A Series of Sumeru Mishaps [Double Trouble SAGAU]
A body double takes on the land of wisdom and dreams. Meanwhile, the ordinary and extraordinary folk alike are swept into the maelstorm of chaos that is their Creator’s ‘international ambassador’.
Aka the -Sumeru 3.0 update consumed me like fungi so here we are- special edition. Also known as -Tighnari didn’t come home and threw a Jean at me so I’m venting- edition.
Sumeru was brimming with both life and death, which you came to learn when you stumbled onto a patch of land reeking of absolute corruption. It was a horrifying yet heartbreaking sight, where the vitality of nature was poisoned by the strange red plants, the air itself suffocated your lungs with the stench of death.
“This looks really terrifying realistically…” You murmured, about to bolt the other way when you noticed something peculiar and green dogging your footsteps, “Huh?”
Patches of fresh grass trailed behind you, like you had purified the very land you stepped on. It was quickly overtaken by the withering again but you had enough time to process what you just saw.
“… can I simply stomp out those withering tumors?”
✾~✾~✾
“Someone already dealt with the withering zone in the southeast?” Tighnari questioned, ears standing rigid in his confusion as he stared at the forest ranger.
“Huh, how strange… whoever our little helper is they are either unfortunate enough to stumble into the withering zone or foolish enough to deal with it on their own.” Tighnari didn’t mince his words.
In the back of Tighnari’s mind, he wondered if this had any connection to the appearance of the Creator’s sibling before he shook his head. While the sibling has proven themselves to be highly troublesome- the sibling’s tendency to tackle and cuddle the wildlife instantly came to mind- they wouldn’t be that reckless, right?
Somewhere, a sneeze sounded from amongst a cuddle pile consisting of Rishboland tigers and a tired body double.
The customers of Lambad’s tavern have grown used to the sight of the Creator’s international ambassador lounging around like a sun-tanning cat. What they haven’t grown used to, however, was the utter strangeness of their actions.
Every evening, the ambassador would walk into the tavern and take the empty table in the far corner. Ordering only a drink and dessert, they would blankly stare at the wall for hours before they leave.
One day, Lambad decided to finally ask about his strange customer’s behaviour- it wasn’t because several concerned customers gave him an exorcist’s phone number, of course not-.
The answer Lambad received only unnerved him even further.
“Oh, the music for your tavern is quite soothing to listen to.” The ambassador replied nonchalantly.
Somehow, Lambad felt cold amidst the warm atmosphere of his own tavern.
The tavern owner stumbled, confused and a little terrified, “But- the tavern doesn’t play music?”
A cryptid smile was his final answer, and Lambad ran away under the guise of getting more food. The ambassador’s humming haunted his retreating figure.
The gossip rushing through Sumeru that evening only strengthened the rumours of a 'mad foreigner’ or 'the Creator hears the music of the winds, serenaded by the adoring Anemo Archon’.
Surprisingly enough, those two rumours never got connected to one another.
✾~✾~✾
“As the Creator’s ambassador and body double you must be aware of the dangers the rainforest presents, correct?” Tighnari’s ears twitched in irritation as you guiltily knelt dogeza-style before him.
“So why would you fool-hardily run to a ruin drake and let it attack you? Have you lost your sense of awareness? Did you perhaps eat one of those mushrooms I specifically told you not to?”
The forest ranger’s calm voice took an underlining growl, stifling his instincts to lock you in his room and prevent you from running headfirst into danger.
Perhaps you won’t notice if your injuries took you a little longer to heal?
Tighnari snapped out of his thoughts, “Pardon?”
You sheepishly avoided his stern gaze, “The battle OST was so good that I have the habit of… finding new enemies just to listen to it?”
“… so you did eat those hallucinogenic mushrooms.”
✾~✾~✾
Port Ormos was no stranger to eccentric individuals, especially since it readily welcomes and houses Akademiya students who had to trade their genius minds for something- if you’d questioned the older folk around the docks, they would tell you of a strange Akademiya student who used to come around the evening to throw bags into the river while cackling. It was only after that student’s expulsion did people realised those bags he threw were his failed experiments: dead mice, dead fungi, missing people, etc.-
It was quite normal to see a student from the Akademiya having an existential crisis or being arrested in public. But the person wildly dancing in the middle of the street was not from the Akademiya.
In fact, the madman strangely resembled the tiny memorial statues of the Creator.
“Mom, is that person alright?” A young boy innocently pointed at the twirling figure.
His mother quickly ushered him away, “Ignore them, sweetie, and pray to the Creator that their troubled soul is laid to rest.”
“If fungi bad, why cute?” Arapaha had no idea how to deal with the Rainbow Not-Nara. The trees had welcomed the Not-Nara with wealthy growth, the winds joyously sang and the waters have turned a pure blue for the return of the Rainbow Not-Nara.
“Release the bad shroom-kin, Rainbow Not-Nara! Shroom-kin bad, and not cute!” Aragana, their youngest, fumed, bouncing as they angrily waved their stick at the Rainbow Not-Nara.
This particular group of Aranara had stumbled upon their Rainbow Not-Nara by accident, having followed the sound of someone singing Arana’s music off-key.
They expected to find the Golden Nara and Paimon, though the Golden Nara’s singing was more harmonious and deeper than this particular voice.
The Rainbow Not-Nara choking cuddling a group of fungi in the middle of a cave was certainly not what they expected to find.
The Rainbow Not-Nara’s aura turned gloomy, like blackened skies and red cubes descending, as their grasp around the unusually still fungi tightened, “Fungi is cute!”
“That’s not true!” Aragana blustered, “Aragana is way more good than that bad shroom-kin! A-And way more cuter!”
Silence descended upon the clearing.
“Aragana, if you wanted me to hold you too you could’ve just say so…” Rainbow Not-Nara spoke gently, like dewdrops upon the fragile leaves in the midst of a rainstorm, loosening their grip to make room for the stuttering Aranara.
The fungus made its move at that very moment.
“AHHH BAD SHROOM-KIN!! RELEASE THE RAINBOW NOT-NARA’S FACE BAD SHROOM-”
Doppelgänger: for the last time it’s a tree-
You: *waves at the Tree of Dreams* it’s just a gigantic space onion, you can’t change my mind
Doppelgänger: You- Traveler, tell them!
Traveler: … Paimon thought it was a giant onion when we found it too
Paimon: You traitor! You asked that Aranara if the tree was edible!