Work Text:
The blood rushes to their head, slowly processing the fruition of what has come to be. A god is cruel, a fate even more. To be tossed away like this…
They close their eyes, letting the weight of the world consume them as they fall from the sky's embrace.
…Right?
Certainly, suddenly, a warmer, firmer embrace takes hold of the puppet, gliding through effortlessly to provide their escape from the shelterless storm. Carefully, they open their eyes to see a fellow with glowing hair, the colour of his attire matching that of his wings.
Ah, they can feel it. Another god to bring to their cruelty, surely.
He notices their gaze and smiles down at them. “You must feel very weak, friend. Rest up, if you please… But if you could spend, might you give me a name, before you freeze?”
What ridiculous, unprompted rhymes…
Still, they sink closer into the god’s warmth, mustering all of their strength into their voice.
“Kuni…kuzushi…”
He’s quiet, still, for a while.
“Fall to slumber, little Kuni. No one can hurt you where freedom lies, see?”
✧
Kunikuzushi wakes up with a start in a cold sweat and heavy gasps. They tell themselves it was just a dream before examining their surroundings: A homey wooden cabin. They sat atop a feathery bed, above it a sunny window with numerous pine trees outside.
…It was not a dream.
Glancing around the room, they see a clay mug on the nightstand with a note beside it. ‘FOR LITTLE KUNI! :)’
It could be poisoned. It’s probably poisoned, they tell themselves, wary of the drink that only steams slightly.
…
Kunikuzushi takes a sip anyway to find it had a rather sweet, fulfilling taste. Excitedly, they chug the liquid in one gulp, energy rushing down.
I wish it were poisoned, though.
They wave those thoughts away as fast as they came, for they have no real purpose now, as they start to trust their surroundings a little more.
“Oh, you’re awake!”
But, as it were, nothing’s ever truly safe.
Kunikuzushi jolts, hugging themselves for protection from the voice.
“Hey, hey,” the stranger steps forward, “It’s alright. Remember me?”
They look up to find the same man from before: A slim fellow, now dressed in green and absent of wings. His navy blue hair was now braided into twins, which faded into a bright teal colour.
“You’re a god,” is probably not the first thing they should say to him, but they do so anyway. “Can I trust you?”
He hums, “Right now? Heavens, no. But, when we get to know each other better, I think you can decide that for yourself, hm?”
Kunikuzushi wavers. “Are you sure?”
“Of course! Here, I’ll start: My name is Barbatos, but you, little one, may call me Venti.” Venti smiles, cupping his hands together, fingers interlaced. “My story is a long and mystic one indeed, but I am much more interested in yours. Might you tell it to me?”
They fall silent for a while before sitting up straight. “Mine is short. And unimportant.”
Venti softens, kneeling on the floor to be at Kunikuzushi’s level. “Then start at the beginning.”
✧
At this stage in their life, Kunikuzushi is unable to tell time. However, they can tell that in the time they’ve known him that they trust Venti the bard and Barbatos, the God of Freedom. In the land of freedom, the few times that they mustered up the courage to embrace the outdoors, Kunikuzushi noticed many things.
Among those things, it sticks out to them that children do not view the world as inherently cruel. This is mainly because the adult figures in their lives shield them from everything they can to protect and guide them through life. These people are typically called ‘mother’ and ‘father,’ Kunikuzushi notices. Though they don’t know it yet, their parents do all they can to keep their children from danger.
Yae Miko always encouraged Kunikuzushi to call Raiden Ei mother , a title they did not yet understand. Now that they do, they find the title unfitting for the Electro Archon.
Rather, yet…
“Kuni! I’m back!” Venti grins, embracing the puppet with open arms, “I’m really sorry! Morax and Alice kept insisting we simply must find some secret temple….”
Kunikuzushi softens, relaxing in the archon’s warm embrace, as it always has been. “Hi, dad.”
“Ah…” His demeanour wavers momentarily, but only a moment before he holds them tighter. “Hello, my little one.”
✧
“You can be whatever you want to be, you know.”
That’s what Lumine and Dainsleif, Venti’s ‘otherworldly friends from afar,’ tell Kunikuzushi when they visit briefly while Venti is away. They haven’t visited for a while, but this sticks with them.
For some reason, one that they can’t explain, the puppet finds themselves lost in this thought for far too long.
“Miss?”
