Chapter Text
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Chapter 1 - Mundanity
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5:56 am - Scara's Perspective:
Scara groaned in his sleep, tossing and turning until he finally woke up and saw Nahida sleeping in his bed.
'Again.....?'
He sighed and ran his fingers through his sweaty hair. He glanced back down at the small goddess. She was so vulnerable like this.... He still couldn't fathom her ability to forgive and then trust him so openly. He had tried to kill her, after all.
Gently, he brushed some hair from her face. He smiled slightly as his knuckles brushed her cheek. He also couldn't understand his own feelings.
Did he see her as family? If so, what? His sister? His mother? Or his child?
As he was thinking this, he found himself leaning towards her and kissing her forehead softly.
'What the hell are you doing, Scara?'
He thought in confusion. Her eyes fluttered as he pulled back from kissing her forehead.
His face became red when he saw her lovely green eyes blinking up at him curiously.
He moved away, and she sat up.
"Good morning, Scara..."
"Hmm..."
"What does "Hmm" mean?"
She asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. He gave her a mildly exasperated look.
"Will you please stop sneaking into my bed after I go to sleep, Buer...?"
She blinked at that, sitting up further.
"You are plagued with nightmares..."
At that, he just arched an eyebrow at her.
"I can't think of anything else to help, so I hold you. Is it not helping?"
She asked softly, reaching for him with worry in her eyes and voice.
He pulled away further as she did, physical contact was something he shied away from unless he initiated it. Finally, she gave him a hurt look and dropped her arms.
So, feeling guilty, he tried to explain...
"It's just... I just..."
He sighed.
"When I see you sleeping like that, I have a strange, overwhelming feeling that is unfamiliar to me."
She canted her head slightly at this as he went on.
"I can't place it and.... Ah~ Never mind. Anyway... I HAVE been having fewer nightmares.. But.... The-"
He sighed, running his hands through his hair.
"Are you getting aroused by my presence here?"
His head snapped up to look at her so fast it hurt his neck.
"WHAT THE FUCK!?"
She shrugged, unbothered by his appalled look or the squeak in his scream as he said "what" from its pitch.
"Some people have gotten aroused in situations like this-"
She started, and he looked more horrified.
"Do you crawl into the beds of other poor souls, as well?!"
She blinked at his outraged tone, then giggled.
"No. I have seen others' dreams for over 400 years, silly. I have seen it all! From the dreams of sweet innocent children to more lewd drea-"
He slapped a hand over her mouth, his face very red as he covered it with his other hand.
"Just... Don't go there, Kusanali, PLEASE.... No. I am not 'aroused' by you. You ARE annoying me and seem to get a kick out of this, though..."
He said this bluntly. Still not looking at her. She blinked, her eyes sparkling.
Yes, she did "get a kick out of it" because it drew interesting emotions out of her "hat guy". Though, she would not admit that she was having fun at his expense.
"You seriously need to learn to put a filter of some sort between your thoughts and words."
Scara said this as he finally looked at her. She no longer had her eyes sparkling with mirth, but they were innocently wide. Then he got up with a frustrated sigh.
He left the room to wash up for the day.
While doing this, he checked his male parts, JUST TO BE SURE. Nahida actually had him wondering. Scara was glad that he did not seem aroused (once she asked, he had feared that might have been the case) by the tiny goddess.
COULD he even get aroused?
Scara had never used that part of himself for much. If he could, then why?
Could he reproduce? Why would Ei make him like that?
Also... Why was he even male in the first place? Did Ei not have control over the gender? The only one he could think of to ask would be his creator.
But she was such a fucking ditz at times that he feared she wouldn't know.
Maybe Yae would, but even if they did remember who and what he was, he doubted that that woman would give him a straight answer.
Knowing her, she might accost him to see if he could be turned on.
In any case, Scara would consider himself beyond the lowest of the low, if a little girl turned him on. Even if that little girl was a bit older than his own chronological age. But, he still did not understand why he felt for her as he did.
And, again, who would he even ask...? Would the traveler have a way to contact someone who might know?
When he left the bathroom, she was thankfully gone from his room, and he got dressed. Grabbing his hat, he left the room, going to the main part of the sanctuary to see her sitting where her prison used to be.
