Sleepy hollow [genshin impact]

25| Is there a God here?

Auggie had no sense of direction, really. All he knew was that he was past his neighborhood and into town, it only took ten minutes to leave into town since there were storm clouds coming up. His eyes moved around the people and opened business. His hands are stuffed into his pockets as he goes to sit down on the bench. He watched the people gathering up with friends and talking happily, large families leaving stores with bags. He wished he had that, he loved his Uncle a lot and wouldn't change it but he often wondered.

What was his mom like? His dad? Did he have any siblings that his Uncle didn't know of? The only thing Auggie knew was his mother's name Tempest but he looked her up on the computer, nothing much on her.

"Hey, aren't you Auggie? [M/N]'s nephew?" A voice asked and Auggie turns his head to see a woman standing there with a few shopping bags and a soft smile. "Why are you doing out here? Waiting for your Uncle?"

"Kinda, you're that new neighbor, right?" Auggie asked as the woman smiles lightly. "Dana?"

"Diana, close. Mind if I sit beside you? My feet are killing me." Auggie moves a bit and she takes a seat, rubbing her ankle in her shot heel flats. "So, are you guys shopping for Christmas?" She asked as Auggie shakes his head a bit, "Did you meet up with friends and you're Uncle is coming here?"

"Not exactly," Auggie admitted as he toyed with the string in his pocket, his eyes moved to her sweet gaze. "We had an argument and I left the house, but he knows where I'm at."

"Oh dear, you remind me of my Hugo." She sighs as she fixed her flats. Diana looked to him with a smile, "So rebellious, so...headstrong."

"He sounds rough."

"He isn't! This was before I met my husband, he helped Hugo and me talk and come together as a family then we had my daughter." Diana explained as she saw kids rush by giggling with each other. "My husband, Edward, he's a pastor and without him, Hugo might end up dead or worst, thanks to him and God."

Oh, she's one of those ladies, uh, should I just bolt or?

"Uh, that's nice, listen, Uncle might be driving around looking for me and-"

"Do you know the story about the worshiper that eats eyes?" Diana suddenly said as she kept his gaze, something twisting in Auggie's gut as her eyes looked almost completely black instead of brown. Auggie gulped a bit as she smiles, seeing how scared he was of her, the fear was coming off him in waves. "One time God had commanded his followers, to search of those with beautiful eyes, eyes that can see through the veil and lead them on to their next resting place. There was a ton of those, and they were said that they were the curse of Lilith," She said as she waved at people that passed by, probably some church people. "She cursed them, the people who prayed to her, but I could assume others called it a blessing. This curse went down the line, usually mothers to their children, but this was a sin in God's eyes. He one day called upon one follower, for him to gather his family and hunt these people-"

"I-I should really get going," Auggie said, as he felt fear rise up, he didn't want to know this story, and he didn't want to know any more crazy things she was going to say. He felt a hand grab his shoulder and rain began falling. Diana opened her umbrella as she kept her hand on his shoulder, he could feel the nails digging into his shoulder and he winced. "Uh, Mrs.-"

"Hush." She hissed as her gaze moved to the dark sky as Auggie watched the sweet smile turn dark, almost twisted. "Hunt these people with this curse, and to take their eyes, how they went against him and these principles, the family gathered most of them as others moved away or escaped out of the land. God said to burn these eyes, to pure them but one man, Heath, disagreed. He had helped carry out, and to throw these eyes away? No, Heath failed to listen and ate the eyes. The curse had contaminated the eyes of Lilith and he gained their visions of the dead and dying. God cast him away, him, his family, even the cow. But he noticed, as the years passed by, Heath noticed how young he was compared to his wife, his children. He knew he caused this taboo, but he did something no one had ever done."

"...Please let me go."

"He found immortality and began claiming himself as a God, taking the mental as the God of eyes. He began collecting people, wooing them in." She hummed as she loosen her grip. "He takes the kids, children, everyone to join and eat the eyes of people like you, like your Uncle. They began growing into the lovely religion of the eye eater god." A car comes in down the road and Auggie sees it, his feet touching the ground as he jumps up. Diana merely smiles as she saw this, "Don't be afraid, you're more than welcome to join."

"Fuck no!" Auggie takes off, slipping a bit as he headed towards the car but saw it wasn't his Uncle or the others. He didn't dare to look back as he ducks into a shop, and breaths heavily as he looked out the window of the door. He didn't see her behind him or at the last spot, she sat at. She was just gone.

"Hello? Oh, Auggie?"

Auggie turns to see the man he met the other day, Hugo? He was behind the counter and wearing an apron. He noticed the modern decore around him, lots of wood and plants, "Where...I.."

"You're in Sweet Lady Jane's Bakery. Are you okay?" He asked, Hugo, looked at the boy and glanced at the window. "Is your Uncle coming here?" He asked softly as Auggie shakes his head a bit. He shakes his head again to get rid of the rain as he walked to the counter, "Do you want to call him?"

"Mhm!" Auggie sniffed as he rubbed his eyes a bit, he was so scared and upset about the situation. 

---

[M/N] nearly bursts into the bakery with Diluc and Aether following behind, both just as distraught as their host. [M/N] sees Auggie munching on a cupcake with a baby duck on it, and he hurried towards him. "Uncle!" He sniffed as he rushed into [M/N]'s arms and he held him up, hugging him and taking deep breaths. 

"How much for the cupcake?" Aether asked as Hugo came back from the back. 

"Free, He was hungry and I got him a cupcake." He said as Hugo smiles to himself as [M/N] looked at him. [M/N] had an unusually happy smile, relief on his features. "Diluc, here." [M/N], the redhead takes  Auggie without a problem and rubs his back as [M/N] headed over. "Hey, I...thank you. You've been helping us lately and I'm grateful for it." He told the other with a smile. "I swear, I can make it up to you."

"I well..there is something I had been wanting to ask you, but it's totally cool if you say no."

Aether watched, his eyes glanced at the two as he noticed how visibly nervous Hugo was as something twisted in his gut. He isn't...

"I want to ask you out on a date, I know it's at the wrong time and such, but-"

"No, No, it's fine." He assured as he glanced at Auggie seemingly asking Diluc something. 

"I love to."

Aether swore he felt something twinge in his chest.