Hello to you again and I apologize for such a long delay. I was really hoping to finish it last week, but it didn't feel finished so I took more time rewriting it until it felt alright. I was also struggling with insomnia and headaches which only got worse when I was staring at computer screen, but little by little I finally managed to finish it. I will do my best to keep the chapters coming in bi-weekly updates since I really love this story and I want to share it with all of you. Your comments mean a lot and I'm really glad Scara and Nahida are getting so much love.
This time I tried to shift POVs between both of them as well as hiding some references to genshin lore. While this story is more meant to explore parental relationship between Scara and Nahida, I will gradually add more characters whose stories are connected to the main duo.
Chapter 3: Sweet Dreams
The noises of celebrating people were still heard long after she climbed up the flower carriage and tossed those few bowls of candy for excited children. The streets were decorated by numerous flowers, the vendors were inviting people to try the limited dishes, music was playing and dozens of young dancers were imitating the traditional Sabzerus dance, inviting others to join long after the grand dance was over. Everyone was happy, wearing flower crowns and celebrating with seven different types of dried treats like there was no tomorrow.
After so many years in that cage she finally got to see the birthday she could only dream about. Nahida kept waving to her people, even once the flower carriage left the city center and crowds were far away. There was only a single guard accompanying her back to Sanctuary of Surasthana, walking in silence beside her.
"That's far enough General Mahamatra, I'll be fine on my own."
"With all do respect Lesser Lord Kusanali, there is-"
"I'll be alright Cyno, you go celebrate with everyone else. You deserve it after all the trouble you went through to get it back."
The man could hardly say anything back to the God of Wisdom so he just made a polite bow before heading back, though Nahida could still tell that he observed her from a distance until she entered her chambers. The all too familiar serenity felt a lot more welcoming now that she knew she could leave it whenever she pleased. It's been a year since it happened, yet at times she still thought back to when Akasha terminal and children's dreams were her only way to experience the outside world. Experiencing her first proper birthday was surely a way to give her more hope for the future of her people though thinking more made her remember about someone else.
Using her dendro powers to open one of the hidden doors led her down, deeper into the sanctuary that before she was free sages used to store Knowledge Capsules or important documents since it was practically cut from any other Akademiya entry. Now those chambers were cleared up and one was arranged in a particular manner that had little to no resemblance to a typical Sumerian room. Items from all over Teyvat were neatly arranged on shelves or closets, from Liyuan vases full of Winwheel Asters and pocket watches from Fontaine to pots with Inazuman sakura bonsai and Snezhnayan toys. Room fit for a traveler…
… or wanderer.
She could still recall the day this room was blank and without a hint of personal touch. Times have surely changed, especially when she noticed a nice gift box tied with a ribbon with a single padisarah attached to a note.
"Not sure if I prepared them right, hope they taste alright. Happy Birthday Lesser Lord Kusanali"
Nahida formed a small smile as she carefully undid the ribbon and revealed a small plate full of candied nuts. The smell instantly filled up the room with the sweet aroma of her favorite treat and she couldn't help but try one right away. They were slightly less sweet than expected, but they were good regardless and she hardly kept herself from trying another one. No, that was enough, she had more than enough treats throughout the whole day.
And besides, she wanted to thank the owner of the gift in person.
When he wasn't away, he was either in his room or by her side when needed. Sometimes he would go to town on his own, but usually in the early morning or late night when there weren't as many people around. With almost every citizen, villager or even desert folk roaming the streets, she doubted he would be there.
But she knew about that one place where he would go when he needed some "fresh air".
…
Despite her small size it didn't take her long to reach the familiar hill, quite away from Sumeru City, yet close enough for late festivities to be still heard. It was the night by then, but the people still enjoyed the joyful time with even louder music.
There he was… sitting at the very edge of the wooden structure, just staring at the lights surrounding the great tree of Sumeru City.
She couldn't tell if he was observing the celebration from a distance out of curiosity or his need to observe human life in general. One thing was certain though, even if he never wanted to admit it.
Part of him wanted to be there when she got to celebrate her special day. Ever since he became her little agent, or how Electro Archon would call it, kagemusha, she could tell he used any opportunity to explore the world, bringing little souvenirs back as mementos. He was even offered a mission with Traveler once, but he refused it, saying he prefers to do it alone.
Despite being able to read minds, she never pried into his, unless he wanted to show her something that is, since many times he had to gather classified information for her and kept it in his mind until she received it herself. He liked his space and preferred to be left alone when not needed.
"Something wrong with the nuts?" he sighed without looking back "Or should I be social and look for that cooking group to tell them their class is trash?"
"Nothing wrong at all." Nahida giggled as she took a seat next to him "Very delicious in fact."
"Good… I wouldn't want to add the poisoning of Dendro Archon on the list of my crimes." he grinned slightly, but kept his eyes on the festival.
