Can't help but imagine you as the first puppet ever made by Ei, not in the image of her sister, but simply to test the possibility of creating a living breathing one in the first place. The moment you worked, you were put aside and forgotten, having already served your purpose.
Can't help but imagine meeting Ei's second puppet, in near perfect condition, knowing that this was the creation that overshadowed your existence. You lived and were discarded for this innocent, porcelain doll. Naturally you can't help but hate him yet knew that your anger was misplaced; your creator is your enemy, and he too was thrown away by her own hands. Despite his existence being a mockery to your decaying one.
Can't help but imagine still hating him because he looks just like her, reminded of how worthless your life is everytime you looked at him. Yet despite your indifference, here he clings so tightly, so desperately for your attention. He does not know why you exist - but he knows what you are: not a God who will throw him away, not a human that will inevitably betray him; a puppet the same as him.
Can't help imagining a withering puppet filled with hatred against everything in the world, tailed by a spotless puppet still naive to most things but the feeling of betrayal and revenge in his empty chest. No matter how hard you try to shake him off, he steps after the sandy indents of your footprints, in silence just like you wanted.
Can't help imagining finally deciding your names, after your own mother had forgotten (not cared) to give you one.
"What about yours?" Your gaze slowly left the sakura tree still in the process of blooming to look at 'Kunikuzushi'. "Have you made up your mind?" His eyes betrayed his innocent curiousity.
Gazing into them betrayed the apathy he tried to mirror from you. His eyes were always so honest when looking at you.
"(Y/N)." He let it roll off his tongue in a deliberate manner, with such wonder and awe so child-like the first time you met. 'Kunikuzushi' dropped the facade and smiled freely this time. "It's amazing."
"Your strength will be beneficial to the Tsaritsa," the Harbinger exuding great power turns his head towards you, his steely gaze heavy enough to force you to bow your head so as to not meet his. "But this one..." Too weak, too broken, too chipped.
Kunikuzushi corrected with a growl of your name, arm gently circling around your form but gripping your forearm with a hand that would never let go. Assuring you he'll never let go. "They're with me. You take both of us or none at all."
You had always thought that the weak puppet would finally leave you alone after your various attempts of letting him know he was unwelcomed.
Yet Kunikuzushi's will is unbreakable, his stubbornness clearly human. You suppose you were the same, refusing to voice out your gratitude for the fact that he stayed.
But there were no need for words.
You closed your tired eyes as you felt a cold kiss on the hand he held.
"I will be here when you wake up," Scaramouche gently caressed your flaking hand. "In a perfect form you've always deserved."
Fic form: Part 1 Part 2
(Disclaimer this post is not indicative of the final product)
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Even the wisest of men are no strangers to the addicting feeling of love. A feeling no darshan can explain, an emotion that can make even geniuses such as them - crumble into irrationality, moronic actions unexplainable, acting like fools pining for love.
Sumeru Men Story Teasers : Cyno x Reader; Tighnari x Reader; Cyno x Reader x Alhaitham; all gender neutral
(Read: teasers for my WIPs that I'm too slow to work on)
Cyno was no stranger to prejudice and judgment, but he had the greatest patience and the iron will to not be moved so easily. It came naturally as a desert dweller among the sea of Akademiya scholars, their side glances and hushed whispers in the dark.
The forest never took kindly to those born over the scorching sands, so when you came up to him with innocent excitement and unadulterated passion, he was unprepared by the strength of your heart.
Against his iron walls, they turned into sand dunes easily swept away. He was no stranger to prejudice and judgment, nor to temptations and vices, so easy to whisk him away in your presence so welcoming of him.
He should have been stronger.
He should have been strong enough to resist your warmth. To refuse you despite you accepting him wholeheartedly.
He should have been strong enough to refuse your reckless offer.
He should have been strong enough to keep you safe.
But Cyno is just as human as any other person in Sumeru, he was no iron wall. There in the depths of the ruins his wails echoed with raw emotion as he gripped your motionless body closer, growing colder against his chest.
He freely cried in desperation knowing there were no audience to his vulnerable state, only the constructs that caused both of you to bleed, and the remnants of a spirit you were deadset on knowing. The main reason the both of you had fallen into this place, and soon, the reason you fall.
"Please, someone," the desperation in his hoarse voice felt foreign even to himself. "Save them, please. Anything... I'll do anything, just save them."
Cyno swore to no religion or deity, but that day even a stranger would have owed his life if they were to save the one he loves. Was it a blessing or a curse for his prayer to be answered?
