Tighnari X Reader - Blog Posts

WORTH ┃ featuring the verdant strider! tighnari

CW. NSFW (MDNI), afab! reader, professor! tighnari, teacher-student relationship, modern-ish au (he teaches in a university), manipulation/coercion, gaslighting, drugging (use of aphrodisiac), clothed sex, oral (m & f), teasing, unprotected sex, implications of breeding and pregnancy, marking, undertones of yandere tighnari (?), ending’s kinda meh, roughly 4k words (tighnari made me do it)

AN. okay, i was a vv hardcore tighnari simp (you could say i main him) when he was released and he just, well, made me do it. also, reposted from that one ACC :)

you weren’t the brightest one in the group.

you always have to work harder than others, to dedicate more of your time to study in advance once exam season comes. it doesn’t matter when you felt left out when your friends are partying the night, there isn’t a minute to lose in order to submit proposals and papers within the week. nothing could stand in your way of studying—books here, consultations there, meetings left and right.

it’s lonely, sure, seeing how those who you treat as close friends slowly untie the string keeping you together but this had gotten you so far to where you stood, close to graduating, close to moving forward in your life. everything is worth it, you have found your meaning amidst the judgment thrown at you by people.

so where did it all went wrong?

“this is the final time i’d be consulting with you f/n. if you can’t propose a more feasible concept for your research, you might end up taking these units next year.”

your hands felt cold, shaking even, as you tried grasping each word he said. no, you can’t afford to postpone your graduation just because of one class. with each millisecond that passed, your mind started threading through each step you did which resulted in this issue. one by one, problems start to pile up inside your brain, rendering you deep in thought as you can’t seem to find any mistakes in your output.

“you are aware that you’re falling behind in class, right?”

tighnari looks up from his desk, taking in the image of you, cowering in your troubles, slowly descending into madness as he prods on the things he knew you felt insecure about. on each consultation he had with you, he notices the subtle changes in your demeanor, taking note on how you react to see where he should focus on just to make sure you lose all that confidence in yourself.

it was utterly repulsive to him, wanting to see his dedicated and outstanding student lose their shine just because he has the power to do so.

but he loves it, he loves it, he loves it.

it wasn’t like him, this isn’t like him but he can’t help it when you’ve always looked beautiful crying. he had seen it once in the library at night, your hardworking self crumbling under pressure. what a poor thing, he thought before he made his way towards your seat and offered you help on the material you find hard to understand. you found his presence calming, appreciating to even spend time for you.

tighnari who had a dab hand at guiding even the dullest of pupils, a young graduate who was already scouted to be a part of the reknown akademiya but had opted to teach students in this university, a man with a kind soul who you often see guiding his students—of course, there’s no reason to not trust your professor, right?

tighnari didn’t mean any harm, really. all he wants is the best for you but with whatever state you’re currently in, he has the need to work his way in your life and had him influence you on what’s suitable for a sweet, pliant, and dumb girl like you.

“i am aware sir, thank you for still considering with all these consultations. maybe my efforts aren’t really enough, should i take this again next year,” you replied but you whispered the last part of your sentence out of pure disappointment. the thing is, tighnari heard each word full of uncertainty, grinning before he lays a hand on top of your shoulders.

“if this can work in your favor, i can help you with your paper after office hours,” he suggested, waiting to see your eyes sparkle and you did. you looked up at him with hope obviously plastered on your face.

“you would, professor?” he can see the small smile forming on your lips, waiting for his reply.

seeing that tighnari smiles back with a soft nod from his head had you slowly pulling away from the sudden burst of adrenaline, gazing at the side to ground yourself before shyly peering up back at him. “i’d do anything to pass this subject and your guidance will really help a lot.”

tighnari shudders, imagining how he can take you right at that very moment. you’d do anything? he asks himself before he takes one more look at you. “you’ve always been so diligent, it’s the least that i can do for a hard-working student like you.”

“it is really appreciated professor, thank you.”

“then meet me at my office around 7 in the evening every wednesday and friday. i’d be free by then.” you nod in reply, gathering all the documents you have presented before bidding him a sweet goodbye. oh so sweet and gentle, that’s what he’d always loved about you. he can’t wait to have you all for himself.

and only if the poor you knew where this would lead you.