Nahida often wondered what goes on in his head when he simply stared into the distance while being well aware of his emotions being tucked away, scared they would betray him as well.
"I brought something for you as a thank you!" Dendro Archon reached for a small packet she carried with her.
"You really have this birthday thing upside down. What's the point of giving a gift if it's your own birthday?" he sighed as he slowly turned towards her "First I had to give something to Traveler on MY birthday and now you're giving me something on yours?"
"Consider it as a gift for me to be able to experience this evening with you." she winked which made him grin.
"Fair enough."
He unwrapped a small bundle with three white ball-like treats, almost instantly grimacing at the thought it might be that sticky Inazuman dango, but constant giggling from a little goddess made him take a small bite. Expecting something sweet, he was quite surprised when it was in fact more neutral as well as bitter. There was something greenish inside and once he made another bite he instantly recognized it.
"Bitter tea…" he mumbled as he slowly nibbled up the rest.
"Ehe~"
…
Nahida woke up from her thoughts when she felt Irmi's fuzzy snout on her arm. The document she has been working on has been opened for the past fifteen minutes without a single change. She wasn't sure if it was the mention of Sabzerus festival from a phone call with a client or a notification of a friend's birthday that reminded her of that day. Just a peaceful evening with echoes of celebrations and twinkling of the stars in the sky.
A hint of worry went over her when she failed to find the boy at the piles of textbooks, but then remembered he took a break in the greenhouse. Quietly she headed there to check on him and through the ajar doors she could see his curled up form on the swing sofa. He looked so calm and relaxed, almost like a young kitten catching on his sleep throughout the day. The half empty bowl of peaches even indicated he got something to eat after barely touching his food during his meals.
Part of her wanted to go in there to cover him up with a blanket since the opened window made the greenhouse a lot more chilly, but that would be breaking his first rule. Be it him in the past or him in the present, he didn't like showing his vulnerability, though in the past he had an easier time hiding it.
…
"Don't you want to catch up on your sleep? We will have a busy day tomorrow."
"Puppets have no need for sleep. I've already rested enough for the entire week just by sitting here for this short while."
"Your body might not require sleep, but your soul might."
"Funny you're concerned about something I don't have and even if I did, what would be the point?"
"To have a nice dream perhaps? Or is it also something you're convinced puppets don't need either?"
"My body was not meant to dream and neither did that bastard bother to add this function to it during experiments. The only dreams I ever had were 168 loops of repeated battle with Traveler and whatever that other dream you pulled me into was. I don't see the reason why I would want my mind to be meddled by you again."
"I apologize for giving you a bad experience for your very first dream…" Nahida looked down, trying not to think about the battle "But I can fix it if you just give me a chance."
"Don't feel like it."
"Please!" the goddess made the most impossibly big puppy eyes she could "Think of it as my birthday gift!"
The pleadings and adorably sparkly eyes went on for a while until he finally gave up. Lying down in the soft grass after removing his hat, he closed his eyes and let the Dendro Archon use the power of dreams.
…
Nahida clenched her small fist, being well aware that none of her powers remained in this time. No power of dendro, no connections to other people, no mind reading…
… no power of dreams.
In hundreds of years of being imprisoned, the dreams of children were her only escape besides Akasha. She could never get tired of flying through the most miraculous lands or meeting creatures of imagination and once adults regained the ability to dream again, she didn't hesitate to help them guide them through memories in order to create the most peaceful dreams. It also helped those who suffered through traumatic events, to give them at least a few nights of rest with no nightmares.
Sadly, in the present day she could no longer help the children under her care the same way. She could only stay by their side as they experienced night terrors and vivid nightmares, holding their little hands and assured them they were not alone. Some would react violently, others didn't want to listen and a lot were afraid of falling asleep in the first place. Way too many of them were on sleeping medications, though even that only applied to older kids. Any younger ones could only have very mild sedatives in forms of various herb mixture teas or similar remedies. Enough to help them fall asleep, but not enough to give them dreamless rest. Most just suffered throughout the night and then passed out due to exhaustion throughout the day.
Just like him at the moment.
In a way she was glad that he got to rest up, but at the same time she couldn't forget his shaking form and his fists hitting the wall last night. She thought back if she could've given him the pills anyway, but another part of her knew that he would likely have trouble keeping it down in his sensitive stomach. His poor eating habits weren't easy to ignore either since after going through his medical files and having a long talk with Candace, it was clear those were signs of food aversion. While it was quite common for children to be picky with their food, this was a whole different story and had to be treated by care, especially due to him being underweight.
Even now that she started to make lunch, she kept his needs in mind, using a lot less ingredients and spices like usual. The simple lentil soup that usually contained a rich veggie stock, was now reduced to a more bland version with just a little taste of veggies, mild spices and some leftover rice from yesterday's dinner. From what she could tell, the boy had grown to become sensitive to strong flavors as well as not being able to handle big portions. She will certainly need to consult a nutritionist in the future to improve his diet, though for now she just wanted to see if modified versions of her most common recipes would work with him.
