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Chapter Text

“Buer!” 

Nahida paused, wondering if her ears were failing her. That sounded like the Wanderer, but instead of sounding aloof and closed off, he sounded… frantic. She turned around, wondering if being isolated for 500 years was finally catching up to her. Her eyes widened, however, as the doors slammed behind the Wanderer, ensuing wailing from the indigo-haired baby in his grasp. 

“Crap,” he hissed under his breath, awkwardly patting the baby on its back as Nahida walked nearer, curious about what was going on. She held back a gasp as the crying baby’s blue eyes landed on her, tears leaking, cheeks red, and a clear, miniature copy of the very person holding him. 

A flash of sympathy hit her as she stared up at him sadly. “I see,” she said, “I’m so sorry you had to deal with this all by yourself-”

“What the hel-'' Wanderer paused as he stared at the baby he was still holding, “What the heck are you talking about?” He hissed at her as mini-Wanderer began to flail, turning to dig his head into his neck. “Hey, you,” he startled visibly as mini-him looked at him with watery eyes. “Ugh, whatever!” He looked up to the ceiling, exasperated. 

“Wanderer, I promise I’ll help you to the best of my ability. I understand it can’t be easy with the discovery of your own child but-”

“ He’s not mine !” He yelled angrily and mini-Wanderer began to wail again. Outside, the sound of thunder echoed in the darkening skies. “ Dang it !” 

Nahida watched as Wanderer began to levitate in the air, swaying slightly as mini-Wanderer slowly calmed down. “Wanderer,” Nahida eventually said as the baby giggled, small hands moving in the air, “I’m gonna need you to tell me the full story.”

“ You dare to get in my way? ”

Childe stalked forth in the shadows, the smell of charred flesh spreading through the large hallway. He stopped by the corner and took a peek, bloodlust spreading through his body as his eyes landed on a young man, purple lightning surrounding slender hands. He wore Inazuman clothing and an interesting large hat, his body frame hidden by a thin veil. A rush of adrenaline sprang forth as the mysterious man took down Fatui soldiers with ease before they could even land a hand on him. 

“Foolish mortals,” the man spat out, running forth to dodge a sledgehammer and immediately turned to lay hand on the soldier’s neck, who screamed as his body spasmed and fell to the floor, joining the rest of his dead comrades.

Childe decided it was finally time to intervene, a gleeful expression on his face at the thought of fighting a strong enemy. Summoning his water blades, he rushed to the enemy with light footsteps but it seemed he wasn’t as quiet as he thought he had been. The mysterious man abnormally bent his body, dodging his surprise attack. Childe gazed into indigo eyes, which brimmed with raw anger. 

“Tartaglia,” he said coldly. “You’re even more foolish than I thought.” He saw it before he could even react. The man used his newfound momentum to grab Childe by the wrist and slammed him to the ground. His weapons disappeared as the man stared at him, unimpressed. Before he could counter an attack and jump back to his feet, the man dug his elbow into his throat, not enough to make him choke but enough to make sure he couldn’t escape without giving his opponent more of an advantage. “Were the other Fatui agents not enough to satisfy your bloodlust?” He mocked. “Is attacking your superior worth losing your life?”

Childe paused, looking at the man oddly. The more he stared, the more he noticed something was off about him. He had a fair face and it was perfectly symmetrical. Those indigo eyes that stood out by the red eyeliner, he swore he saw them flash purple and most interesting of all, with how close they were face to face, where he should hear breathing, there was a lack of it. Something about this man was familiar. His brain itched as it scrambled to remember where he had seen him before. 

“Hey!” Childe snapped out of his thoughts as the confusingly familiar man snapped his fingers in front of his face. “Are you listening, imbecile ?” 

“Hey now, comrade,” he flashed a smile up at him. “It isn’t polite to go around insulting strangers. Especially here.” 

The man stared at him unimpressed. 

“So, what’s your name?” 

His face contorted into one of pity. Chide was confused again. Wow, rarely has he found himself confused multiple times by a single person. Childe’s eyes widened as the man patted his cheek condescendingly. “I knew humans were fragile but I never realized how fragile you are. Did I really knock you down so hard you forgot who I am?” 

He forced a smile on his face. I want to punch this man in the face . “So we have met before. I don’t suppose you’d be kind enough to refresh my memory?”

The man got off of him, brushing away nonexistent dust off his clothes as if he didn’t have streaks of blood on his face from the deceased soldiers lying on the ground. “To you, it’s Balladeer,” he rolled his eyes, “good luck cleaning up this mess. I have a meeting with Dottore.” With that, he went down the same corridor Childe had just come from, waving lazily at him. 

“Balladeer,” he said out loud, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. And then he realized what he just said. He was meeting up with Dottore, the second Harbinger. Who was this man? 

He glanced down at the bodies and decided he’d deal with it later. He wanted answers and who else to get it from than Dottore. He’ll just use his “head trauma” as an excuse to visit him. 

“Lady Miko!” A shrine maiden sped up to her, a look of panic on her face as she fidgeted nervously. “W-we have a situation.” 

Yae turned her head slightly. “Oh?” She bummed boredly. “And what appears to be the problem?”

“Well, um…”

She sighed as she glanced back at the Sakura tree, already bored with this conversation. “If that’s all you have to say today, then you are wasting my time.”

“There’s a young man waiting by the entrance! He’s asking to see you,” the shrine maiden blurted out, head bowed. Yae will have to ask to ask the one guiding her to do better, the woman was a mess. At this rate, she’d never be up to par for a shrine maiden.

“Is that so?” She questioned, still bored. “Then send him away. I don’t have time to entertain foolish fantasies.”