"Your heart is light, worthy to be a vessel." There is a weight on his shoulder and power behind him, stealing the air from his lungs in waiting tension. "I will give you the strength to save them, human, but from then on your heart will be weighed, judged until you are no longer worthy."
Cyno was a man that can't be moved easily in the face of danger and temptation.
Yet when his hand went to cradle your bloodied cheek, he knew from the very beginning that he would move the stars, the moon and the sun to keep your warmth alight and aflame. He seals his promise with a bloodied kiss.
And with a steeled gaze, he lifts his head with voice filled of pure devotion. "Anything."
You offered an inch, he's willing to sacrifice a mile in return.
+
Komorebi
At one point he thought to ask, since when did he care so much about anything beyond his darshan? When, oh when did anything beyond plants ever intrigue him like this?
"Box wrench, 8 points," your gloved palm reaching out brought him out of his musings, his own hand scrambling to pick up the tool from the table, hoping that was the right one. "Thank you."
Tighnari never imagined that he would find himself here, inside a workshop devoid of the greenery he'd loved, the scent of grease and rust in the air so foreign to him. Cogs and metal scraping grating in his sensitive ears.
Why was he here? Right, to accompany you on your current project.
Inside your room that became your garage of inventions, it smacked Tighnari on the face just how different you two are.
Kshahrewar and Amurta. Metals and plants.
"That should be it," he watched as you removed your googles, planting it atop your head. It gave way to your wide eyes, practically glowing in contentment. That was always the best part of coming here, watching you in your natural environment, in a place you fit in so easily.
Perhaps this was how you see him when he talked about the successful growth of the flowers assigned to him in Pardis Dhyai.
"Thank you for the help as always, Tighnari." While you worked on removing your gloves, you can't seem to peel your eyes away from looking at him. "There's something on your face."
What? "Here?" The ravenette furrowed his brow in confusion, rubbing at the spot you were eyeing with the sleeve of his robe. A dark spot now stained it.
"Here, let me." Tighnari's eyes widened as you licked your thumb without hesitance before rubbing it on the spot where the grease stain dirtied his light skin. "There we go, much better."
The damp touch had his tail, ears, and the hairs at the back of his neck stand straight. Tighnari was never shy, never quiet. Yet he couldn't stop himself from burying his face in his hands, his embarrassment ever more apparent from the warmth he felt from it.
What is he supposed to do? Especially when he's with you?
Alhaitham wasn't one to dwell on regrets regarding his decisions, especially not one this long.
But he couldn't help but wonder how things would play out in an alternate timeline where he had chosen differently, where he didn't adhere to his principles and instead taken what he was first offered. A guiltless, unrestrained pursuit of knowledge β
Would he be so willing to give that up just for you? Just for you to look at him again?
At the very least, his choices had lead him here, to not be the victim of your cold, indifferent gaze.
Quietly he followed your line of sight to his companion standing next to him, the General Mahamatra. "Former General Mahamatra." Cyno's grip on his staff tightened like his scowl. "Surrender yourselves right here and now."
From the short time that they had been forced together, the Scribe knew that expression were different from the irritation of stalling culprits, nor rage for the Akademiya minions that recklessly used the lives of the Village Keepers. This was not a bitter look shared between enemies, or those one perceived as enemies.
Then and there the lunatic realized that perhaps the both of them had at least one thing in common.
Clearing the pained expression from his face at the sight of your red Akasha and polearm readying to fight, Cyno (with great reluctance) readied himself for a fight next to Alhaitham, the air holding its breathe as the your gaze continued to size them up. In that moment, the two men shared a look -
Before dispersing their weapons away in favor of their fists and raw strength.
Dispose the Akasha terminal in your ear, quick and painless.
"If I ever see one cut on them," Cyno's voice was borderline murderous. "I'll make sure to give you tenfold of their pain."
"We may be temporary allies right now," Alhaitham's voice was taunting and confident, paired with a smirk that contrasts Cyno's scowl. "But that doesn't mean I'm letting you win."
And the long, dreaded fight started the moment your controlled self triggered your Delusion, forcing them to dodge as you made the first strike.
They'll free you from the vile control of the Akademiya, there is no doubt on that.
It's just a matter of who can do it first.
Based on my brainrots here and here. I'm quite the sapiophile - ohhh that's a potential title right there. I've changed Cyno's story title too many times and I'm still not satisfied.
Why isn't there a fic where all of Scaramouche's versions magically exists at the same time? You gotta deal with the innocent puppet, post-betrayal Kunikuzushi, Fatui Scaramouche, and the Wanderer altogether.