Just when she set the pot to simmer a bit, Irmi was at her feet again, nudging with his snout that it was time for his meal too. She grinned at the hungry fuzzball and as she took the veggies out of the fridge, the quiet squeak of a swing sofa let her know the boy was waking up.
"Just in time." Nahida smiled as she placed the plate with veggies in his hands the second he got in the kitchen "I'll get the lunch ready while you feed Irmi, alright?"
He made a tired nod as he headed towards the bunny room, with Irmi rushing there before him. Nahida got herself busy with putting the plates on the table when she noticed a particular detail from the corner of her eye. The bunny room was at the very end of the other side of the hallway with just two other doors next to it, one leading to her bedroom and other to her office. It was a very cramped corner with not much but a few wall shelves, a small closet and a half-length mirror hanging on the wall.
And he avoided looking at it the second he noticed it was there.
She didn't see it the first time she showed him to the bunny room since he was behind her. He practically struggled with opening the door since the mirror was right next to the doors. It was not that different when he came back, instantly turning away from that direction and keeping his eyes in the right opposite way. Nahida didn't address it and rather just talked a bit about the dish she was serving. She was glad to see that he ate a bit more than for dinner the previous day, though he still left out about a third and proceeded to nibble on two pieces of pita chips for the rest of the meal.
Cleaning up followed and similarly he didn't say much other than occasionally asking where to put the dishes or what needed to be done. Nahida tried to start a conversation every time he spoke, but soon enough it was clear he wasn't in the mood nor did he seem like he had energy for it. To give him some space, she therefore just made some tea and let him know he can watch TV or play video games since time after lunch is reserved for relaxing leisure time. While he did turn on the television he wasn't particularly interested in whatever was on it and sipped on his tea until he was done, then he just half-stared at the screen that showed a random documentary about Sumeru's history.
She wondered if he remembered anything, though there was a really small chance that he did since so far only she and a couple of people had memories of the much different world. Would the documentary about the origins of Sabzeruz festival, Sumeru City itself or Vanarana forest bring out the memories? And even if they did, would it be for the better?
No matter how many times she went through his files she couldn't tell what exactly he went through in this world. Reports went from rather normal, fostering parents describing him as quiet and passive, refusing to open up to outright drastic cases when he would destroy things, hit other kids or run away from temporary homes. Still… this was just reported history, for before Dottorre's Group Home she didn't have much else than the fact that he was surrendered to an orphanage after his biological mother gave up parental rights when he was three years old and then being adopted by a big Inazuman family in the countryside. No one knew how he ended up all the way in Sumeru afterwards and the Inazuman adoptive family was reported to have passed away in the fire caused by a malfunctioning machine at their family workshop.
The history seemed to have sadly repeated and not knowing much else but what the files said, she could only speculate of how far his suffering went. If he were to add the memories of the past, who knows how he would handle it…
This wasn't the same Balladeer, the mechanical being made too human to carry out his purpose. Not the Kunikuzushi who slaughtered many across Inazuma in the name of his misunderstood revenge. Not the Everlasting Lord of Arcane Wisdom who gave up his last hint of identity to be worshiped as a god deep within an artificial armor with the heart that was never supposed to be his.
Not even a Wanderer who loyally followed her until the end of the world they both knew…
Now he was just a child under her care, once again lost in the world he barely knew with no one to protect him from that very same man who manipulated him for centuries.
Part of her wanted to pay Dottorre a visit and interrogate an absolute hell out of him, to see if that sick curiosity and fascination of suffering would again be an excuse for what he did to him and other kids. But as many connections she had with matra, it wouldn't get her anywhere near him since even a year later the Dottorre Group Home case was still under an investigation. The only thought that kept her calm was that there was enough evidence to keep him locked up, therefore preventing him from hurting another child ever again.
Still the fact that he was still around while so many children will forever live with scars he caused made her blood boil. She surely hoped the rightful amount of justice will be served to him one day soon.
…
Slight thump on the couch stirred her out of her thoughts while she was fixing up the schedule for the boy's soon-to-be homeschooling. Irmi was sniffing around for any of his toys or treats when he found his way to the boy. He must've been still smelling the peaches that the boy had for a snack since he would constantly nuzzle against his hands and even give them small licks.
The boy flinched at the fuzzy feeling at first, but let the bunny do it once he was sure it wouldn't bite him or something. Despite its big size, Irmi was gentle and curiously nuzzled around the new kit in the nest in order to get to know him. By now he saw enough new kits to know that not all of them are the same and should be careful, especially if they were really small and were afraid of him. Though many times those who were scared of him the most would later be the ones who would seek him out to feel safer.