“He’s carrying a symbol of the Almighty Shogun!”

She straightened up, her attention now focused on the maiden behind her. “Oh?” She turned to face her fully, “And what exactly is this symbol?”

“It’s a golden ornament.”

Yae stalked past her, heading to the entrance. A golden ornament was an acknowledgment by the Electro Archon, and very few people carry around such an ornament. 

As she neared the entrance, she heard a familiar voice.

“You… look familiar.” 

“Mother?”

Yae paused by the stairs as standing before her was her friend, Raiden Ei in the body of the Shogun, and a young man who reminded her of… Makoto. Those soft eyes.

“Mother!” Those wide, innocent, indigo eyes crinkled in happiness as he leaped towards Ei, wrapping his arms around her. 

Ei hesitantly laid a hand on a head full of indigo locks as she looked at Yae wide-eyed. Yae gave her a similar look back. 

Mother?

“No.” 

Kaveh gasped as Alhaitham didn’t even look up from his book. “ What do you mean no? ”

“It is exactly as I said,” Alhaitham flipped a page, “You can’t even provide for yourself. What makes you think you can provide for a cat?”

Kaveh spluttered. “Well I- I couldn’t leave him there. I found him stuffed in a box! The poor thing would’ve ended up suffocating if I hadn’t found him.” 

“You’re letting your emotions cloud your judgment,” Alhaitham bit back a sigh. “Neither of us are equipped of taking care of pet, he’d be better sent to a shelter or to someone who can care for him.” 

“Ugh, you-“ Kaveh growled, displeased that his roommate had a point. At that moment, a quiet meow drew their attention to the door. Kaveh’s heart tore up as he swore he could see those big, watery eyes look at him sadly. 

Meow . 

The cat looked back at the door, looking dejected. Alhaitham glanced at Kaveh, who looked crushed at the sad image of the cat. He got up and sighed. “Do what you want,” he muttered. “Don’t expect me to help you with expenses.” 

Meow . 

Alhaitham glanced down to see the cat, now closer to Kaveh’s feet. He noticed red streaks formed on the corner of those dark eyes, almost shaped like eyeliner. He took another brief glance at Kaveh, specifically at his eyes and wondered if there was a more specific reason why Kaveh wanted to take in this cat. 

Chapter Text

Wanderer was not having it.

“I will seek answers from the Irminsul Tree but until then you will have to take care of the baby,” Buer had said casually, as if she had not just ordered him to babysit a baby version of himself. 

“No.” Wanderer was not having it. At that moment, the baby began to make a fuss in his arms. His grip tightened as innocent eyes stared up at him, blinking slowly before digging his head into his shoulders. He watched attentively as the baby yawned and curled into his arms, a small hand wrapped around one of his fingers. Wanderer stared in disbelief before his head snapped back up, glaring at the little god. “No,” he hissed as she smiled at him. 

“He’s grown attached to you,” the look on her face made him want to bolt from the room. “Besides, someone needs to look after him while we search for answers. I’d love to take care of him but there’s a difference between collecting knowledge and experience.” She was referring to having little exposure to humans, much less a human baby. 

“I can say the same thing,” he snapped, taking a step forward without shifting his arms too much. He didn’t want to stir the slumbering infant much less have to put him back to sleep. Or even worse, he paled, having to entertain him more than he’s already done. “I don’t know a thing about caring for babies! The only experience I have is for children-” He paused, the face of a smiling child flashing in his mind before it was replaced by a still body, the child collapsed on the ground. He noticed Buer looking at him in pity and he gritted his teeth, “I can’t even confirm if he’s human,” he changed the subject. “He has a beating heart,” he doesn’t , “he can sleep like a regular human, “ he pretends to sleep , “yet he’s durable,” no regular baby should be able to survive a ruined drake, “and he seemed to recognize me when I stumbled upon him.” No way was he gonna explain how the baby had called him Mama as soon as those wide, blue eyes had found him. 

Nahida hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe human babies are tougher than we believe.” Wanderer did not look impressed. “Think of it like this,” she held a hand out as she laid a hand on the baby’s hand. “You’ve been tasked with protecting a bundle of joy like a frog would for a desert scorpion in exchange for protection.” Oh archons, not the metaphors. Wait, he paused, was he the frog? Or was he the scorpion? 

“This is nothing like that,” he deadpanned. “I’m your prisoner and work for you in order to repay for my sins against this nation. I don’t need any protection, need I remind you it took the Traveler 168 tries to defeat me and have centuries’ worth of battle experience not only against mortals but monsters from the Abyss? Not to mention, my pain tolerance is high enough that I became number six of the Fatui Harbingers.”

Nahida sweatdropped as he continued to rant. “From what it sounds like,” she said carefully, “you’re qualified enough to take care of a baby for a few hours.” Wanderer fell silent. “You only need to watch him for a few hours as I make contact with the tree and find answers. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to get this little guy back home safely. Or at least know how to proceed from here.” 

He sighed, still unhappy with the situation. He glanced down at the baby, grimacing as a small trail of drool leaked from the corner of his little mouth. Wanderer used the tip of the purple blanket he had wrapped him and cleaned his mouth. “Just make it quick,” he grumbled as he walked past her, choosing to sit on the table in the middle of the room. 

“I’ll do my best,” she put a fist over her chest as she said this, before joining him and lying down. She closed her eyes as her mind connected with the tree. Wanderer watched her briefly before sighing, now stuck in a room with a slumbering god and baby. Things could not be worse. 

“ Nahida !” The door burst open as an annoyingly high-pitched voice grated against his ears and echoed through the room. The baby startled awake. “ Nahida !”

The baby began to wail once again. 

He stood corrected. Things did get worse. 