“be reminded that the algorithm that you have presented goes against ethical practices. we can’t simply restore back memories on empty shells representing humans. cloning is still subjected in harsh criticisms,” he sighs, looking at the way your shoulders slumped down with your eyes casting a downward look.

just as planned.

“what a pity, i can already deduce that your topic can’t even suffice to work on its own without being undermined by such principles.” he can hear the way you winced at his words, observing how you react. just a little more, tighnari thought as he wait for more of your reactions.

“are you sure you’re really doing your best, f/n?”

“i am!” you exclaimed, quickly feeling embarrassed by your outburst, opting to follow it with a meek “i am, professor. i am doing my best.”

“do you think it’s enough?”

you were so close to breaking, not knowing where to go. there are only two months left for this semester and restarting your work given the time constraint could only lead you to a failing grade. withdrawing the subject may be your best option but that also poses a problem where your graduation is to be delayed.

the help that tighnari offered was your last ray of hope yet you’re not getting anywhere. are you really that dense that you can’t move forward in something so simple?

“let’s call it a day and continue tomorrow. rest first and let’s try to talk out what we could make out of it without removing most of what you’ve already started for its body.” in reality, tighnari already has a plan in mind, of course, as someone who used to take elective courses on biology had him an advantage and he so hopes that you wouldn’t catch on his schemes.

“but professor, i’m already lagging behind everyone,” you argued. you are desperate at this point, holding tightly to whatever will you have left within yourself. “i still have other subjects i need to focus on, it would only hinder on my plans in submitting my other outputs and i can’t risk losing more points.”

“as much as i want to help you but it’s already too late f/n. the gates might close soon if we would still continue working here.”

“we can work somewhere else. i’m really sorry professor but i really want to pass this subject,” you pleaded, he likes that, smiling at unyielding determination you have right now that would crumble soon.

“would you prefer to work at my place? or would you rather invite me in yours?” he waits for your answer, eyes piercing down at your form.

he can see how you hesitated, cheeks hinting a dark hue as you felt your blood boil from the fact that you either invite yourself to his house or you’d invite him in the apartment you currently share with your friend.

and your answer would be obvious by now.

“please let’s work at your house, professor. my friend might be at home and wouldn’t want to be disturbed by any noise as we get there.”

“okay then. let’s head straight to the parking area and hope that the gates are still open.”

you never would’ve thought that you’d be inside someone’s house, let alone your professor’s.

“so, shall we start?” you heard him ask as you are both sat on his living room. you nodded, quickly pulling out your laptop and your organizer.

it was quite peaceful, during the hours that followed your discussion with tighnari. he was really good in explaining you the areas that you need to work on and criticizes some points you have added. so far, you were producing some result but you have spent so much energy for this research that you can’t stop the occasional yawns escaping your lips throughout the whole talk.

“are you somewhat tired? i can make the two of us some coffee,” tighnari offers and you can’t resist the mention of the drink.

“that’d be really appreciated, thank you.”

and that’s when you’ve finally made your huge mistake.

tighnari yet again smiles, standing up and went to fix you two some coffee. he was graceful in his steps, not wanting to express any excitement on what’s bound for the two of you tonight. he can ever hear you humm in delight when the scent of freshly brewed coffee lingers in the air.

as he puts in some cream and sugar, he quickly pulls out a vial from one of the drawers of his kitchen and dropped a few of its contents on your mug. perfect.

“here, drink up first and rest for a few minutes.” tighnari can see the smile on your face, eyes squinting in happiness as you take small sips of your hot coffee, mind obviously unsuspecting of anything because you just trust your professor so much after all the troubles he’d been through with you.

“this taste so good,” you uttered, striking up tighnari’s interest.

“the beans was sent to me by a friend. he often travels on different nations. i’m glad that you like it as well.” you can see tighnari smiling underneath the soft glow of light, emphasizing the caring gaze he has and you can’t help but feel your heart beat fast.

tighnari had always been adored by many, loved even. he is really good in the field yet that hasn’t been the reason for him to belittle or stomp down on others. he is as kind as he is humble and would often be ready to aid those who are in need. if your circumstances are different, you would gladly pursue him and express this underlying feelings you harbored from the past weeks of spending time with him.

but would he want to be with someone like you?

these insecurities had slowly soured your mood. it even baffles you how an outstanding man like him had gone through lengths just to have you pass this subject. and you can’t even offer anything in return besides the unsatisfactory outputs you kept submitting.

