing he was scaring you. He lowered his voice, though it still held a fierce intensity. “You should never have to bear such cruelty. Your worth does not depend on their words, and I won’t let you believe it does.”
“You don’t have to go back to them,” Sebek said, and there was a finality in his tone, a vow that left no room for argument. “You can stay here, on the woods, where no one can hurt you.”
The forest was quiet, save for the sound of your shaky breathing, and you felt the weight of their gaze on you, unwavering and heavy with emotion. Sebek didn’t always understand humans, but he understood enough to know that you needed protection, and he would do anything to provide it, as would Melleus and Simver.
Anything to make you feel safe, even if it meant guarding you from the very people who were supposed to love you.
You blinked at him, surprised by how quickly he made the decision for you, but a part of you felt relieved, a part of you were afraid they would send you away. “But… I won't be a burden?”
From behind Sebek, you saw a shadowy figure approaching fast, and in the blink of the eye, you realized who it was. Lilia was walking faster, his presence filling the space, his eyes glowing softly in the dim light. He had heard everything, and there was a sadness there, but also a determination that made your heart skip a beat.
Silver's eyes flashed with something unreadable, almost offended by the mere suggestion. “A burden?!” he exclaimed, his voice rising again before he caught himself, this time gentler but no less insistent.
“You could never be a burden. We—” he paused, his words catching in his throat before he continued, “we care for you. Do you not see that? If you are in pain, we will be there to carry it for you. If you are in need, we will help you. You belong with us.”
“What Sebek and Silver says is true,” He spoke, his voice was commanding, as if every word was a decree. “You are no longer alone, darling. The forest now welcomes you as your home now, as I welcome you into my family and we will not let you face any more of that suffering.”
You instantly melt; the tension leaving your shoulders. Part of you wanted to tell them that you didn’t want to impose, that you didn’t want to drag them into your problems, but another part — a much smaller, quieter part — felt relieved, like you could finally breathe. Like you didn’t have to keep fighting alone.
Lilia appeared beside Malleus, a soft, knowing smile on his lips. “You poor thing,” he said, his voice as light as a lullaby, yet with a hint of sadness. “You’ve been carrying so much weight by yourself, haven’t you? It must have been exhausting. But you don’t have to anymore. We’re here for you.”
Silver's usually sleepy eyes were now wide open and he was fully awake. “If your family can’t see how precious you are, then they don’t deserve you. We’ll take care of you, and you won’t have to worry about going back.”
You felt the weight of their words, the way they seemed so sure, so unyielding in their determination to keep you safe. It was overwhelming, and for a moment, you couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. They spilled down your cheeks, hot and unbidden, and before you could even try to wipe them away, Sebek took you from Malleus’s arms and into his.
His arms were firm and steady around you. “There, there, little human,” he murmured, his voice gentler than you’d ever heard it. “Cry if you must, but know this: you are not alone anymore. Not now, not ever.”
Malleus stepped closer, placing a hand on your head, his cool fingers brushing against your hair. “We will keep you safe,” he said softly, his tone carrying a promise that echoed through the room. “And if anyone dares to hurt you again, they will face our wrath. As the fae king, I promise you this.”
It was a strange feeling... To be surrounded by so much protectiveness. They were intense, determined. And you had been aching for something like this for so long — to be wanted, to not be a burden.
You leaned into Sebek’s embrace, your sobs slowly subsiding as the warmth of their presence surrounded you. Maybe it was wrong to feel comforted by this, but right now, you didn’t care. All you wanted was to believe that, for once, you could let go and be cared for, without fear or hesitation.
“Thank you,” you whispered, your voice barely audible, but they heard it. And in that moment, you felt the unspoken promise between you and them solidify, a bond that was as fierce as it was unbreakable.
For better or worse, you were theirs now, and nothing in this world — or any other — would change that.
making shrimp dishes for floyd. sinigang, fried shrimp, spicy shrimp. make him watch as i eat my fellow shrimp. slice of reality.
HAKAW HI SJAKDH I LAUGHED SM I CANT WITH THIS >>>>
masterlist
floyd leech ; 🌊
He watched carefully, stricken with all sorts of emotions as he watched you serve the shrimp, tangy and delicious as you licked your lips hungrily, wishing you could eat this in front of him.
You just smiled, like the innocent little prefect you are.
You smiled.
You then smiled sinisterly..
Floyd remained silent, eyes wide open as he watched you carefully, silently, staring as you continued putting plate upon plate of dishes of various shrimp on the table.
HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY??
"K-Koebi–chan. What the fuck are you—"
"Eat my brethren."
He paused.
You'd cook your own family? This turned into some Sweeney Todd shit fr-
Floyd raised his fork. Usually he'd love eating shrimp, he's a moray eel. It's in his diet! But for his own Shrimpy-chan TO COOK SHRIMP?? WHAT WAS HE TO SAY?
Does he call Jade? Does he run away or just submit to the agonising confusion and horrific reality of you deciding to boil your shrimpy brothers for each dish?
Azul watched from the side, eyeing every moment of the scene carefully as he did his best not to snort into a hysterical fit of laughter..
for once, he knows what it feels like to be terrified of someone else. Maybe that's why he loved you for giving him such a feeling nobody else could.