This kit was interesting to say the least, very calm, very quiet and so very cold. Even though it was in the middle of spring, the kit's hands were cold to the touch as it was winter. Still, it didn't refuse the pets once the kit showed interest in him, no matter how awkward and clumsy they felt, almost like he didn't even know how to pet properly. The kit also constantly glanced towards his owner who just smiled and nodded, encouraging him to continue.
"Have you never pet a bunny before?" she asked once the boy got more comfortable with petting.
"One foster family had rabbits. I wanted to pet one, but they said they are only for food." he replied.
Not expecting such a blunt answer yet somewhat happy he replied, she tried to keep the conversation going.
"What about other animals? Got to spend any time with them?"
"That family also had cattle and I had to help with it. They also had dogs, but they were hunting dogs. I didn't like any of them, they bit."
That had to be that countryside farming foster family that gave up on him before the trial period even ended, under… questionable circumstances. Unfortunately many agencies only saw the idyllic farm surrounded by nature and didn't care to actually check if foster parents were even qualified to take in troubled children. That often resulted in children being in worse shape since certain foster families were convinced that they needed the so-called traditional tough love and discipline achieved through difficult farmwork. Considering he ended up in a hospital afterwards, he likely didn't have fond memories of that family.
"Any other pets?" she tried to continue, hoping she wasn't making him uncomfortable.
"Some had pet dogs, I didn't like them either. Too loud and annoying." he grunted, not wanting to remember all the noises and unwanted licks "Miss Candace and Miss Dehya were feeding some stray cats. Sometimes I saw them, but they were away most of the time."
"What do you think about Irmi? Annoying too?"
"Not really." the boy scratched the spot behind bunny's ears that fuzzball seemed to like "He is alright."
Nahida stopped counting the times when her bunny came to the rescue when she tried talking to children she fostered. The calm and curious nature of a soft being seemed to have a relaxing effect on the kids who refused to open up. Irmi was quite used to it by now, almost as if he could sense the distress within children and tried to let them know they are safe. She could still remember the time when he was much smaller and afraid to leave the hidey house in the room, no matter how many treats she used to try to get him out. Now he would approach complete strangers like it was nothing.
She was a bit concerned about Kunikizushi since his file contained many reports of him being aggressive and bunnies were beings with very sensitive bodies.
But part of her trusted him, knowing that none of the reports stated that he showed aggression towards animals or younger kids. In fact, some foster families did in fact leave positive reports of him tenderly taking care of houseplants or gardens and interacting with children younger than himself. As much as these sounded hopeful, Nahida very much doubted the new foster families saw them among a much bigger number of less promising reports of his problematic behavior.
"What do I do now?"
Nahida was stirred out of her thoughts by a slightly panicked question from her ward. The bunny managed to climb to his lap and just nestled up in a complete bun position with all of his legs neatly tucked up and relaxed.
"Well you're stuck. He has claimed your lap as his nest for now." Nahida giggled, but quickly went into neutral expression when the boy genuinely looked terrified at what just happened "Of course you can move him away, I was just joking. Though maybe just let him be for a while longer. Irmi just likes to bond with people he trusts in this kind of way."
A bit more calmed down, the boy slowly put hands around the fuzzy creature who didn't mind his cold and still clumsy hands petting him. It was kinda weird to him since all the animals he interacted with were never this close to him. The dogs were too direct with affection, the cats didn't stay for long and other animals were to be kept in barns or cages. This bunny on the other hand just approached him like it was no beggy and stayed with him much longer.
As adorable as this sight was, Nahida remembered about having to make a business call and retreated to her actual office due to needing specific files in front of her during the call. She did let the boy know that there is no hurry to his task of arranging the textbooks before that, to which he nodded and just continued to pet Irmi as he started to actually pay attention to the show on the television.
Compared to her comfy armchair and modified table, the office felt a lot more dull and dark, but there were some things she could only take care of in there. Especially if it was about sensitive topics which were sadly all too common among kids in foster care. Far too many times her agency had to find emergency homes for children of unstable parents and despite everything, many kids had trouble being separated from their abusive parents. Many kids still wanted to see them and the foster families were often unsure of how to approach this.
The current case was especially difficult since the foster parent just recently started taking care of a boy whose parent was heavily addicted to drugs and even used the poor kid to smuggle them across the country. Being a child to such parents had a whole set of issues, even being physically affected, but the man who already fostered four other kids from similar backgrounds was patient and caring with a lot of experience. However, when he got the news that the biological parent passed away from an overdose, he wasn't sure how to break the news to the boy who was still attached to that awful parent.
Nahida made sure to take her time, leading the fellow foster parent through the difficult steps and recommending therapists who could provide extra support in such dire situations. Her voice was in its usual professional tone, acting confident and comforting to someone who needed it, though once she was done she couldn't help but let out a few very tired sighs.