“ Huh ?” The stupid pixie squealed in surprise as both hands flew over her hands. “Is that a baby ?” The Traveler’s eyes widened as they took in Nahida lying down on the table, Wanderer swaying on the corner of it with an infant identical to him crying. “ Wanderer, did you kidnap a baby ?”

“Shut your mouth!” Wanderer glowered, “thanks to your unnecessary squealing, you woke him up!” Traveler winced as the baby hiccuped, face red as Wanderer attempted to calm him down. “Of all the days you had to visit, it had to be today?” He groaned, “I just put him to sleep 5 minutes ago. You know what-” Traveler startled as the puppet stalked forth and dumped the baby into their arms. “Since your stupid fairy companion woke him up, you get the pleasure of putting him back to sleep, Traveler!” 

“W-wait, me ?” They spluttered nervously as the crying baby paused to stare at them. They smiled nervously at him, and on cue, he continued to cry again. “There, there,” they tried rocking him based on what they saw mothers do but it was no use. The wailing continued.

Wanderer just groaned and collapsed back on the table, facepalming. 

“ Ah !” Paimon cried as she flew back and forth in a panic. “What do we do? What do we do ?” 

“Lord Kusanali?”

This is the exact scene that General Mahamatra Cyno stumbled upon as he peeked his head through the door. Paimon flying in the air in a frantic, Traveler patting a baby with an eerie resemblance to Hat Guy, and said Hat Guy facepalming on the table, almost curling in on himself. Right behind him, he could see Lord Kusanali sleeping.

“Looks like you three bed off more than you could chew,” he said straight faced. 

“Cyno!” Paimon cried in relief. “We need your help! Do you know anything about putting babies to sleep?” 

“For one, how about you stop shouting?” He walked towards the Traveler, who was clearly frazzled. Cyno peeked at the baby, who had quieted down and was looking at him with watery eyes. Hat Guy just looked at him. 

“You know,” he looked at the Traveler, “when kids don’t want to sleep, they’re resisting a rest.” The traveler gave him a deadpanned look. Paimon groaned. The baby gazed at him with starry eyes. Hat Guy just snorted. “Get it?”

The baby gurgled, small arms reaching for him. Traveler glanced at Hat Guy, who just waved a hand. Cyno let out a small sound of surprise as Traveler practically threw the little guy in his arms and backed away quickly. 

“Careful,” he chastised as small hands made a grab for his wolf mask, scrambling in his arms. 

“Whoa, seems he took a liking to you,” Paimon whispered loudly. 

“It probably helps that he’s not screaming at the top of his lungs,” Hat Guy uttered under his breath. 

Cyno hummed, “Congratulations on your son, I’m sure it isn’t easy for you to take care of him all by yourself.”

Hat Guy glared at him. “He’s not mine.”

“He looks like you,” Cyno pointed out. 

“It’s complicated,” he snapped back. “You know what, give me the baby back!” 

“Looks like his parent instincts are kicking in,” Paimon whispered, once again very loudly. 

“Shut your mouth, pipsqueak,” Hat Guy hissed. Paimon squawked, stomping her feet in the air. 

“Hey, you don’t need to insult Paimon, you-“

“Don’t forget it’s your fault he woke up! He could’ve been sleeping instead of having to be awake and endure this!” He waved at all of them. 

Cyno merely blinked. “What’s his name?”

Hat Guy blanched. “What?”

“His name. Does he not have one?” He looked down at the baby in concern. The baby was now busy playing with his hair, laughing joyfully. “Did the mother not give him one?”

Hat Guy stayed silent. Traveler and Paimon glanced at him in worry. 

“No, she didn’t,” he finally said, gaze heavy as his eyes focused on the laughing baby in front of him. 

“Why don’t you give him one then?” Traveler piped up. 

Wanderer kept his eyes on the baby, gaze furrowed. “Kokoro. His name will be Kokoro.” 

Chapter Text

Scaramouche just barged in, uncaring that he might be interrupting Dottore in the middle of something. 

“Dottore,” he hissed, “have you been experimenting with the soldiers again? I do not appreciate having to deal with those amnesiac imbeciles.”

No one replied. 

He narrowed his eyes, scanning the laboratory. Empty. And messy. Tables littered with half-finished experiments, strange apparatuses twisted in unnatural ways, and vials containing unknown substances were strewn about. 

He walked further inside, reaching out to touch the surface of one of the many workbenches in the laboratory, fingers brushing over notes that had been left strewn around. The pages were filled with frantic scribbles, equations, and hastily drawn diagrams, most likely the work of the teen Dottore. He was oddly enough, the only clone who had good penmanship. 

The silence wrapped around him like a shroud, thick and palpable, as if the lab itself was holding its breath, waiting for the return of its unhinged inhabitants.

A growing pit of dread grew inside of him. Just what happened? Something ominous had occured to Dottore’s stupid segments, but the question was, did the second Harbinger have something to do with their demise, or had it been something else?

Scaramouche straightened slightly, his enhanced hearing picking up on a pair of footsteps heading his way. Dottore…?

As the door opened, he threw a bolt of lightning at the unknown person. Well, not exactly at them so much as the space right next to the door. He was not in the mood to deal with hitting a potential Harbinger or god forbid, Pantalone. Not only would that irritable banker nag at him, he’d take it out on Dottore by cutting his funding, and in return make any future operations hurt him more than usual. The Regrator foolishly relished what little power he possessed over the Doctor, refusing to acknowledge that like everything, that power was fleeting. 

Hmph, it’s not that he wouldn’t be able to handle the pain. He deals with operations that inflict enough damage to kill even the strongest of humans on a daily basis. All a worthy sacrifice for when it is time to claim his rightful place as a God. But… he would rather not deal with that for now. 