That's like one of the well-tested tropes, why have I not seen that for him yet?
Edit: No we are not bringing the mech (shouki no kami) into this
Alhaitham leaving love notes for you in different languages every time, making great use of his 20 (or was it 30) language knowledge even though you don't know jack shit but it's a win situation for him when you go to him to ask what it means
Kaveh showing you tiny buildings he designed while thinking of you (maybe even one day building a full size for you) ((just like a bird building nests as a mean of courting kekw)) then brutally reminded of the fact that he's still indebted to Dori after building the Palace of Alcazarzaray but he's back to his usual self when he finds you keep the tiny buildings he gave you
I'll be back when I think of more stupid shit like these
Oh my goodness, tying it into the headcanon that Alhaitham has gorgeous handwriting being a scribe and Haravatat graduate hhhhhh even if you don't understand what they mean, you'd still keep it or display it in a collection somewhere because they almost look like art! Sometimes he'll lie and translate it as a specific compliment, so that you'll one day try and say it back to him without even knowing it was I love you oh he's so indulgent
Kaveh could also be making dioramas for you, puzzle boxes, cool-looking useless contraptions. He loves to create and the challenge, he'll build anything pretty just for you. Maybe he creates a diorama of a beautiful setting that you don't think you've seen in Sumeru before but surprise it's actually his vision of what a beautiful wedding with you would be
Oh Cilly we are on a roll, we don't even know when we'll see him next HAHAHHAHHAHUHUuhuhuuhu
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Ignorance is bliss, but what if an outsider like yourself ended up meeting this little girl barefoot and running around Sumeru that you thought was an unsupervised child?
Your worry and care for her was so endearing that she couldn't tell you that she's actually the Dendro Archon, not at all a child! But you take such good care of her like you're family, the kind of love she hasn't gotten since she was born, and the kind of closeness she can't get now due to respect. So she made sure that you remain oblivious, thankfully you didn't think much when you had to drop her off the Sanctuary of Surastana after your hangouts.
The Akasha Terminal even writes you down as Lord Kusanali's caretaker and that they should NEVER ever mention her status around you. This is, of course, her personal touch.
But now with that information, many more people became ever so curious about this outsider, the very retainer of their great archon. Scholar's curiousity, but even devout followers of the archon can't help but check.
Nahida is very smart and you always trust her words - so when one day she found out that SOME of her citizens became interested in you in a romantic sense (she can read minds through the Akasha after all), now it was time for her to look after you! Who has the best intentions, who actually likes you wholeheartedly - love is a human emotion she hasn't fully explored and this is the perfect case study!
Of course, she will be a fair archon! Depending on the person seeing you, she'll change your Akasha records on the spot to make sure that the competition is even for everyone. Her Grand Scribe doesn't know your favorite food? Well next time he looks at you, the details would be there! The General Mahamatra doesn't know your birthday when everyone else does, time to change that!
Sometimes she'll even nudge you to some direction when the others have plans that they can't get across. Looks like Nilou's performing today, how about a trip to the theater? Oh, she can hear a certain Forest Watcher visiting Sumeru City for the first time in months, let's make his visit worthwhile! The Flame-Mane is offering her protective services now that Dunyarzad feels better, how about taking her with you on your trip to the desert, maybe visit Candace while you're at it?
And since she's your ever knowledgeable little sister, you go along with her suggestions. Oh she's having so much fun reading everyone's thoughts as the battlefield intensifies.
But worry not, Nahida will make sure that you end up with the right person! Leave it to her!
*flailing arms* I wannaaaa write for the desert gaaaang
I want Traveler, Dehya, Candace, Cyno and Alhaitham all pining for one completely normal Aaru villager like a goddamn romcom
And Chief Anpu is the one they rant to about the villager and the others because he's a nice uncle and the others are competitorsss *rolling around*
Plot twist ending: Villager reader is actually the Chief great grand child and they're horrified when he invited them over for "tea and small talk" while all five of them desperately press their ears to the door to eavesdrop.
I just love their quintet so much, they're all hot, my bi ass is shakinggg
Hello! It is me again, Bali! With another idea! I read in another blog something about reader been a fugitive! So what would it be your opinion iFβ
Reader became a wanderer in Sumeru? Let's make it some angst an put that they are already dating the boys! (Cyno and Tighnari) Reader knows that Cyno has to probably hunt them down (the reason about them being hunt them down it could probably be because they know some dark secret about the Akademy that even Cyno nor Tighnari have any idea?) Orβ
SPOILERS FOR THE STORY QUEST OF SUMERU!