There were times when such calls would make her burst in tears, feeling so useless in this supposedly safer world. How much safer it really was if her job literally wouldn't exist if there were no orphaned, abandoned or abused children? Not that her previous role prevented all of that, but she still felt a lot less powerful without it.
Her eyes glanced at the framed photo at the desk right next to the computer, of the two girls in flowery dresses on the swing sofa. One looked like a teen while the other one was just a young child who looked like she just started going to school. The older one was brushing the younger one's hair, smiling at how she was observing several butterflies nearby. They both looked so happy, just enjoying the tender family moment.
The photo was very old… especially since just a few years later she had a lot less photos of the two of them.
Until she could no longer take them at all.
"Sometimes, I feel like I'm still a princess doing the queen's job." Nahida muttered as she put the files away, trying hard not to recall the last few moments before her last immediate family was gone "I wonder if we really weren't meant to be together in any timeline."
Despite forgetting her in previous life, she got to meet her in this life, though not for very long. She often tried to imagine both of them working at an agency, with her being the experienced one with advice while she learned, but sadly she knew she had to be the one who gives the advice. Despite the many diligent co-workers and close friends, she often wished there was someone older and wiser to help her out and while there were some, none of them were quite like her.
That's why she wanted to be that kind of a person to the children she fostered, someone they could rely on so they didn't feel as lonely as she did for far too many years. She could recall the dilemma she had with Balladeer, the puppet who tried to steal her position as a Dendro archon, the moment of pity she felt when he tearfully reached for that Gnosis…
Deep down she didn't want to do it, but she had a role to fulfill and he was in the way. Still… once her nation was safe, she couldn't help but come back to the broken puppet who was still working but seemed to have given up. That's when she finally had the time to connect Dottorre's memories as well as the puppet's own memories of when she used the power of dreams. The whole history of recurring loneliness, manipulation and misunderstandings of the world… centuries of horrible experiences that shaped him into what he was.
It was the same with the children she took under her wing though this time she couldn't see their memories, just read reports, pick at where the previous caretakers left off and talk to the children.
She wasn't sure where she was at with this boy, but when she returned back to the living room and found him napping at the same spot with Irmi still in his lap, she felt hopeful.
It was still very clear to her that this was just the second day, yet even small steps like this she acknowledged as small victories. She gently covered up his legs with a blanket and lowered up the TV volume to let him rest. Afterall, she did tell him that there was no hurry for anything just yet since she really wanted him to settle down in peace and most importantly… to let him know he was safe here.
…
"Will he ever be back?" he asked as he stared in the direction of the north.
She didn't need to ask who he meant as his slightly trembling hands gave it away.
"He took everything he wanted from this nation. If there is anything more, he has too much pride to complain after he got both Electro and Dendro Gnosis. And besides… you erased yourself from his memories."
"I did… he can no longer see me as a former harbinger, but he can still see me as an interesting test subject." he caressed his anemo vision "What if he pulls another scheme and dooms Sumeru through me? Or just… takes me back…"
…
Balladeer always carried himself high, using his pride and ego to lift himself up from everything he has been through. But for that one moment during conversation… he sounded scared. Number of times she heard him plotting Dottorre's demise in the most horrific ways, but knowing the deepest places of his mind, she was certain that deep down he still feared the Doctor.
She didn't know the extent of his fear this time, but treated it just the same as any child fearing their past abusive caretaker. Some responded with isolation, some aggression and others with denial… he seemed to respond with everything. Nahida really hoped that she was treating the whole situation the right way, that it was something he needed.
He didn't possess the divine powers nor was he an intricate piece of ancient technology in this life…
… but he was still a child in need of guidance.
…
He was awoken by something soft nuzzling against his hands, almost forgetting about the bunny in his lap. The fuzzball surely proclaimed his stomach as his new nest since he even dragged the blanket over himself. The boy slowly got up, letting the bunny know he really needed to use the bathroom and couldn't just forever be stuck in there. Luckily he seemed to get the memo as the bunny hopped back to his room just like that.
Miss Kusanali was now at the dining table, seemingly going through a folder full of documents while writing down some things in her notebook. He had no idea how much time had passed since it was still bright though not as much as it was before. All the textbooks were still the same as he left them and considering how much more he had to go through he made his trip to the bathroom as quickly as possible. Well that was at least one excuse for it since he really didn't want to admit it was due to the mirror. If anything at least he could look away for the time being and do a quick wash without looking up.
Once he was back, his guardian was seen picking some tools from the kitchen and thinking she was already preparing dinner, he got there to help, but she just grinned and handed him a woven basket.
"We are going to do some shopping." she winked as she grabbed a few more tools.
"At the store?" he asked, not really wanting to go to the crowded place so soon.
"Nah at my neighbor's garden." Nahida nudged at the hallway "Don't worry, he is not currently home and he lets me pick some veggies and mushrooms from time to time."