Hand still locked onto his target and ready to lash out another attack, he came to an irritating observation that it had merely been Childe. That bastard truly lived up to his name. 

Voice dripping with malice, he spoke. “What are you doing here? Have you come looking for me for a second beating? I never took you for a masochist.”

His eyes picked up on one of Childe’s eyes slightly twitching. Looks like he struck a nerve, he though gleefully to himself. 

“You sure talk a lot. I can assume that’s why they call you the Balladeer. Though your ballads could use some work,” he said amused.

Scaramouche scoffed. “Enough with this idle chatter. Where is Dottore?” He crossed his arms, eyes narrowed at him. Childe tilted his head, as if considering whether he was worth answering to. He bristled at this, just who did this battle-crazy freak think he was to show him such disrespect? 

He leisurely walked up towards him, making sure the youngest Harbinger understood he was not to be trifled with. Childe, on the other hand, found him intriguing. What a strange little man. 

Childe let out a chuckle, quickly cut off by a gasp as the so-called Balladeer grasped the front of his coat, forcing him on his knees. 

“Do not waste my time, Tartaglia,” Scaramouche dug his fingers into the ginger’s flesh, a warning that he could end this mortal’s life if he so pleased. If their earlier fight was any indication, Childe’s body was unable to react fast enough to his attacks despite seeing them coming. “Tell me where he is.” Gods, why was it so hard to find that man? And he called him difficult. 

“I don’t know,” Childe grinned despite the situation he was in. “Why should I share the Doctor’s whereabouts to a total stranger? Though based on your previous actions, you may actually be an assassin.”

This again? 

Scaramouche twisted Childe’s head at an uncomfortable angle as he hissed, “Why do you continue to pretend you don’t know who I am?”

“Why do you act like I should?” The other retorded back. 

“You little-”

Childe watched as the smaller man cut himself short, blazing eyes turning thoughtful as he stared at him. Whatever he was thinking, would he mind letting him move a little as he did so? His current position was starting to get annoying. 

“You don’t know who I am,” Scaramouche stated.

“I don’t.”

An intrigued hum. 

“Do you know who the sixth Harbinger is?”

“That seat has been empty for centuries.”

Centuries?

Scaramouche gazed into Childe’s stupid fish eyes, looking for the slightest hint of a lie. There was none. That, of course, didn’t prove anything. 

But…

What was his earliest memory this morning? He had walked through the entrance. 

What had he been doing before that? He couldn’t provide an answer to that question. 

When he started walking through the corridors, Fathi soldiers immediately went on guard and began to attack him after he refused to acknowledge them. What fools would’ve dared to lay a finger on him, especially when he was infamous for his temper and sharp tongue. 

Either they had all lost their minds… or they had acted because they couldn’t remember him. 

He hadn’t noticed anything off with Childe at first. They had rarely interacted before, only being there for Childe’s initiation and being forced to see him off at a last-minute meeting before he set sail for Liyue. 

Liyue…

His gaze sharpened once again as he barked at the other, “Shouldn’t you be in Liyue?” 

Childe merely blinked before a scowl etched itself upon his morbid face. The memories of what went down at Liyue Harbor still pissed him off. “My mission in Liyue came to a conclusion a while ago.”

“Then who is currently on a mission?” 

Childe stayed silent. Scaramouche slapped him. 

“Is that really your way to get me to talk,” Childe laughed humorously, anger burning in his chest. The game had been fun at first but now the short man was pissing him off again. 

“Just answer the question,” Scaramouche shook him, not relenting in his pursuit for answers. What piece of information was he missing? “Answer me,” he slapped the ginger once more. Childe’s cheeks were now colored in identical shades of red. 

Scaramouche could feel the slight twinkle of electro before he flung him at the wall, furious that the 11th Harbinger continued to show such disrespect towards him. Once again, before Childe could react, he punched him in the solar plexus before dealing a swift blow to the head. 

Childe’s eyes bulged before he was rendered unconscious, Scaramouche dropping him to the floor carelessly. A loud smack echoed in Dottore’s lab. 

Good, he thought viciously, at least he could be sure that Childe would be feeling pain once he woke up. Maybe next time Childe will reconsider how he acted towards him. 

Eyes lazily flickering over the ginger’s fallen form, his eyes caught sight of the man’s vision and delusion. Humming, he bent down, slender fingers wrapping around an electro delusion. He stared at it hatefully before pocketing it. After another brief thought, he decided to take Childe’s vision as well. 

This will show him who he’s dealing with. 

Now then, time to search for answers. Adjusting his hat, he turned around, veil moving with a gentle swiftness. 

Chapter Text

“I never thought I would see that puppet ever again,” Yae Miko mused, eyes flickering to the other room. Ei stayed quiet, a solemn gaze on her face. “As I recall, you sealed it away in a cave, meant to slumber for eternity.” Her heels clicked against the wooden floor as she strutted towards Ei. “I say, this would make for a good story for the people. That is if you don’t plan to seal it away again.” 

Huh, not even a twitch. That’s annoying. 

She glowered down at Ei, waiting to hear what she had planned for it. Ei stared ahead blankly, a million thoughts running through her head. Yae Miko waited patiently beside her, she is very good at that. Even if she wasn’t keen on not having seen her for almost 500 years, Raiden Shogun had always been in control until recently. She ‘tch’ed as her eyes strayed to the door, sensing the puppet’s presence. She could only hope Ei would be rational and dispose of it. No use in letting such a powerful toy slip away, especially one that is useless for its only purpose. 

