Chapter Text
Bow twice.
Clap your hands twice.
Pray.
Bow.
Your hands were shaky when you stationed them at your sides. Determined to get this right so that you wouldn't upset the gods. Visits to the shrine during the middle of the day eventually came to a halt as you struggled with the social anxiety of undergoing your payment of respect in public. You took time out of your day to pay the shrine a visit close to nightfall. Though this might even be disrespectful, you never had ill intent. Your ambitions were pure, this much had already been proven by the Vision swaying on your person.
Before opening your eyes, you raised your head slowly. Feeling the chilling breeze of the night prickle against any exposed skin.
You took a deep breath.
"You forgot to make an offering," the voice of another startling you from your state of zen, and a mischievous sounding one at that, "ring the bell, too." So, it wasn't the wind making you chilled apparently. A sixth sense told you that there was somebody lurking. You turned to face the owner of the mischievous voice. There sat a fair faced young man leaning on a tree with his arms tucked into his kimono sleeves. His face bore an unreadable expression, not because he was keeping a distance as he watched you but because you just couldn't decipher an expression from him. The tone of his voice didn't quite match with his guise.
Returning your focus back onto the shrine, you placed down some Mora into the box you didn't even notice was there in the first place. Next, your hand rested on the thick rope connecting to the shrine bell, "Once?" you inquired to the boy. He placed a single finger over his mouth in an attempt to encourage silence and nodded in response. Continuing on, a gentle tug of the rope resounded the aftermath of your actions, and you repeated the procedure you had practised from before.
"Bow twice, clap twice, pray aaaaand, bow." The boy walked up from behind, clapping as his approach drew near. Your mind was puzzled by his actions, unsure whether it was his intention to distract or aid you. "Very nice work! I'm impressed."
You were confused into silence for a moment while the young man continued. "That was your very first successful shrine offering! All your other attempts in the past few weeks just made me so... frustrated. I could only stay quiet for so long." He shrugged as his words of sarcasm finally registered into your mind.
"You-!" Your eyes widened. Had he implied that he's been watching you repeat this process over and over? A sigh escaped past your lips. "Thank you for your..." Now that they were close, his features were a lot more discernible "...help." His eyes reminded you of an electro vision; bright, expressive, keen and all knowing. His hair was dark and long, oddly trimmed in all sorts of locations - but what stood out the most to you was a few strands of hair being a lighter colour than the rest of his hair. The bangs covering his forehead barely even moved despite the blowing winds.
"Why were you watching me?" You asked to recover from your confusion.
A small smile emerged, "I've been a local attending these shrines for years. I watch all sorts of people come and go, although you're the most interesting one to date." He was intrigued by the way you appeared so small and fragile in those crowded areas, soon before attending the same shrine without a soul in sight and watching your confidence skyrocket. "So, what brings you to the shrine so late these days?" He placed his hands on his hips.
"I wanted to learn how to properly pay respects," you take a step back to adjust your clothing, making sure everything is all in the right place and also in one piece. Not to doubt the stranger you had just met but anybody would think that his watching you would be outright dangerous. You had best be cautious around this man.
"I see," he laughs, "but you couldn't you have just asked somebody?"
"It's not as easy as that, I'm afraid."
The man hummed in thought, brushing aside any further means of progressing with that line of conversation. You took this opportunity to present him with a question instead.
"How come you're attending the shrine late?"
He responds with an answer you do not expect, "Because of you."
"...Me? Whatever for?"
"As I said, I found you interesting." He crosses his arms, "Your persistence in wanting to be acknowledged by the gods despite bearing a vision sparks my curiosity."
"How is that so strange?" Now you catch him off guard, "this is my way of thanking them. And using the vision to the best of my abilities, of course."
He releases a wave of laughter, holding his stomach as if you told the funniest joke in all of Teyvat.
"Sorry, sorry. Don't take this the wrong way. But even the shrine maidens aren't as devoted as you are." He places a soft hand to your shoulder, "Your devotion is surely to be recognised by the right people."
The change of perspective startled you, but upon looking into his eyes you could tell that there was a hint of sincerity behind his words. You felt that you could look up to him for care and respect. Something about this man gave you a sense of urgency to back away, on the other hand you felt the need to bow to him. He was stunning in his own right, but that was beside the point. His demeanour was powerful extraordinary.