"Do you have anything for me to do today, Lesser Lord Kusanali?"
He asked as he settled the hat on his head. She shook her head as she was eating some Halvamazd.
"Not really -"
She said this happily.
"- Just tell me how school went when you return later."
She gave him a sweet smile. He frowned and shook his head at her.
"How long are you going to make me go there?"
He crossed his arms as he said this with a frown.
"Hmm... Until Mr. Hat Guy graduates?"
He rolled his amethyst eyes.
"Whatever. I'll see you later... Mom."
He said sarcastically and left the sanctuary as she waved with a giggle.
'What is our relationship?'
He thought again as he headed down to the school.
{That same morning}
3:48 am - Nahida's Perspective:
Waking up, she sensed that something was wrong.
She got out of bed and followed the feeling. Nahida found herself in her protector's room. He was tossing and turning in his sleep.
A hand clutched to his chest as he sobbed in his dreams.
He was begging someone to come back.
'Niwa?'
Her heart broke for him. She went over and climbed onto his bed.
She tried to wake him up, but couldn't. So, Nahida finally sat on his stomach and leaned down, kissing his cheek softly. She pushed calming dendro energy into him through the contact of her lips. Finally, he seemed to calm down.
She started to sit up, but he pulled her into a hug.
Her eyes widened.... had he come to? Was he angry at her?
Did he- Ah... He was still breathing as if asleep. She smiled and hugged him. Sighing softly, she moved, inching under his blankets. She snuggled close to him, hugging him as she pushed more gentle dendro energy into him.
She was glad he slept shirtless; otherwise, she would have had trouble properly infusing her hug with Dendro to help.
After all, he was made using part of the same tree she was an avatar of. The dendro would naturally help calm his troubled mind. At least, she hoped it would.
Not long after this, she fell asleep once more.
When Scara woke up later, she couldn't help but tease him a bit. He was always so flustered when he awoke holding her. He did understand that she was not really a child, didn't he? She was not as innocent as he thought. Canting her head at his words, she smiled a bit.
"Are you getting aroused by my presence here?"
She had asked, and he started sputtering.
So Nahida started explaining her question, and he slapped a hand over her mouth.
She watched his face turn an interesting shade of red, the red extending to his ears and throat... It actually went to his shoulders and faded.
'That's some blush.'
She thought with wide eyes. He had such fascinating reactions! She repressed a giggle. And moments later, the goddess watched him go to his bathing room to get washed up. After sighing, she stretched and proceeded to her own room to change out of her sleepwear. Subsequently, she proceeded to the main room of the sanctuary, where she frequently had an audience with the sages and the General Mahamatra.
Where her prison had been.
When Scara finally came out, putting his hat on, she was eating something as she watched him approach her.
"Do you have anything for me to do today, Lesser Lord Kusanali?"
He asked, and she just shook her head.
"Not really. Just tell me how school went when you return later...."
'Hopefully he stops pretending to go and ACTUALLY attends his classes....'
She thought. He frowned and shook his head a bit.
"...Suuuure."
'No. Never.'
"Anywau..... How long are you going to make me go there?"
Her eyes widened a bit at that.
"Hmm..."
She said, thinking about his question a bit.
".... Until Mr. Hat Guy graduates?"
She finally said with a cute smile. He rolled his eyes... Then she waved as he headed out of the sanctuary.
Nahida had her own motives for compelling him to join Vahumana.
Reasons meant to help him. Reasons meant to help Sumeru. To help Teyvat as a whole and to help herself as well.
Until she was ready, she would not reveal those reasons.
Around lunchtime, Nahida was seen wandering around the lobby of the school, she seemed to be waiting for someone.
She noticed Layla, the half-elf, sitting by the fountain as she read the steambird. Nahida approached, her curiosity piqued.
Once the girl got over being flustered by the Dendro Archon talking to her, Nahida asked her what the article she was engrossed in was about.
Layla showed her the article written by Mona Megistus.
'Mona Me- hmm.... I think I remember her being a friend of Lumine's. And, when I asked Wanderer about what Dottore told me about the sky, he mentioned her being aware....'
"Miss Layla, when you are done with that, may I borrow the article?"
Nahida suddenly asked. Layla blinked.
"You can have it now, Lady Kusanalli. I have already read this one several times and have a laminated copy in my room."