“let’s continue?”

and you two did, well, while your mind still can.

right after finishing what remains of your drink, there’s this sudden click of heat radiating from the pit of your stomach, stimulating your senses to be more sensitive to any type of stimulus. at first, you tried ignoring the annoying feeling and focused on the burning anger you felt in yourself that just wants to get this over with.

but it grew more unbearable, your hands itching to rub on the sensitive spots of your body that begs for any sort of sensation. the ache between your legs sent shivers up your spine, causing you to slightly buckle from your seat. your thighs had started to rub on each other to give you some sort of friction down there, to give you some sort of relief.

peering from his side, tighnari can see how you shift on your seat, beads of sweat starting to litter your skin. he grins before he turns to look at you with concern beaming on his face.

“f/n?” before you could reply, a sudden wave of heat engulfed your core and had you stumbling out of your seat, eyes trained to the man who’s now in front of you.

“are you okay? f/n?” your mind can barely coherent such thoughts when the heat spreads so fast in your blood, a tingling sensation calls for attention on the pit of your loins. it gradually grows harder for you to concentrate, hands shaking when tighnari assisted you to a more comfortable position in his couch.

“professor, i feel weird. it’s like something is burning inside of me,” you almost slurred as the sensation from the pit of your stomach aches that tears started pooling in your eyes. with what remains of your clear thoughts, you looked around to know the source of such discomfort and the coffee that you’d recently could be the only reason why—

“what did you put in m—.” you slowly feel like jelly on the sofa, squinting to keep your eyes open as you tried managing the ache between your legs. “did you put something in my coffee?”

“coffee? what are you talking about? why would i even do that?” you can see the worry in his eyes, hands moving close to your forehead. you feel bad doubting him, frowning and looking down on yourself. “first, tell me what are you feeling?”

“i…” you can’t even answer back when the burn feels more unbearable within, hands gripping the armrest as you try to sit up only to fail and fall back in a lying position. 

“it hurts professor,” you softly cried out while failing to even glance up on tighnari. you can feel him shift you to a lying position, gentle arms surrounding you with warmth, the faint scent of flora radiating off of him had your senses acting up. you want to be embraced by him, be surrounded by him, to have him soothe this ache. desperation evident when your arms wrapped around his torso and didn’t let go.

“what hurts f/n?” with the barely existing distance between you two, his whispered words had you shivering, your hands digging on the broadness of his shoulder. in seconds, you heard a low growl coming from him, flickering more desire to ran rampant in your body and mind.

“f/n, we need to sort out what you’re feeling first.” he warns you, attempting to peel away from your hold but you won’t even let him go, not when he’s already right on top of you.

“it hurts here professor.” you reached out a hand to grab his free one, directing it right between your legs. tighnari wasn’t even surprised, barely hiding the smile forming on his lips when he felt you using his hand to rub on your crotch. “it hurts so much.”

“here?” tighnari asked in a teasing tone, not that you’d notice when you moaned in response.

“yes,” you whimpered when he started to move two of his fingers and slowly rub your clothed cunt. tighnari can feel just how wet you are, the tips of his fingers getting smothered with your arousal.

long had forgotten your suspicions with that coffee when you started to grind yourself on his steady hand, your underwear and thin pants ruined from how much slick had already pooled between your legs. it feels good, so good to be touched like this.

“f/n, you do know what this implies,” tighnari suggests, still holding up this worried façade of his. and it worked, it worked on making you lenient towards what the hell he wants. 

“i know. ‘ want you to do something ‘bout it, please,” you cried when tighnari quickly uses two of his fingers to slide up and down the slit of your messy, clothed cunt.

“is this really what you want?” tighnari asked. to stimulate further your already feverish state, tighnari used his other hand to knead on your chest, the poor shirt you wore can barely stop how your nipples protrude upon contact.

his question went past your head when his thumb forms a grudgingly slow circular stroke on your nipples. his other hand, however, wormed its way inside your pants, feeling you through your panties, begrudgingly sliding up and down the valley of your pussy, barely missing the part where you’d want it to run to but the sensitivity you were feeling intensified the pleasure you were getting.

it felt so good, too good, having both his hands move against your body. but the bliss soon stopped when tighnari paused. you can hear him laugh softly, amused when he saw your eyes widen and lips forming a small pout.