"Tell me your name," you blurt out unexpectedly. The young man's eyes widened for a split second before rendering shut as he chuckled. "I'm sorry it's just, I feel like I should know you. I can't really explain it well, I'm afraid."
"My name is Kunikuzushi," he replied, "won't you be so kind to share yours?"
"Y/N," you respond as fast as lightening, "My name is Y/N."
"I'll remember it well."
"Likewise."
Despite Kunikuzushi teaching you the correct formation and procedure to undergo respect at the shrine, you still found yourself venturing to the very same shrine an no difference in the time of day. Surprised, the young man would often utter his words of confusion in the most obvious tones but really, he did not mind your company. You established that he was quite the straightforward speaker; always one to state whatever was on his mind regardless of how controversial his opinion was of anything. You admired his honesty. You admired his bravery to speak of the world which nobody dared to question. And you always listened to his ramblings, completely forgetting the topic from his lips but paying more attention to the way how his voice varied from loud and confident to a whisper with a hint of sarcasm rolling off his tongue.
At some point he grew tired of your attempts to declare honorifics and stopped you whenever you had the chance to add them onto his name. He'd always say, "there's no need for that," or "why bother?" But he was never truly angry with you, even if you did manage to get away with addressing him as such. If anything, you took enjoyment in teasing him by calling him Lord Kunikuzushi.
All good things aside, the way how he spoke his opinions of the gods put a thought to your mind. Such strong opinions would no doubt be overlooked by the gods. You wondered how long it would be that his words were recognised, much like how he implied with your own actions. His confidence was never really justified, and you were trying to discover why.
"Lord Kunikuzushi, don't you want to visit places apart from the shrine?" A thought crossed your mind that maybe he didn't want to leave. Maybe if he stationed himself around the shrine so often that the gods would be forced to heed his words.
"If you have anywhere in mind then I'm free to join you."
Oh.
So, he wasn't restricted to the area, it seemed. But he had some kind of attachment to the shrine at most.
"You look like you're trying to get a good read on me," Kunikuzushi crossed his arms in thought, "What is it you want to know?"
"I don't mean to pry but," you chose your words carefully, "what is your relation to the shrine- to the gods?"
"I'm not religious, if that's what you mean," his words left you in a further state of confusion, "I'm just an ordinary citizen of Inazuma. Is there anything suspicious about that?"
"No, but you know so much and have so many things to say. I just thought there was something more."
Kunikuzushi studied you as much as you were studying him.
"You're a strange one." He smiled. "Remember how I said I found you interesting? I was hoping to learn from you."
"To learn?" You replied with a hint of excitement behind your words, "what could you possibly want to learn from me?"
"You're different from the other humans. You don't blend in with the others. You stand out. Somebody could easily pick you out from within a crowd."
You took that as a compliment and averted your gaze in embarrassment.
"I could study you to learn how to be more human." He raised your palm to touch it with his fingertips before locking your hands together. His hands were surprisingly soft, delicate. His fingernails were long, but he made sure not to scratch you. He was careful with you.
"What... do you mean by that?" You ask after the brief moment of silence it took you to comprehend what Kunikuzushi had said.
His voice was almost a whisper, "Your memory is like that of a fish's." He laughed. "Like I said, I'm trying to learn how to be human. The other shrine visitors are so boring it kills me."
"So, you're-"
"One of the divine? I'll take that. Just don't address me as a god. At least not yet." Kunikuzushi sighed, "All your attempts to address me with honorifics despite you not knowing who I was until now. Your instincts are quite sharp, I'm impressed."
A wave of guilt rushed over you once you realised how much he might have hated it when he made it aware he was trying to be more human-like. That said, now you felt all the more reason to address him with respect.
"Lord Kunikuzushi," his eyelids fluttered as his attention focussed in on your eyes of sincerity, "I'll teach you what I can, but in exchange for..." you thought for a moment, but nothing came to mind. It wasn't that you wanted anything in particular, but this was an opportunity that you refused to get nothing out of.
"Allow me to stop you there," Kunikuzushi interrupted your train of thought, "Don't treat me as if I'm the God of Contracts. I'd rather not make this into some kind of deal. I'm just here to take what I can get, is all."
You giggled quietly to yourself. "Alright, I get it. Then, will your company be enough for me?"