'She laminates them...? Hmm.... Oh, how interesting!'
Before she left, Nahida smiled and thanked the girl, forgetting she was waiting for Wanderer. However, she saw him leaning against a pillar outside as she left.
"There you are!"
She said this and ran up to him. He sighed, watching her approach with her bare feet slapping on the stone.
"What are you doing here, Buer?"
"Nahida!"
She snapped and slapped him with the rolled-up newspaper. The people around them blinked. Why had their goddess just slapped a student with a newspaper?
For his part, he gritted his teeth in annoyance.
"Do that again, Nahida, and I will turn that newspaper into confetti. RIGHT HERE!"
He hissed. She just crossed her arms and glared up at him. One of the least intimidating things he had the privilege to glare back at.
"I keep telling you to use my proper name!"
"And I keep telling you—"
"- Anyway, let's go have lunch together!"
She chirped. He blinked, startled.
"I don't need to eat -"
"- I made food!"
She ignored him and started heading to the gazebos above the school. He sighed and followed her, ignoring the stares of the humans they passed. Not following her would get more attention.
As she ate, he watched a Dusk bird.
"Eat, Scara-"
He glanced at her and thought about a snide remark.
But finally, he just closed his mouth and grabbed one of her sandwiches. His eyes dropped to the picture of Mona on the paper she had laid beside the food.
"I'm going to invite her-"
Nahida said after watching him. His amethyst eyes darted up to her grass-green ones.
"What do I care?"
He said this while looking away from her and the paper.
"You dream about her."
Nahida spoke softly. His eyes widened, and he looked at her.
"And you regret trying to kill her, the traveler and that raven girl."
'Raven girl....? Fischl? No... I regret NOT ending that one. But the other 2...'
He kept his face somewhat neutral.
"What if I do?"
He asked with a frustrated exhalation.
"It's not like any of them remember me, aside from Lumine. And I keep telling you, stay out of my dreams, Buer!"
He said with a frown, then yelped as she kicked him under the table.
"Actually... Miss Magistus MIGHT remember you."
Nahida pointed this out. Acting like she had not just kicked him. His comfort was that she was in bare feet. So it likely hurt her as well.
"How the hell can she remember? Is she a descender?"
Nahida shook her head.
"No... But she is a student of the Hexenzirkel. And most of THEM are unmolested by Irmensul's tampering for one reason or another."
She pointed out. He closed his eyes in thought. He did remember Mona being startled by his comments about the sky. But she was not as floored by the realization as he was. Meaning, she knew about it and was simply surprised to see an unaffiliated person mention it.
"Anyway - I don't care what you do... Nahida, as long as nothing happens to you and as long as you don't hinder my eventual revenge."
He said finally as he grabbed another sandwich. She smiled.
"On that note, Wanderer... What if your revenge harmed me?"
He nearly choked on the food he tried to swallow.
"How would that happen?"
He finally asked after he drank some juice to clear his throat, and she unhelpfully slapped his back so hard (an attempt to help the choking) he was left breathless for a moment.
"Hmm... I don't know. I just wondered what would happen if the two things you care about canceled each other out..."
She said as she hopped back into her seat after "helping" him breathe again. Not that he needed her to do so.
"Also, in your dreams, I see a lot of confusion about yourself. Your body."
"So?"
"Dottore likely has those answers-"
She said, her eyes dropping to his lap for a moment to get her point across. Of course he knew Dottore likely ran all those tests. However, he had never been privy to the results and, as such, he didn't know. It still wouldn't answer why he was male. Why Ei had created him like this. He sighed at her expectant look and was about to speak when the signal sounded for the next class.
"Whatever-"
Was all Scara muttered as he got up, putting his hat back on.
Nahida happily watched as he lifted off the ground and sped off back down to the school with his anemo powers.
"Ah~ he ran away..."
She muttered, then let her eyes drift back down to Mona's picture.
Then she packed up the remains of the lunch she made and grabbed the paper with the "all things astrological" article, before walking back up to the sanctuary.
'The quickest way to be introduced to someone is through someone else.'
So she would contact Lumine through telepathy.
If Nahida was right, Lumine might run into Mona while in Fontaine. She had just entered that nation with Nahida's help, after all.
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TBC....
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