That gave the boy a much needed sigh of relief since he wasn't a fan of big grocery stores with far too many people where he had to push the cart while enduring all the noise and commotion. He silently put on the shoes and followed Miss Nahida outside. Apparently that neighbor was right below them on the ground floor. His guardian casually brought out a keyring with a lot of keys and even more ridiculously cute keychains, yet still knew right away which one belonged to that keyhole.
She stepped inside right after unlocking it like it was her own home and the boy carefully did the same. This apartment looked similar and yet had a much different feel to it due to all the things he noticed. It was far more messy than Nahida's apartment though not in a chaotic way like one of his foster parents' houses. There were notebooks and papers laying at almost every surface as well as hoodies, shirts and other pieces of discarded clothing. Yet there were still places that looked surprisingly clean like several terrariums that had… mushrooms? Well probably not the kind you'd eat since they were a lot more colorful and if he learned anything about the animal world, more color meant more poison.
"Sheesh one day without Tighnari and he already managed to mess up the whole place." Miss Kusanali grumbled as she narrowly avoided stepping on a book "Hopefully Collei can clean it up before he is back."
So at least three people lived here? And luckily at least one of them usually kept the place in order? He was a bit curious what kind of people they were, considering all the little things he noticed, including a lot more potted plants, shirts with matra logos as well as… plushies? Rather similar ones to the ones at his room of those mushroom creatures? In fact he saw them everywhere from notebook covers, blankets, books and even posters around the living room. One of the people living here was obviously either a big fan or kid who loved those characters.
He'd explore more of this interesting apartment if Nahida didn't drag him to another room that honestly looked a lot like her greenhouse except there were several modified glass cabinets with mushrooms. And apparently it was the kind they could eat since she instructed him to hold the basket while she carefully cut them off the wooden substrate. Another cabinet seemed to have been growing some kind of herbs that she too collected using scissors and this went on with various cabinets until the basket was full.
"We are just going to collect some more mushrooms from a different place since they need a damp and dark spot to grow."
The boy nodded at instructions and further followed his guardian to another room that mimicked her greenhouse except there was no balcony and just an entrance to the back garden. There were mostly various flowers and fruit trees as well as some seemingly empty patches of dirt along with a pile of gardening tools that were likely dropped there after weeding the garden, at least judging from Nahida's grumbling expression and some complaints about how someone didn't know how to put away tools properly.
"It's right over there, we will just pick some star-" Nahida pointed at what looked like a garden shed, but not before seeing the boy dropping the basket.
He stared at the gardening shed like he had just seen a ghost.
His breaths were going fast and his continuously shaking hands were very likely the reason he dropped the basket. Miss Kusanali has seen it before and knew she had to take him away before it gets worse. She quickly picked the basket with one hand and grabbed the boy's hand with her other hand.
But he stayed still, continuing to stare at the garden shed. She gently pulled at his arm but he didn't nudge, in fact he half pulled her back.
"No… go g-get…" he muttered as he continued to shake "I'm fine."
"I got more than enough veggies, we can go back. You don't-"
"I SAID I'M FINE!" he shouted as he pulled his hand away.
Nahida saw the boy instantly gasp in panic, trying to avoid her eye contact. She saw kids reacting this way to cover up an obvious panic attack and it was no different with him.
"Third rule: do not pity me."
She understood, despite wanting to take him away from whatever triggered him to be this way. He didn't want to burden her, so she quickly got to the shed, unlocked the door and grabbed those few starshrooms as fast as she could. By the time she was back he was still shaking, though not as much as before. Not wanting to further stress him out with what just happened, she guided him back to the apartment and let him sit down at the dinner table while she washed all the new veggies and mushrooms.
He offered to help and with his hands still shaking, she rather had him prepare Irmi's food since it really just required tearing the leaves of lettuce. She also had him take some treats to Irmi's room and noticed that he didn't struggle with a doorknob as much this time.
Probably because the mirror next to the door not-so-mysteriously disappeared during his nap.
By the time he was back, Nahida loudly announced that the dinner was almost done since she prepared everything in advance and won't be needing as much help. The boy just sat down at the dinner table as he got a plate of steamed rice with some grilled veggies, eating them even more slowly than his other meals so far. She didn't rush him at all and even tried to match up his slow pace so he wouldn't feel as left out though the way he was staring at his plate she doubted he even noticed.
Once he was finally done, with half uneaten portions being stored in the fridge and plates in a dishwasher, he went back to sorting out the textbooks like before.
Only this time he didn't bother to turn more than a few pages before putting them on a pile of textbooks he didn't find interesting. Nahida asked him if he wanted tea, but he said he didn't feel like it as he continued to discard more textbooks.
He was obviously still upset from before so Nahida gave him some time while she worked on her own things. It was getting dark soon and his mood didn't seem to improve much, in fact it seemed to have gotten worse when he came across some textbooks that were meant for more advanced homeschooling programs since he cursed several times and nearly threw the book at the neatly arranged pile.