Ei sighed, her gaze lowering at her hands. “I can sense,” her voice sounded conflicted, “the Shogun’s curiosity. Towards him.” 

“It.” Yae Miko stated immediately. EI frowned at her. “It is a puppet, one that I should remind you that you discarded.” 

“I didn't discard him,” she protested. “I set him free.”

Yae Miko scoffed. “If that’s your definition of freedom, I can see why you dislike Barbatos so much.” 

“How he rules his nation is not my business,” Ei huffed. “I can, however, judge his conduct.”

“Whatever you say.”

Ei frowned again. “Why does it sound like there’s a different intention behind your words?” 

“Let’s focus back on the puppet. What will you do with it?”

“...I don’t know,” Ei sounded conflicted. “When I fought the Shogun, I made a vow to protect my people for a new eternity. One where I wouldn’t trap them from my own mistakes.”

“It isn’t one of your people. It is merely a prototype that I advise you to get rid of.”

“He was different from the Shogun,” Ei suddenly looked wistful. “He was not meant for the role I had planned. He was too… sensitive.”

“Thus making it useless.”

“He was meant for something different.”

“And yet it was sealed away in a cave. You left it to rot for eternity. How many times will you have me repeat this, Ei?”

“He called me Mother.”

Yae Miko fell quiet. 

“With the Shogun, we both agreed on the safety of Inazuma. I made her that way. That is all she knows. She has no likes or dislikes. Even when it comes to emotions, she… only cared about following the protocols I left her with. But that prototype, he was unfinished like all the others. I cannot help but wonder what I made with him. What have I done for him to view me as his…mother?” Ei sounded confused. She rested her forehead against her palm, still attempting to comprehend the situation she had found herself in. 

“It imprinted on you,” Yae Miko said coldly. “Ei, I advise you to listen to yourself. It is not a person. It is a puppet, a thing. Not something that has the right to shoulder you with the responsibility of motherhood. It had one purpose and the Raiden Shogun fulfilled that purpose. It is useless and a waste of space. If the problem is that you cannot bring yourself to end him, have the Raiden Shogun do it for you. Or I can take of it myself.”

“You are acting strange.” 

Raiden Shogun gazed at her coldly and Yae Miko bristled. Blinking, the glow of her eyes dimmed and her face softened. 

“She is right,” Ei looked at her in concern. “What is wrong with you?”

“I’m fine,” she put a lid on her annoyance, settling in a posture of nothing but pure neutrality. 

There was a knock on the door. Both women glanced towards the sound, a head shyly peeking inside the room. “I’m sorry if I’m bothering you. I just wanted to know what your plans are with me.” He shifted into the room nervously, glancing up at them a few times. 

Yae Miko hated it. 

“You again,” Ei’s gaze sharpened as Raiden Shogun took over again. The puppet made a noise of wonderment, taking a step forward. Unmoving, the Shogun blinked at him. 

“Stay put,” Yae Miko said sharply, “You were not summoned to enter. Is your ability to listen nonexistent?”

“I could say the same for you,” the Shogun side-eyed her, always indifferent yet holding a gaze so sharp it would shut any human. But Yae Miko isn’t a human, now is she?

“Oh?” She looked down at her, a nasty smile on her lips. “And just what are you thinking, Raiden Shogun?”

Raiden Shogun got on her feet and turned to face her. “Miko,” Ei stared at her in disappointment. Don’t antagonize her.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Ei,” she smiled pleasantly. Ei and her goddamn puppets. Speaking of which…Her eyes strayed back to the topic of their conversation, who stared at them in open curiosity. How naive. “Will you dispose of it then?”

Ei looked at the puppet, gaze contemplative. “No,” she sighed. Yae Miko was disappointed. “I don’t know what to do. I need time to think.” 

“And what do you suppose we do?” She said incredulous. “I can handle the maidens who noticed it but it won’t mean much if you don’t have a course of action.”

Ei ignored her, addressing the puppet instead. “The Shogun will entertain you for the time being,” she informed it, both witnessing it wilt for just a second before perking up. “Do not cause any trouble and do not let anyone else see you. You are to remain unseen.”

“I will do as you say,” the puppet beamed at her, looking relieved to not being turned away. Yae Miko huffed in disapproval.

“Miko,” Ei’s eyes settled on her and she listened, wary of what she would say. “Keep an eye on them.”

“When will you be back?” She better not disappear for centuries again or so help her.

“Soon.”

The Shogun stared back at her, indifferent. Miko stared at her unimpressed, before heading to the door. She needed to get to work. She refused to be their babysitter. 

As she passed the puppet, she whispered in its ear. “Don’t get too comfortable with your replacement.” Its smile was wiped away as it had the nerve to stare at her in discomfort. 

Walking away, she could hear the puppets beginning to converse. 

“So you’re my predecessor.”

“I guess I am. If we have the same creator, what does that make us?”

Ugh, she might have to be around them to prevent the Shogun from being exposed to such weakness.

Chapter Text

“Alhaitham!” The shrieks of a certain blonde made him sigh. It was early in the morning. Too early to have his day be interrupted by unnecessary delays. So help him if Kaveh got himself involved with another money scheme…

Oh. Hmm.

“Hmm.” He gazed contemplatively at Kaveh’s cat, reevaluating his previous assessment. 

“Meow.” The purple-colored cat blinked up at him innocently with a diadem snake in its mouth.

Kaveh gripped the counter behind him tightly, bug-eyed as he kept pointing at the cat. “I-He-I didn’t–” He spluttered, seemingly questioning everything. Alhaitham almost rolled his eyes at his behavior. 

He eyed the snake in the cat’s mouth. “It’s strange. Why is a diadem snake all the way here instead of the desert?”