"..." Kunikuzushi looked at you with a mixture of confusion and disgust written all over his face, "You do realise that this is suggesting you simply want to serve me?"
You smiled, "I'm aware."
Surely it shown had already been known to Kunikuzushi that your devotion to the gods was close to that of obsession. You wanted to show your gratitude to each and every god out there, regardless of how diminished their power or popularity was. Now, you looked up to Kunikuzushi with even more respect. That said, this would be difficult trying to balance godhood on the scale of wanting to be more humane. You realised how troubling this would be for Kunikuzushi, but it gave you more reason to stay by his side and help him along the way.
Kunikuzushi never willingly shared any information about his life to you. It often came about in random bits and pieces left for you to decipher.
"So..." from what you gathered, Kunikuzushi was a descendant of the electro Archon, but he never stated her name specifically. It was always "Electro Archon" and not the "Raiden Shogun" which was the name you were aware of. Unsure whether or not this played a part in his history, you gathered that he must also be a millennia year old - you would have never thought since his skin was so fair. Kunikuzushi had a mind of his own, swayed by naught.
However...
His actions recently seemed to have only benefitted you.
The seemingly young lord followed you everywhere you went, and it seemed like his existence was easily ignored by others. He truly would have blended in with ease if it weren't for him introducing himself to you. You would have been none the wiser to his truth. On calm weathered days, you took him to the coasts of Narukami Island and simply sat down to watch the waves of the ocean ripple against your feet. Kunikuzushi was hesitant, seemingly not wanting to get himself wet and you didn't pressure him to join you.
He'd observe the way you practically danced along the shore, never allowing your feet to be misplaced in the sand or water. He observed how peaceful you looked but when you caught him staring for too long Kunikuzushi would avert his gaze.
Alternatively, you relished in how beautifully his hair swayed from the breeze of the coast. Though he'd openly disapprove of it, Kunikuzushi was often hateful towards his long hair - claiming it to be a distraction and that it would get in the way of his ordeals. It made you wonder what exactly he does in his free time for his hair to garner such a bad reputation of the wearer.
After deciding you had spent enough time with your feet in the water, you strolled over to Kunikuzushi's location and sat beside him. He was about to move his hair out of the way but your brushed his hand aside. He glared at you with an unreadable expression, only his eyes were wide and he, himself, was speechless.
His hair was incredibly soft to touch, each strand gently brushing against the palms of your hands. You'd hoped that you could teach him to appreciate himself more, regardless of how painful his past may have been. To that, Kunikuzushi only assumed you to be an unknowing human. You didn't know much about him, and you didn't need to.
So why do you insist on learning about him? There were many gods throughout the years, why had you taken a liking to him in particular.
He snatched your hand away from his hair and took a look at you. From there, he noticed how full of earnest your eyes were.
You simply wanted to help him. There was no ulterior motive. No ill intent. You truly wished the best for him. Kunikuzushi was confused why.
"Tell me something," he spoke up, "you..." he struggled to find the right words. Though he was no mortal, he wasn't entirely stupid when it came to human affairs. He knows more than most gods since he had been living amongst them all this time. He sighed. He wanted to ask if your kindness towards him was an act of love. He would question you based on your answer. But he didn't want to jump to the conclusion. He wasn't confident in how he would respond either.
"...Nevermind. Continue as you were."
He released your hand but instead of returning them to his hair, you brought them to his face and turned his head to face you.
"Ask your question," Your words were gentle to his ears, gentle to his soul. "I'll answer." His mouth was agape for a moment - his mind rushing to and from different questions. He had so many things to ask that he wasn't too sure where to begin.
Instead, Kunikuzushi closed his eyes. At this moment in time, you took the opportunity to be patient and inspect his features even further. His deep purple eyelashes were long. He was relaxed in your presence and he failed to understand why.
"There's a lot of things I still don't know."
"Such as?"
"Love."
He opened his eyes to see your reaction and you admit that you were taken aback. With the way how he presented himself before you dared not even think that love was even a thing on his mind.
"The truth is," Kunikuzushi started to speak as he placed his hand atop yours on his cheek, "my connection to the electro Archon is far greater than it would seem. Not many are aware of this, but I feel like I should let you in on a little... secret. Do you think you're up to the task of keeping this strictly confidential?"