She had to intervene in some way and before she knew it, she was turning on the game console.
"Let's play a game." she said as she handed him a controller.
"A what?" the boy looked half confused and half mad at what just happened.
"Yes you did enough of the task, you can have some time for fun."
"I don't want to-"
"Well I want to and it demands more players."
The boy was now fully confused at his very odd guardian. Usually the foster parents were against video games, not actively encouraging kids to play them, let alone join them. He just took the controller and waited for her to get on her armchair to start her laptop. Apparently the game could connect to multiple platforms and he will be playing the one on console while she will use laptop.
The screen had an animated logo of bricks building a tower, complete with flags and weird creatures flying around it until the title "Fortress of Medieval" showed up. He followed simple directions from Miss Kusanali, choosing difficulties and settings until he got to something called character creation.
"You're playing for the first time so you have to design your character." she instructed as he wasn't sure what exactly to pick.
The buttons and analog sticks were confusing enough already, but to use them for something as simple as picking a nose size of his character was even more of a challenge. He probably spent half of an hour just designing the most bland character he thought of, even giving him a very generic fantasy outfit with the only unique feature being a big hat that was more fit for a fancy noble lady than a stealth-like knight he was going for.
Once he was done, Nahida logged in her game as well and soon there was a forest nymph-like character in a dress adorned by flowers next to his generic knight with a hat.
"You can just explore a little to get used to the controls. At this stage you don't need to fight yet, but if you get attacked I'll protect you." she smiled as he begrudgingly started to collect every sparkling item in sight.
Truth to be told, he was very behind with video games since the fostering families and group homes either couldn't afford them or had other kids who wanted to play more than him. He knew the bare basics from watching them, like that analog stick was for movement and buttons were for actions like attack, collect or interact with whatever. Though using them was a whole new level since he had hard time focusing both on controls and with what his character was doing.
His guardian's character was more or less just roaming around, pointing at whichever items he could pick and occasionally hinted at new areas to explore. The fantasy world didn't look that much different from generic grassfields all over Sumeru and Liyue, the only difference being piles of neon colored crystals, odd creatures and random chests. Even though he often sent his character over the cliff or drowned them by accident when pressing the wrong buttons, Miss Kusanali seemed to have a blast with his poor gaming skills. Not in a "haha you suck" kind of way, but more of "you can do it!" kind of way.
The boy didn't like to be babied, very regularly refusing help with pretty much anything, but within the game it kinda felt refreshing when she patiently explained how character builds worked, which weapons to use and how to progress the game. He was rather surprised just how much into this game his guardian was, cheering with excitement when he completed his first quest completely on his own and advised how to use the selected weapons more efficiently. Over time his character leveled up significantly and the boy even cared to put a more aesthetically pleasing outfit on him.
"Phew, would you look at the time." Miss Kusanali stretched her arms "I think we should wrap it up for now, it will be lights out soon."
"Just one more boss…" he muttered quietly, not wanting to admit how much he got in the game.
"Alright then, but really just this one more boss." she got her character ready to support his character from a distance.
Despite the higher level and better built weapons, the boss was anything but easy and soon enough he was struggling and would likely have to start over and over if it wasn't for healing boost from afar. The centaur-like creature wouldn't stop firing arrows at his character that he barely avoided though in the end he finally defeated the boss and claimed the game achievement. It was only once he exited the game that he realized just how tiring video games could be, but he was glad he got to play it with his guardian. The more he learned about her, the more confused he became about her since she turned out to be anything but what he expected of a new foster parent, especially after so many before the trial period returns.
In a way he was glad for such a surprise while deep down he feared just how long it would last. He already acted out twice yet she treated it with ease and didn't bring it up afterwards. Most of his previous guardians would make a big deal out of it while he wasn't even in a state to properly reflect on it, leading to many heated arguments. Some were understanding, but those were also the ones who treated him like a toddler who was too dumb to own up to his actions. When Miss Candace asked him what kind of guardian he would want to have if he had a choice, he didn't know how to answer since the ones that weren't bad were just good enough not to hate and not exactly something he honestly wanted.
Miss Kusanali though… she reminded him so much of him.
Even though he was merely three years old at the time, he could never forget the five years he spent at the small remote island in Inazuma with that family. Yes family… the people who put up with his poor social skills, who taught him so much and promised to keep him safe…
… too bad that promise was broken when he was eight and his life changed forever since then.
The sight of that shed… no of that room…
… no… he mustn't get it to his head…
… he was not there anymore…
… he wasn't going to get punished.
…
"Oh I almost forgot!" his guardian almost scared the hell out of him when he was looking around his drawer for fresh pair of underwear before heading for shower "I didn't show you the bathroom yet!"
"I've already seen it more than enough times, I know where the stuff is." he replied as he headed there.