Kaveh whipped his head at him. “That’s what you took out of the situation? Not the little cat who took out a reptile double his size?”

“If we’re being technical here, that snake is more than double–”

“Forget that! Our cat just killed a snake strong enough to kill him.”

“It’s true that its venom is strong enough to kill smaller beings but it seems more likely for the snake to strangle the cat instead.”

Kaveh looked sick at the thought. Forgetting his fright, he swept the feline into his arms, frantically looking him over for any injuries. “Oh kitty, I’m so sorry,” he cooed at him. The cat purred, rubbing his head around his chest. “You shouldn’t have had to take out the snake. Wait. Where did that snake come from anyways?”

Alhaitham sipped his coffee, eyebrow raised as he stared meaningfully at the open window right next to him. “It must’ve been through the front door.”

“Why you,” Kaveh reddened. “Must you be so difficult?”

“Well you’ve certainly gotten over your fear of that cat quite quickly,” Alhaitham snarked. “Speaking of the cat, what do you plan on naming him? ‘Cat’ is a bit plain, don’t you think?”

“Oh shush,” Kaveh said, before he grimaced. “Ew, he’s drooling on me.” Alhaitham stared, eyes picking out a wet spot as the cat continued to purr, rubbing his face into Kaveh’s shirt. He shot him a look of disgust before stepping away. 

“If he drools on me, he’s out,” he threatened. 

Kaveh scoffed. “He would have to like you and with your personality, that’s unlikely.” 

“Well it better stay that way. I don’t fancy having cat drool or hairs on my clothes and skin.”

“He’s just a baby. Aren’t you?” Kaveh cooed. Alhaitham grimaced, wondering if Kaveh would continue to act like this in the future. “Hmm, you gave me quite the scare.”

“Meow.”

Kaveh jumped slightly when the cat rubbed wet cheeks against his. “Maybe I call you Scaremeow.”

Alhaitham raised an eyebrow at him. “Scaremeow?” He echoed, making a mental note to never allow Kaveh to name things again. 

“What?” Kaveh defended. “We haven’t had him for long and I’ve already been scared enough this morning. Not to mention he killed that snake.” They both looked at the corpse, which laid on the floor. “Besides, he meows a lot.”

“He’s a cat.” Alhaitham said flatly. “What else do you expect him to say?”

“I don’t need your sass!” Kaveh made a sound of disgust when he pushed ‘Scaremeow’ away, feeling how wet his cheek was. That name was ridiculous. 

“If you insist on calling him something so ridiculous, at least pronounce it as ‘Scarameow’.” He finished his coffee as apparently, it was now Kaveh’s turn to look unimpressed. 

“Seriously?” He demanded, blonde strands of hair coming undone as Scarameow jumped to his shoulder and played with his hair. “That’s basically the same thing. Do you exist just to annoy me?”

“It sounds better.” Hmm, they were running low on fruit. He needed to make a list before he headed off for work, making plans to visit the market afterwards. “Don’t forget you still need to buy Scarameow his food, toys, and other cat supplies.” His eyes widened as a sudden thought sprang in his head. “Is he potty-trained?” 

An awkward silence filled the air. 

Alhaitham’s eyes narrowed in displeasure. “Kaveh.”

“I’ll take a sweep over the house,” Kaveh muttered, quickly exiting the kitchen. Althaitham followed. 

“I better not find out he–” 

“I’ll take care of it! Don’t you have work to get ready for?”

“You better step up on your responsibilities if you want that cat. Otherwise, he can go up for adoption to someone who can.”

“Ok, ok. I get your point.” Kaveh scowled at him. “I just got him last night. I’m sorry if I don’t have it all together right now.”

“Typically, owners purchase what they need right when they’re buying a pet,” Althaitham stated, heading back to his room. 

Kaveh rolled his eyes. “You better get used to him, Scaremeow,” he raised his cat until they were eye-to-eye, “believe it or not, that was him being kind.”

“Meow.” 

“There we go.” Kaveh smiled, booping him on the nose. “Thank god I actually don’t have any work today. We can go shopping for you.” His face turned pained. “I’ll just have to budget carefully for the next few months.”

“Kaveh.” Alhaitham basically growled and the blonde froze. He slowly turned around, eyes drawn to a pair of Alhaitham’s shoes. “Take a guess what I found there.”

“Please let it be number one,” Kaveh said weakly. Althaitham walked up to him, allowing to peer inside. He stared. “Is that a bat?”

Scarameow suddenly stilled in his grasp, eyes narrowing on his victim. Kaveh took a step back, grip tightening. “Scaremeow, you didn’t…”

The next chain of events was so chaotic that when Kaveh was explaining to Cyno why Alhaitham needed days off from work, all he could say was “My cat is a cute, little menace.”

The bat inside Alhaitham’s show twitched, and Scaremeow jumped out of his arms, leaping towards Alhaitham. Kaveh was unsure if he heard shouting because the bat took its cue to start tweaking, flying in their small hallway. 

Scarameow followed, leaping in the air and knocking stuff to the ground. Kaveh attempted to grab him but next thing he knew, he was bumping into Alhaitham, knocking his head into his sharp chin. They both let out a hiss of pain before Scaremeow rammed into them, the bat still flying around without a destination. 

“Get that cat under control,” Althaitham hissed, pushing Kaveh away. 

“I can’t!” Kaveh yelped. “He’s after the bat. Scaremeow, no!”

They both watched in horror as the cat successfully latched onto the bat with his claws, the latter screeching in pain and obviously drawing more strength to continue flying. “Open one of the windows!” Kaveh shouted, “I don’t want this place any more wrecked than it is.”