ββββ
Maybe they know a way to get out Nahida from the sanctuary? That they came in contact with them or maybe even gain a vision while something happen when they wanted to help their archon! (It could be a fight that almost made them lost their life?) And maybe Nahida even possessing their body so they can get out of Sumeru safe?
βββ
How do you imagine their reaction? From both guys? I feel like reader wouldn't want to tell anything to them because that would make them involved? Or maybe they would just try to run away before they can even question her about it? THE POSSIBILITY ARE A LOT!
Oh fugitive reader! Alright there's a lot of things going on here so I need to collect my thoughts properly - cuz my hc for the poly cynonari reader is that they're actually from Mondstadt, but it would be a sucky answer if I just say they ran off to Mond hmm
And and it also depends on WHEN this happened, because it would change if this was before Cyno exiled himself or during the time the desert gang is planning to free Nahida hmm
Let's go first with Before Exile Timeline/Present Timeline:
When Cyno was given the task to retrieve you, he doesn't know if the sages were truly blind to know your relationship, or this was a cruel torture they intentionally gave him. He's in the dark for the most part, no matter how much he tries to probe he was not given a solid answer as to why you're wanted, only that it was too confidential and that they need you for interrogation.
The walk to Ghandarva Ville was slow and painful, what with his heart beating strongly against his chest, his stomach twisting and turning from the dread of the predicament he was in. He was so close to overthinking, and no matter how hard he forced himself to be neutral about this as the General Mahamatra, Cyno was still gunning on the fact that there was a misunderstanding.
Tighnari only needed one look at Cyno to see that something is terribly wrong when he entered his hut without so much as a greeting. His lover looked utterly broken and on the brink of breaking down, the stress emanating from him also touching him, the fur on his tail and ears standing in attention as if his fight or flight response was triggered.
When Cyno broke the news, that he was here to arrest you, the both of them got into an argument. Tighnari was desperately fighting for your case, that the Akademiya was wrong, that you were just an adventurer without a single bad bone in your body. "Think about this more, Cyno, don't you trust our (Y/N)?" He was almost pleading, trying to break the General Mahamatra's one track mind when it comes to his work.
"Tighnari, when did you last see them?" And there was a pregnant pause in between as the situation became heavier. You had been gone for two weeks now, which wouldn't be unusual if not for the fact that you didn't inform them beforehand. But if something was wrong, why wouldn't you tell them? Or at least Tighnari, who had been transparent about his detachment from the Akademiya.
Now they're both battling with their own internal conflicts. Cyno overwhelmed by his fair judgment as his heart tries to reason with him, and Tighnari with his solid faith being countered by his rational mind. At some point, they work behind each other's backs to look for you so that things can be clearer.
You best hope your Forest Watcher boyfriend finds you first, because Cyno will be harder to persuade with his heart already filled with thoughts of your betrayal.
After Cyno's Exile and Tighnari's Findings about the God Project:
In this one, Cyno and Tighnari work together to try and find you, if you're not already trying to find a way to look for them to relay the information.
They don't know the exact details but they were aware that the Eremites were tasked to haunt you down, by the orders of the Sages or Dottore. After hearing the latter enemy after knowing what damage the Harbinger had done to Collei, the both of them are quick to 'dispose' the mercenaries every chance they get. If you don't want to be found, the least they could do is make sure no one does.
They're plagued of stress daily from overthinking about your situation. Did you get caught? What if you're not safe where you're hiding? Are you still in Sumeru? Are you with people that are helping or secretly sold you out already? These thoughts keep them up at night, and so they use those times to scour the forest and desert respectively for any signs of your presence.
If they do find you or you find them eventually, they'll openly break down into tears as they pull you into a tight hug, a series of why's and where's brokenly repeating in between sobs. Why didn't you tell them you were in danger? Where did you go? Why would you hide this from them?
They were prepared for the worst and seeing you alive (and hopefully well) made them crumble in nothing but relief. You're not the best fighter in comparison nor the best stamina despite your occupation. If they see wounds, scrapes, signs of sickness, fatigue, and even slight weight loss, they'll tend to you with shaky hands and misty eyes. (Even worse if the fight for their life had also happened)
You don't know how scared they were, but they'll make sure you're safe with them now. Even if you insist to leave after exchanging information, they would force you to be with them. Sages, Akademiya, Eremites, Harbingers be damned - the forest can burn so long as they can keep you safe from harm's way.
New banner! Specifically for poly cynonari in the context of Chase The Mirage β’
