Sleepy hollow [genshin impact]

17| A puppet by the strings

Auggie woke up to [M/N] shaking him gently and knew that the dreaded Wedsnday came, math test day and P.E, not only at school with assholes but assholes who smell like everything on the bus. He brushes his teeth, washed his face, and changed into nothing special before grabbing his bookbag. He smelled toast and scrambled eggs, coffee too but Uncle would get upset that Auggie drunk all of it again. Auggie ate and listened to the yawning that came from Uncle, clearly too early for him as well. 

Auggie wanted to homeschool but no.

"Here ya go." [M/N] placed the bagged lunch on the table, yawning a bit as Auggie finished his food and cleared his orange juice cup. He licked his lips before yawning a bit, "Alright, have a good day, and don't fight others, kids."

"I'll try, and make sure Xiao doesn't try to kiss you." [M/N] grumbled as Auggie laughs to himself before walking to the door, the bus would be there at any minute. Auggie opened the door and moved back with a slight gasp, flinching a bit. "What?"

A woman around her late thirties, brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and her matching eyes hidden with wired thin glasses. Her pale lips pulled into a smile, making the pink gloss shine a bit. So bright that early in the morning. "Hi, there!"

"Hello?"

"Hiiiii, I was wondering who was our neighbors and here you are, a sweet little fella." She cooed and Auggie looked visibly uncomfortable. "Sorry, I'm Diana, you're new neighbor. I have a plate of muffins-" The door opens once more and [M/N] stood there with a yawn escaping his lips. 

"Auggie, you're gonna miss the bus." He began until he noticed the lady there, he stops and his hand on his hip. "Who are you?"

"Hi! I'm Diana, your new neighbor a few minutes away. I just wanted to say a polite hello to our new neighbors. I also made extra muffins for you and your son." She said, her voice very polite and nice. It made [M/N] uncomfortable, and Auggie hurried out the way and speedwalks to the bus stop, seeing it come up. [M/N] scowls as his nephew abandoned him. "Anyway, my husband is the new local pastor at the nearby church-"

"Listen, you must be a nice woman but I'm really tight on my schedule and-" Another figure appeared behind [M/N] and looked over with a raised eyebrow. 

"[M/N] what's going on? Did Auggie not get on the bus?" Zhongli asked as he noticed the woman and her plate of muffins. 

"Oh dear me, I thought it was two people living here." Diana gasped, as she placed a hand against her chest. "I am so sorry."

"No, it's fine...it's usually me and Auggie but some friends decided to stop by once in a while." She nods at [M/N]'s words, seemingly buying the whole story. 

"Why don't you come in? Have some tea with us?" Zhongli offered, ignoring the other's tired glare at him. Diana smiles, and [M/N] felt a tingle down his spine from her smile. It didn't feel so good but pushed it down, as he moved back and the woman entered with the muffins. They did smell good. 

---

"How interesting this God is, one day I would like to meet him in person along with his son, Jesus?"

"Hahahah! Don't we all?"

[M/N] was leaning on his elbow as he listened to them chat about the church, after listening to them talk about the weather, teas, and some sort of banana recipe? He didn't listen to much, since he was still very tired but then the dish of the muffin was pushed to him. The other Diana finished herself since it was only meant for Auggie and himself, he let her. 

"Here you go, take a bite, it would surely wake you up." Diana said as [M/N] merely blinked a few times before slowly taking it up, a bit warm since it was baked this morning.  "It's nothing but banana." She joked as [M/N] takes the dessert before bitting down on the warm bread, chewing slowly before feeling it go down. It's sweet, nothing amazing.

"Thank you."

She smiles as she takes the now empty plate before standing. "No problem, anyway, I would love to see you both at the church sometime!" She gives another smile, leaving and Zhongli shuts the door with a hum.

"This Jesus sounds interesting but reminds me of the priestess in Inazuma, Lady Kokomi. Especially of him walking on water but I do not know if she could try to turn water in wine." Zhongli said as he rubbed his chin and [M/N] laughs loudly.

"Zhongli, that's a fictional tale, we don't know if he walked on water or even turn water into wine. Over the years, the words were lost in translation, and the Christian church decided to play dictionary and stuff their beliefs into a signal book. The real scripture is in Hebrew, and Jesus isn't even the guy's real name nor God." [M/N] yawns as he looked at Zhongli. "I think they're both overrated regardless." 

"Why is that?"

"Why follow what everyone believes in? Does the cross annoy people? Yeah, it annoys me but it is also my last line of defense against a demon or worst. It pisses them off and I also like playing with it." [M/N] yawns once more as he finished the muffin and dusted the crumbles off. 

"Not to fond of the Gods?" Zhongli asked as he watched the other stand up to stretch. Zhongli wasn't an actual god, but an Archon, something very close but still far apart.

"Christian god? No, other gods like Hades and Artemis? I think they swell." [M/N] rubbed his eyes a bit with another yawn. "Why? Think I wouldn't like you or Venti?"

"Nothing like that, more of, curious why to dislike any god." Zhongli answered as he takes the cup from the table to wash. "I suppose people have many reasons to dislike them, some can be cruel or lazy." He didn't have the right to talk about it since he faked his own death. 

"I prayed and prayed for many years for someone to help me, Jesus, God, the archangels, and no one came to help me. No one but myself, even if it resulted in death." [M/N] shrugs a bit as licked his lips, he didn't have an appointment until 3 so another few hours of sleep wouldn't hurt him. "Besides, I fear humans more than gods and monsters. They are the real bastards here." with that [M/N] walked upstairs as Zhongli kept that in mind.

Humans and Mortals alike, do have freedom and will do whatever they want they would get without fear of God. [M/N] had known this for a while but still, this just wanted Zhongli to poke more about this subject. 

[M/N] rubbed his forehead as he walked back to his room and stops as he saw a box on the pillow of his bed. His lips formed a scowl as he walked towards it, and picked it up. Something rocked inside and he hoped it wasn't another friend of theirs. He was to the max already, but then again it could be a box for a book he ordered a few months ago. There was a stack of them in the corner, all closed and kept fresh with their smell.

"Baldy, did you bring this?" He asked the naked cat sleeping under the blanket for warmth but the cat didn't flinch, eyes closed as well. [M/N] rolled his eyes before taking the edge of the tape, pulling it off slowly. Once it was gone, he opened the flaps and looked around. So much packing peanuts and bubble wrap. Soon he saw it, the odd-looking thing.

"Auggie what the fuck did you buy?"

[M/N] muttered as he looked over the doll or puppet? He looked over it, handcrafted it seemed with a large hat. It had strings on its hands and feet, along with the top of the heat. It looked like he wore a Japanese sort of clothes but [M/N] saw the name on the back. 

"Kunikuzushi?"

[M/N] hummed as he placed the small box into the garbage and sits the cute doll on the bookshelf before rubbing his temple as pain shot by it. Another headache it seems-

"Xingqiu! Don't eat that!"

"Stop yelling."

[M/N] sighs as he heard two of the others woke up, he stands and left the room to see what had happened. The door closed as the doll's limbs twitched and dark purple eyes shine for a moment, moving in the direction of the door then the height of the jump he could make.