"Yes, yes, but there are some hidden compartments." she rushed to the bathroom ahead of him.
Honestly, he just wanted to get this done fast, yet he still let Miss Nahida show those few corners of the bathroom that he hadn't discovered yet. If anything he now at least knew where the hairdryer was, where he could plug it in as well as some other products he could use.
Though the most surprising part was when his guardian reached for a small string hanging just below the light above the mirror to pull down something that looked like a window shader, covering up the mirror completely. It was just like when he discovered those night light directions that guided him in the dark apartment.
It was like she indeed knew how to read his mind and a thought back made him realize that the other mirror was gone too the second time he went to feed the bunny. She just knew without asking what he really needed, making him question just who she really was. From what he got from Miss Candace, Miss Kusanali was an experienced foster parent as well as consultant at child welfare center, but meeting so many experienced foster parents hardly made him believe there even was such a thing when they all left him behind. Perhaps he just had the worst luck or more likely, it was just a good start.
Even a nice cold shower couldn't wash away his doubts about his current guardian since he really really wanted to believe in her, but with everything that happened so far he just didn't have any more faith to believe in anything.
The warm green colors of his new room pleasantly welcomed him back and as much as he welcomed the softness of pillows and plushies… it just didn't feel quite alright and the images of the previous not that well slept night were constantly flashing before his eyes…
"Here, some nice tea and your pill." Nahida brought in the tray (after knocking three times of course) with that same mug as well as a water bottle, rice crackers and a single white pill "You can turn off the light with the switch above your bedrest. I'll be also up for a few more hours to do some work if you'll need anything, so you can-"
"Can I sleep on the couch?" he blurted out before she could finish "This morning you said… you said I can sleep there…"
Miss Nahida was a bit taken back by his request, but just smiled as she helped him gather all the pillows and blankets he wanted to take with him. She also brought out a sort of mattress cover, similar to a Inazuman futon except it was meant specifically to cover up harder sleeping surfaces like in this case, a couch. It was placed on the very same spot where he napped with a bunny and made even cozier than the bed in his room.
He downed the tea and pill almost at the same time and started to wrap himself in layers of blankets like a big protective cocoon. Nahida turned off most of the lights, leaving only a single one on by her armchair to keep her workplace visible. She bid him a quiet goodnight as he turned his back to her when waiting for that pill to knock him out.
Despite looking like she was engrossed with whatever work related document she was working on, her eyes kept glancing at the small wrapped up form whose breaths were becoming more and more quiet until only sleeping sounds were heard.
When she told him about kids preferring the couch, she wasn't exaggerating. Many of them were afraid of falling asleep on their own, no matter how welcoming their room was. Since her room was too small for an extra bed to be near them, she opted for the couch and put together a small office right there and then so she could always be somewhere nearby them. Many didn't want to admit of being scared when alone so she wasn't as direct with it and simply gave them options.
The boy might've fallen asleep facing away from her, but she knew that was enough for him.
Sometimes just her mere presence, the quiet typing and scribbling sounds were all that the kids needed to know they were not alone.
That one trait didn't change much from his past self when he came to her to request dreams.
She didn't pry into them any more than needed to help him fall asleep, but those few moments before he was deep in them, she could tell he felt safe with the past memories with the kind blacksmiths who took him under their wing.
He never admitted it, but the days after such dreams, he was visibly in a better mood and far more diligent when completing his tasks.
How she wished she could do the same, especially when hours later he could see tears running down his cheeks again.
…
"I'm so sorry Balladeer…I promised I would give you the nice dreams of your memories when you'd need them and yet now I can no longer do that. As a puppet you wished to be a human and being a human means having no control over your dreams. You might get nice ones, but I can no longer protect you from the ones that can hurt you."
Hope you liked the new chapter! With so many of you loving the reincarnation part of this fic, I couldn't help but explore more of the past in this chapter and I will surely continue to do so in the future. I will add more characters later on, both in the past and the present and yes Scara will eventually interact with more characters than just his foster parent since we all want this kid to be happy with friends his age. If I give you a little challange - can you guess who is the foster parent (and the child he is taking care of) that Nahida was talking to through a phonecall? I'm just curious if any of you can figure it out. :D
I forgot to mention in the previous chapter - the dish that Nahida made for breakfast is an actual Arabic dish that I also love to prepare for my own breakfast. Lentil soup is also a typical Arabic dish and the "bitter tea treat" that Nahida made for Scara in the past is matcha mochi with green tea filling. I know mochi is supposed to be sweet and Scara dislikes sweets, though one time when I got matcah mochi from the store it didn't taste as sweet, so I thought this would be something that he would like.
Like always, kudos, comments, questions, ideas, constructive criticism are all very welcome and a big thank you to all of you who left your comments and kudos already!
Also if you're on European server and want to co-op, let me know. I'm always up for meeting new people and offering my support at boss battles.