Althaimed glowered at him, “You are cleaning all of this up.” 

“Noted, now open it while I try to drive the bat this way.”

Books flew off the shelves. Kaveh grabbed a pillow, using it to make the bat head towards the window. “Scaremeow, hold on tight!”

“Just call him Scarameow!” His roommate called out. 

Kaveh’s eyes widened as the bat finally headed to the open windows, the sudden realization that Scaremeow was still clinging on . “Scaremeow!” He screeched, dropping the pillow to make a grab for his cat. 

“Oh, for archons’ sake!” Alhaitham snapped, making a grab for the cat and successfully wrapping his hands around his stomach. What he hadn’t taken in account, however, is just how strong that bat was, nor how deep Scarameow’s claws had sunk to its skin, because next thing he knew, all three of them were flying out the window. 

Kaveh winced as he heard the crash of something breaking. He ran up to the window, staring at the ground where he witnessed Alhaitham knocked out on the concrete, Scaremeow licking his paws on top of his head. The bat, the one who started it all, screeched at them before flying off between the trees until it was out of sight. 

People who had only witnessed the aftermath stared with open mouths. 

“Is that the Acting Grand Sage?”

“Oh my archons, someone call a doctor!”

“He’s not dead, is he?”

Kaveh quietly closed the window, sliding down to the ground. “Alhaitham’s going to kill me,” he groaned.

Chapter Text

Kokoro burst out into laughter as Paimon squealed in disgust, attempting to clean the snot off her hands. “No! Bad baby, bad!”

“Who are you calling bad?” Wanderer manifested behind her. “You better not be talking about Kokoro.” Paimon laughed nervously before zooming behind the Traveler. The Traveler shot her a dirty look before smiling placidly at the fuming puppet, Kokoro in his grasp, who was busy eating his hand. 

Wanderer’s face softened, a grimace on his face as he removed Kokoro’s hand from his mouth. “Don’t put stuff in your mouth, it’s dirty.”

The Traveler stared in amazement. What an oddly domestic scene. If the Traveler had been told a few months ago that the malevolent puppet they’d met in Mondstadt would be so gentle with a baby, the very same being who took joy in the suffering of the people in Inazuma, and created so much havoc in Sumeru before Nahida took him in, they would have looked at that person and wondered if they had a concussion. And yet here they were, Wanderer gazing at Kokoro in amazement as the baby waved a shiny fist at Cyno. 

“Hat Guy has a point, Paimon,” Cyno said. He humored Kokoro, allowing him to play with his fingers. “Babies this young will attempt to shove everything in their mouths. If you can’t handle getting your hands a little dirty, you should stay clear of him.”

Paimon spluttered behind the Traveler. “It’s not like that!” Traveled let out a chuckle as she stomped her foot in the air. “It’s not Paimon’s fault she doesn’t like getting snot on her hands. It’s so sticky and gross!” Paimon paled as Wanderer whipped to glare at her. “It’s true,” she protested. 

“Well, maybe that wouldn’t have happened if an annoying little pixie hadn’t shoved her grubby little hands in his face,” he hissed at her. 

“Come on now,” Traveler intervened. “Paimon’s basically a kid herself!” Paimon let out a ‘hey’ behind them. “At least she’s learned her lesson and won’t do it again.” 

Wanderer scoffed. “You say that as if I’m letting her anywhere near him.” His eyes shifted to Cyno, watching as the man avoided getting his fingers eaten by Kokoro. The moment the boy’s eyes watered, Cyno started a round of peek-a-boo. Wanderer hummed approvingly.

“What a heartwarming scene,” Nahida’s voice greeted them. 

“Nahida, you’re awake,” Paimon cheered.

“You say it like she was dying,” Traveler noted. 

“What did you find?” Wanderer drew closer. 

“Pffft,” Kokoro stuck a tongue at her before erupting into giggles. 

“Cute,” Cyno observed. 

Nahida floated off the table, walking towards Kokoro. “I managed to find out what happened.” Kokoro looked at her curiously, letting out small coos as he reached for her. Nahida curled her palms, green energy forming before she released them into the air, transforming into radiant sparkled. Kokoro stared in amazement. She smiled at him before glancing at Wanderer. “Unfortunately, he’s not the only version out there.” 

“What?” Three voices echoed. 

Wanderer grimaced. “They’re not children?” He is not becoming a babysitter to himself. 

“Wait, so you have multiple babies?” Paimon gasped, hands flying over her mouth as she whipped her head at him so fast, he could hear her neck cry. He eyed her. 

Cyno coughed awkwardly. “I would like to reassure you that there are multiple existing programs that help young parents take care of their young. Given your status as an Aka-”

“I will only say this once, and anyone who says anything is going to find themselves in the air,” Wanderer spat out behind clenched teeth. Kokoro stilled, eyes turning watery as he sensed the hostility in the room. “He is not mine. If anything, Buer just confirmed he’s me, and there are several versions of me out there. I’m the original.” He sneered.

“About that…” Nahiha trailed off. She considered how to deliver her findings, considering Wanderer’s eccentric attitude. Everyone’s attention snapped to her. “Defining which version of you is original is up to interpretation based on how, as far as I could tell, including you and the baby, five Wanderers are existing in Teyvat.” Wanderer’s face became pinched. “And,” Nahida turned her head to Wanderer meaningfully, “based on how young Kokoro is, the other versions represent you at different stages of your life.”

Complete silence enveloped the room. 

Kokoro whimpered, but was quickly soothed by Wanderer. Cyno hummed thoughtfully. He didn’t know much about Wanderer’s past–despite his discreet efforts to–but based on his assumptions of the man having been a previous troublemaker, he could see how this could be a bad thing. Paimon shut her mouth lest she spill the secret past of the Wanderer. Traveler had fewer reservations. 