Kunikuzushi raises their head, startled. “Huh? Ah, sorry…”
The young Crepus smiles gently, cleaning out a glass smoothly. “No worries, but… Aren’t you a little young to be purchasing finely aged wine?”
“Oh.” They rub the back of their neck. “It’s for my dad, sir. Venti, the bard.”
“Venti? The bard? Fellow looks a little young, don’t he? Ah, well…” Crepus reaches down to the box, lifting it to the counter. “Thanks, miss. Tell your dad I said hi.”
Kunikuzushi winces. Miss. It felt…
“Thanks,” they reply softly, taking the box and rushing out the door.
Walking through the city of Mondstadt, Kunikuzushi watches the various crowds. They watch the different customs bloom and how the adults and children all have different ways of living.
...Suddenly, the frilly dress that Kunikuzushi wore made them feel more trapped than it should have.
“Kuni!” Venti greets when he hears the door click. “You’re back early, did-”
“I want to cut my hair.” The statement is firm and clearer than the sky. After a few moments, Kunikuzushi shies and sets the box down awkwardly, realizing they sounded harsher than they intended. “Is that okay?”
Venti smiles. “I’ll go grab some shears.”
In the misty morning, birds chirp in the forestry as long blue locks fall to the floor with every small snip.
Kunikuzushi felt it: All the weight being lifted off of their shoulders.
“How long have you been thinking about this?” The bard inquires, setting down the shears on the stool so that he can get a mirror.
“Um, a while. Months, I think.” Kunikuzushi closes their eyes in a fit of nervousness. “Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
“Well, better late than never, right? Hey, open your eyes, will you?”
They brace for impact, slowly relaxing the muscles in their face. Kunikuzushi sits, stunned as they look at the person, the boy staring back at them in the mirror.
They really are weightless.
“How do you feel, little Kuni?” Venti grins, hugging his child from behind.
“I like it,” they smile. “I feel free.”
Venti smiles, “Good! That’s the point, isn’t it? But, I do have a very important question!”
“What is it?”
“If you could choose,” the bard starts, “Would you rather be born as a boy, a girl, or something completely different?”
The question is awkward, sure, but there’s something about it that spurs something more to the light.
“Well?” Venti urges, gently squeezing Kunikuzushi’s shoulder.
“I think I want to be like you.”
✧
There have been few casualties in the years that Venti and Kuni have been father and son. They liked to keep it this way, especially Venti.
This first came to light on a cold spring evening when the storm poured harder than ever. Kunikuzushi was anxious, his worry evident when the door clicked open.
“Dad! Where have you been, you-” The puppet freezes in place when he sees his father, in his divine form, limp, held in the arms of a slender man with golden hair braided all the way down to his exposed midriff and concern plastered all over his face. “Woah. Uh. Who are you?”
The man shuts the door with his heel, “Who are you ? Venti said this was his safe house.”
“Okay, first of all, I asked first,” Kunikuzushi huffs, guiding the stranger to Venti’s room. “Second of all, put my father down, if you please.”
“Father ? Ven doesn’t have kids. Does he have kids? Why haven’t I heard about you?” His efforts are frantic and worrisome as he puts the winged bastard on the bed.
“Okay. We’re both confused. Calm down. Calm down! ”
“I am calm!”
“No, you’re not!” Kunikuzushi’s eyes widen when he sees all the scars and wounds on Venti’s body. “ Archons , did you do this to him?!”
“Obviously not!” The stranger takes a deep breath and pulls up a stool to sit down on. “Okay. I’m Aether, the, uh… ‘renowned traveller.’ I’m also Venti’s fiancee. Happy?”
Kunikuzushi stands, stunned. After taking a closer look at Aether, he pieces it all together. “Oh my god, you’re Lumine’s twin brother, aren’t you.”
The blonde’s eye twitches. “ How many more people know about Lumine- Okay. Okay! Who are you ? I’ll tell you what happened to him after .”
“Fine,” Kunikuzushi sits on the nightstand in hopes it will not break. “I’m Kunikuzushi. I’ve lived in this cabin for about 500 years, the same amount of time I’ve been Venti’s adopted son.”
They sit there in silence, carefully pondering their next move until Venti groans loudly, opening his eyes. “Huh..?”
He turns, staring at his two favourite people in the world. “Oh, Aether! Kuni! Hi!”
Then it hits him. “Oh. Aether…Kuni…Hi..!”
They both glare at Venti harshly. “Care to explain?”