Hear me out, plat yan Scaramouche with a darling who got hurt by others before, therefore she only trusts him. Scaramouche was happy since he didn't have to do the dirty work of getting darling to rely on him, but the happiness was short-lived until he found out that his darling caught Pantalone's attention. Plat yan Scara being protective and possessive, and a really jealous Pantalone since darling clings to Scaramouche for comfort. ⭐
Omg it would be absolute chaos 😭😭
I can see Scara and darling just going out to spend the day together and Pantalone showing up out of the blue and trying to butt in. And then he insists on buying literally everything to try and show off to darling and Scara simply not having it 😭
They would walk in a line with Scara in the middle as a physical barrier between Pantalone and darling and anytime Pantalone speaks, Scara is interrupting him or answering for darling. And the whole conversation between those two would be so passive aggressive, fake smiles and all. They don’t wanna upset or make darling uncomfortable by starting a fight in the middle of the street, but that’s not gonna stop them from throwing thinly veiled insults at each other at every opportunity
[ scaramouche x child!reader ]
summary: whenever scaramouche looks at the young child that always stood idly beside him, he is reminded of a certain fledgling that he once lost.
notes: had a sudden burst of writing juice because of the scara cutscene that broke my heart, tis my usual platonic shit agenda lesgo | m.list
words: 972 | warnings: a lil rushed because i typed this while at work LHASHAHAHAHA also mentions of dead pipol lmao
"what the fuck."
scaramouche stares in disbelief, jaw slacked and furrowed eyes pointed at the small cocoon of blanket on the couch in his office. your fluff of hair is disheveled, eyes unusually puffy and teary rather than dull. the small trail of sheen on your cheeks confirms his suspicion.
the unfeeling stray he picked out from the wilderness of inazuma is crying.
he had not seen you express a single emotion other than conflict, anger and bloodlust before, so for you to be crying—alone—it's safe to say that the balladeer is undeniably bamboozled.
"what are you wasting tears for, brat?"
maybe he should have been a little softer when approaching children in their… vulnerable state. but honestly speaking, scaramouche doesn't exactly know if that applies to you. children under the wing of the fatui aren't exactly normal—especially, children who can wipe out a whole team of fatus. nonetheless, you are still a young fledgling, exposed to the truth of this world where the gods are cruel and being weak does not equal to survival.
you remind him so much of kunikuzushi.
he grimace at the reflection, a parallel that coaxed him into taking your battered form under his wing—an unbelievable truth, as much as he denies it.
"i lost the bunny."
"the what?"
he crouches in front of the couch, forearms on his knees with an exasperated look on his face, though his feelings are far from the expression plastered on display. he has an inkling about what's upsetting you, now that he looks over you once more.
you and that thing are practically inseparable.
"i lost the bunny you gave me."
and by bunny, you meant the stuffed bunny he gave you a few months after he plucked you from the wild.
the one scaramouche gave because the first time he saw you was when you were blankly staring at the lifeless bunny on the ground. it died from the aftermath of a wild goose chase. a few weeks before he found you, fatuis and random nobushis would turn up dead in the wilderness of inazuma. it infuriated scaramouche. camps upon camps of fatus would be thrown into disarray and their rations are emptied. when he sent his underlings after the perpetrator, they'd fail to come back with good news. worse, they won't come back at all. he'd come upon them sprawled on the dirty ground somewhere else, dead.
so he went after the menace himself.
that's when he found you in the middle of a fatui camp, his underlings basically useless at this point, slumped on the ground and the poor innocent bunny in front of you. it's later then after he apprehended you that he found out that you were protecting the tiny mammal.
you were just a kid trying to survive in a world filled with monsters, strong enough to protect yourself but helpless and clueless when it comes to the life of others.
when his eye caught sight of a ragged stuffed bunny in an abandoned village, he grabbed it on impulse, faltering only when he was about to hand the now clean stuffed bunny that he stitched up himself. despite being confused as fuck, he casually tossed the thing at you, telling you that it's of no use to him and that you should act like a kid more because your indifference is creeping him out.
he prefers you over any kid by the way. don't tell him i told you.
"i'm sorry," his eye twitched, irritated at how you seemed to be so bothered. it's just a random stuffed bunny, nothing great about it. but he supposes that for someone at your age and comprehension, it must've meant something special for you.
and it does, a lot.
"it's just a toy."
"you gave me that bunny."
he sighed audibly, rolling his eyes before pushing himself to full height, arms crossed.
"it's not the only stuffed bunny in the world, idiot."
"it's the one you gave me. i don't want just any stuffed bunny."
now this, caught him off guard.
you seemed to be genuinely sad about losing the bunny, an expression he only saw on the day you first met. the same look on your face when you failed to protect something you deemed precious. if you're directing such sentimentality towards the stuffed bunny, then you must've really loved it.
more so because it came from him.
scaramouche is brought back to centuries past, an image of a different child flashing before his eyes.
he feels his chest tighten, but he dares not linger at the thought.
"look, you little gremlin," scaramouche grumbled, masking this unfamiliar feeling with exasperation and irritation—he dares not display such thing. "we can just get you a new one and it would still come from me. who the hell do you think provides for you, huh? me, no one else."
he sees your eyes brightened in the slightest, now facing him. he can literally imagine an invisible tail wagging with how you seemed to perked up. another unfamiliar sight, but not unwelcomed. if anything, it's going to be what he thinks of for the next few weeks, unbeknownst to him.
"but how about the one i lost?"
"forget it, it's ragged anyway," he gestures you to follow. "move your little feet, we have places to be and things to do."
the sound of your feet trailing behind him is something he would come to love listening to. that and the slight tug on his sleeves where your little hand naturally clutches around.
a week passes, you found a pristine white bunny in your quarters. it looks different from the one you used to have, but the stitches are familiar and the small electro symbol on its torso is one that you will not mistake for a different person's handiwork.