“Well, fuck,” they said. They facepalmed as they already knew they’d be sent on a mission to find the other three versions of Wanderer. 

“Phuck,” Kokoro echoed a beat after. Traveler looked up in horror, remembering there was an impressionable baby in the room. Reflecting on this later, Traveler would claim Kokoro truly was Wanderer through and through. Currently, however, they strained a smile when the baby repeated ‘phuck’ all while giggling. Cyno looked at Traveler disapprovingly. Paimon smiled mischievously at her, probably relieved she wasn’t the only one to have the puppet’s ire directed at her. 

If gazes could kill, Traveler would’ve been 6 feet underground centuries ago with how intense Wanderer’s eyes were. Was that a purple glow in his eyes? They sweatdropped as they were suddenly reminded of how Shogun’s eyes had glowed before she turned Signora to ashes. 

Nahida giggled. “He’s a fast learner.” Truly a godsend, Traveler thought, thankful for her intervention as Wanderer’s ire faltered. Should he be angry that Buer is calling this version of him smart? On the other hand, he doesn’t need Kokoro’s first word–he will vehemently deny that mama was his first word–to be a curse word. 

“It would be better for him not to learn such crass language,” he said sharply. “Remember, Kokoro, you’re better than that. If you must insult someone, target their weaknesses instead,” he sniffed. Cyno gave him a judgmental eye before turning his attention back to Nahida. 

“I am curious if this anomaly is related to the animals experiencing mutations.”

“It may be. Irmunsul is, in simple terms, crashing out. This glitch is intense, and it needs to be resolved as soon as possible before any more accidents occur. While I can’t confirm this is the reason why, it's best to make an investigation into it.”

“I’m sorry, mutated animals?” Paimon spoke out. “And what do you mean by accident?”

Cyno sounded surprised. “Alhaitham is currently on bed rest.”

“What?”

“It had initially been pinned as an accident due to Kaveh’s cat, but after further investigation, a mutant bat had been determined to be part of the cause.”

Traveler paused. “Kaveh has a cat?” 

“Yes.” 

“I imagine Alhaitham isn’t so thrilled about that.”

“From what Kaveh told me, he’s become his personal maid as he feels responsible for his injury. And yet, despite being the one who offered help, Kaveh complains that Alhaitham has been running him ragged.”

Wanderer snorted. “Figures the Scribe has been taking advantage of this. Not that I blame him. I’d do the same thing. Though I’d make it more humiliating.” An evil grin rested on his face. Kokoro attempted to mimic it. Wanderer frowned at him. A frown met him back, 

Paimon cooed at the scene. “A bit creepy on Wanderer’s end, but Kokoro is so cute.”

“Traveler,” Nahida said suddenly. Traveler turned to her. “I’ll have to ask you to visit Alhaitham’s house. If Kaveh’s cat is the one who found this, chances are we can use said cat to locate the bat.” Traveler nodded in agreement. “Is there anything else you found in connection with it?” She gazed up at Cyno. 

“The bat had been inside one of Alhaitham’s shoes. We have people analyzing it in hopes of finding the bat’s DNA. Unfortunately, we were unable to discover anything from the single strand we discovered. It all shows common levels from previous bat studies. It’s almost as if the only change to it was its appearance, but I would expect it to still show a change.”

Nahida pondered this. “I’ll have to look into it personally. While the Traveler attempts to find the bat, I’ll have to ask you to continue investigating the other cases people have reported encountering mutual animals. Fortunately, only one person has been hurt, but if this continues to occur, I fear it won’t be long before chaos erupts.”

“Understood.” Cyno nodded in agreement. “In that case, I will take my leave. Traveler, Wanderer.” Kokoro waved at him in farewell. Cyno waved back at him. 

“We should take our leave as well,” Traveler muttered to Paimon. Addressing Nahida and Wanderer, “We’ll also check Inazuma for any potential sightings of a young man resembling Wanderer.” 

“Depending on which version of me it is, it can either be a good or bad thing,” Wanderer replied. Absentmindedly, he cradled Kokoro and gently rocked him. “You can count on the Balladeer not interacting with the people, but if it's that version…you’ll find him quicker.”

Paimon hesitantly flew up to him and patted him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “We’ll find you, uh, the others you, as fast as possible.” Wanderer stared at her blankly before he scowled. 

“Work on your whispering. You might as well be shouting.”

Paimon stomped her feet angrily, spluttering at him. “Paimon’s coming up with an ugly nickname for you!” Kokoro gazed at her with tired eyes. She faltered. “Let’s go, Traveler!” She pouted. Traveled sighed before giving their farewells, and just like that, it was just a deity, a puppet, and a baby in the room. 

“Something is bothering you. What is it?” Nahida questioned. 

“You said all of the versions of me out there are supposed to be me at different stages of my life. So then why is this one,” his eyes rested on Kokoro’s face, whose eyes fluttered drowsily, “a baby? I’ve never been a baby. Perhaps he could be argued to have a child-like innocence, but not enough to actually be a baby.” A human baby was left unsaid. 

Nahida’s gaze softened. “I can not give you an answer for this, unfortunately. I wonder if even Inazuma’s archon,” Wanderer’s face turned stony, “if she would have an answer.” 

Kokoro’s breathing sounded loud in the silent room. His body was tucked in Wanderer’s grasp.

“If I were to make a guess, perhaps in the chaos of Irmunsul sorting itself out, it spat out a result of one of your manifestations of desire.” 

By the time Nahida left, Wanderer was left cradling a slumbering Kokoro, as he stared into nothing, mind racing.