✧
“You what,” Kunikuzushi deadpans.
“Come on, you’ve been old enough for a while now!” Venti grins, handing over the Liyuen pamphlet. “I already talked to Jean about it. And this’ll be good for you! You’ve been all stressed lately-”
“Because of you , dumbass!” Kuni crosses his arms and huffs.
“-...and this can also be a chance for you to make some friends, right?”
“I have a lot a friends.”
“That, my boy, is a bold-faced lie. Family friends absolutely do not count.”
“You’re the only friend I need, really.”
“Kuni.”
“ He has a point ,” Aether murmurs under his breath, snickering from behind.
Kunikuzushi yanks the pamphlet from the bard’s hand and skims through its contents. “...And you’re sure you don’t have any ulterior motives?”
Venti smiles. “Who do you take me for?”
“Swear on it!” The puppet holds out his pinky finger quickly. “Cause’ if I come back, and you’re dead, I’ll come right up to the heavens and beat the shit out of you myself!”
“Hehe,” Venti giggles, interlocking their fingers, “I swear on Aether’s life.”
“Hey!”
✧
Kunikuzushi’s head hangs heavy as he leans against the railings of Wangshu Inn, feeling the wind brush against his face.
The wind will follow you wherever you go.
For once, he’s calm, justifiably so, but his thoughts are interrupted by a loud ruckus from inside. “Is that what this is about?!”
Kunikuzushi rolls his eyes, hitting his forehead against the wood. Stupid couples, and he’s about to depart before he realizes the familiar voice: Husky, harsh, and tired.
He turns, “Lumin-”
Quickly, a bandaged hand pulls him back into a hidden cranny of the balcony. Startled, Kunikuzushi looks around to search for any advantage-
“The mess you’ve made can still be fixed, Lumie—” He watches the brunette Favonius knight plea, cut off by the Abyss Princess’ sword slashing the wind.
“You mean the one we have made?” Lumine grits her teeth in an effort to bite back her tears.
Kunikuzushi, a little calmer but way more puzzled, looks up to his captor: A lightfooted man with platinum blonde hair with a dyed streak that matched his strikingly red eyes. His attire is most certainly Inazuman, that of a samurai.
Once he sees Kuni looking up at him, he smiles gently, pressing his index finger to his lips.
The two perk back up when Lumine walks through the abyssal portal, leaving Amber to walk off in her guilt. The samurai takes his hand off Kuni’s mouth, letting the two stand upright. “Sorry about that, friend,” he smiles. His voice is breathy and modest. “I simply couldn’t interrupt.”
“Right,” the puppet stands, bewildered. Rubbing the back of his neck, he starts, “I’m Kunikuzushi. Acting Quartermaster of the Knights of Favonius. Rather rude of you to pull me aside like that, still.”
“I suppose,” the samurai smiles. “Kaedehara Kazuha, wandering samurai of the Crux.”
“So, Kuni,” He holds his hand out, “Want to do something fun?”
✧
Kunikuzishi has never run faster than when he runs through Teyvat’s greatest storm.
It’s the most fear he’s felt in his life.
“Where is Barbatos?!”
“Please, my father is still out there!”
One way or another, someone was going to get hurt that day.
Celestia just happened to decide upon the god with nothing left to give.
Kunikuzushi stands, still as ever, staring at Barbatos’ muddy, limp body. His chest pangs and his heart is caught in his throat. The puppet rushes over to the god, squeezing him in his hands.
“Dad? Dad !”
Barbatos weakly raises his arm to caress his son’s cheek, a soft gesture that does not go unnoticed. “My little one,” he smiles, “Could you ever forgive me?”
Kunikuzushi’s breath hitches, and he holds his father close to his chest. “Yeah. I’ll always forgive you.”
It is said that the puppet's scream could be heard nationwide on the day of Teyvat’s worst storm.
✧
Kuni adjusts his straw hat, lifting the heavy cardboard box into the wagon and dusting his hands off.
He looks at the small cozy wooden cabin, the one he loved and loves dearly. Kunikuzushi takes one last visit to the blessed gravestone, pressing his palm to the cold stone memorial tablet on the windblume tree.
“Bye, dad,” he whispers under his breath, feeling the careful wind surround him.
“Kuni?” Kazuha calls out. “Are you ready?”
“Ready,” Kuni replies, letting plucked Cecilias fall to the grass.