"...If you have to ask then no, I doubt myself-“
“Answer the question for your own sake, not somebody else’s.” You bit your lip.
"Y-Yes. I won't tell a soul."
Kunikuzushi took a deep breath.
"It's common knowledge that the electro Archon is known as Raiden Shogun, yes?" You nod in approval. "The truth is that the real Archon is embodied within the Shogun. The god you see prancing about in Tenshukaku is not the electro Archon. She is a puppet on display in place of the Archon."
"Where do you play a part in this?" You didn't want to make it so obvious, but you clearly cared more for Kunikuzushi's business and not the Shogun's. "You said you were a descendant-"
"My, you're forever the impatient one, aren't you?" Kunikuzushi tightened his grip on your hand. “My relation to the electro Archon is equal to that of the Raiden Shogun’s. I, too, am a… puppet, you could say.”
"You aren't a puppet if you have free will."
Your response stunned Kunikuzushi into silence. He stared at you wide eyed, expecting anything but that. For countless years, Kunikuzushi had wandered the lands of Inazuma feeling as though he had no purpose. His life was meaningless once he was cast aside by the gods. That is the ultimate form of worthlessness. Strayed from the path of the gods and belittled into living the life of a mortal. Kunikuzushi's life was set into stone on the day of his 'birth'.
A useless being born for the sole purpose of serving the electro Archon's selfishness. The same selfishness that lead him being thrown away like an unwanted toy. He was the prototype which had been discarded by the gods.
And yet here you were, encouraging him with only a few honest words. Here you were putting his decades of grief, depression and isolation to shame.
Kunikuzushi laughed. This laugh was like no other. Kunikuzushi had no choice but to laugh. His situation was so pathetic. He wanted to cry. He wanted to curse himself for putting all those years to waste. Bottled up somewhere inside him, you saw potential in him - not in particular as a god, but as a being.
"Y/N, you just solved thousands of years’ worth of my problems with your mere words." His bangs covered his eyes and he felt almost lifeless in your arms. He continued to laugh in your hold but only a little more quietly.
"Just how long had you been suffering for?" You pulled Kunikuzushi into a hug. He didn't have to answer your question - you didn't want him to, admittedly.
"Ha... I lost count along the way."
He returned your embrace by pulling you closer into the hug. His arms wrapped underneath yours and held onto your shoulders with a fierce grip. His face was buried into your clothing, where he finally stopped his streaks of laughter as he grew comfortable with his face in your chest.
Now that he'd opened up to you a lot more than intended, you hoped he'd take this as a reason for your extended devotion. He was a god, whether he wanted to believe that or not. He was a god who wasn't treated as such. What if you had the power to help him restore that glory?
"Kunikuzushi," You pulled back to ask him a serious question, but he didn't move in accordance. You rolled your eyes, "Lord Kunikuzushi," he looked up with a smirk across his face, "have you not confronted the Shogun about this? Does she know?"
"What does it matter?" His voice was monotonous, "since she exists and is doing her job, I'd have to no right to intervene. Especially not after showcasing my worthlessness to the electro Archon when she needed me."
This entire time Kunikuzushi had accepted that fact. What need was there to take a stroll back to Tenshukaku? The one thing he did not mention to you was that he awakened upon his own free will. He wasn't even granted the life that he was living today - he took that for himself. So, for a lifeless puppet to show up unannounced to the Raiden Shogun who had taken his place was severely out of the question.
"So, you chose to-"
"You're wrong," he stopped you before you could utter another word. "I didn't choose anything. I didn't even get a choice- do you honestly think I'd choose to venture around this godforsaken place with this empty feeling I have locked away?" It wasn't his words that startled you, but the sudden voice crack he made during his sentence.
He was showing you his emotions. He hadn't done this to anybody his entire life. Once Kunikuzushi caught onto the reason for your expression, he, too, found it surprising.
"...Damn you." He buried himself into your clothes again, embarrassed for lashing out at you. Embarrassed for showing himself to you.
Slowly but surely, he was making progress in learning to be more human. But on the other hand, your existence by his side made him want to acknowledge the truth that he was a god, and part of him still wished to pursue that side of himself.
"Damn you," he said once more into your clothes but this time a little more hushed and with less meaning. "Damn... you..." You hugged him tighter.