“hm… you haven’t answered my question f/n. can you specifically tell me what is it that you want?“ the hotness from his breath immediately sent triggers down your body, legs trembling when the sensation of his fingers gently prodding on your crotch made your back arch closer to his body.

"i want you to touch me,” you begged. your eyes were watering from how unbearable the heat was in your body and the gentle strokes that tighnari gave on your aching cunt made the feeling even worse.

“touch you? but i already am,” he replies while watching you writhe and whine. with the faraway look in your eyes, tighnari knew that the aphrodisiac had fully taken effect. “see? i can just feel how wet you are right now.”

“kiss me, please. also wan’ you to use your fingers more.”

just a simple wish coming from your lips, desperate yet sweet, had tighnari fastening his pace in rubbing you, lips then latched on the sensitive skin of your neck. the sensations from your core and the pleasure on your neck, on your breasts quickly build up the spike of your orgasm, your hands searching for something to get a grip on but only to find the soft locks of tighnari.

he groans, almost leaving a bite on your skin as you tugged on his hair. this had urged him to harshly rub his fingers, the soft tips roughly digging through your underwear and had reached to prod on your clit.

“based on how your body is reacting, you’re close,” he uttered after pulling away from your neck, eyeing how you shake and moan out his name. “go on, come.”

you were far out because of the pleasure but tighnari’s command had gone through your head and you’d finally feel the tightness in your core to snap, legs closing from the intensity as you gush out because of tighnari’s touch. and he kept you spread open as he rides you through your orgasm.

“coming from simply being touched.” tighnari hushes you afterward, scooping you in his arms. you were panting heavily, trying to calm down but the heat that had subsided after your orgasm was fast to being unbearable. he felt you tugging on his sleeves and he smiles. “you’re just so good, aren’t you f/n?”

“i am… good for you.” a breathless whisper then followed your reply. tighnari hums, pulling you closer before he lifts you up and carried you to his room. you were beyond intoxicated, gripping him closer, nose buried in his neck, feeling all that you can touch before you’re laid down on the softness of his bed.

with droopy eyes, you reached out for him to have him closer once more, savoring the comfort he brings you as the heat continues to engulf you in an unrelenting need. tighnari complies, pretty much occupied by the thought that he finally has you, that you’re finally his.

“please, do anything as you wish.” it was a hasty reply that tighnari lets out a sigh before he pulls you up and lets you sit in front of him. he looms over your body, preying eyes focusing on your thighs rubbing against each other. he bends a little, pulling you from your chin just to have you looking at his face but your eyes quickly move down between his legs.

“now, now, don’t be too greedy f/n,” he says before he lets you go and stands firm. “if you really want me to fuck you then you should do something more to deserve it.”

whining underneath his intense gaze, you were too intoxicated to complain so you quickly shifted down the edge of the bed and have him sit in front. clumsy hands had made their way on the locks of his belt, fingers swiftly pulling the leather from the pin before it even leaves a soft tug on the floor as you have successfully removed it.

tighnari continues to watch how adorable you are being so desperate like this. he lifts up a hand before he brushes on your hair after you make a quick tug on his pants, aimlessly tugging it down his hips before you can finally see the prominent bulge strained behind the thin cloth of his underwear.

“go on,” tighnari encourages you while you eye how big he looks beneath, mouth drooling at just the mere thought of how it’ll make you feel good later. “i’m waiting.”

nimble fingers make quick movements on the bands of his underwear, soon revealing his hard length that slapped against his stomach. you can hear him hiss at the sudden contact of your other hand, making quick pumps on his shaft before you used your thumb to rub circles on the tip. you want to hear more of tighnari, hear him moan, groan, say your name with such want. the heat had gotten the best of your head, all messed up from the insatiable desire to please both him and yourself.

and tighnari observes, relishing on how your hand clumsily works more on getting him off but—"don’t you think this is enough f/n?“

this triggered something inside you, the fear of disappointment, of failing, of not reaching the end that you want, alerting this side of you that tighnari easily prods with ease. looking up with soft eyes, you close your lips on the pinkish tip of his cock, smearing your lips with his precum. you can hear tighnari moan, smiling down at you, letting you know that you are doing good.

”yeah, just like that f/n. you sure know what to do,“ he coos, brushing your hair as he guides your head to have him slowly push past your lips, indicating to you what to do next.

after how you messily covered your lips with his pre, you used your hand to smother what you have gathered earlier from the tip and pump him with fervor, adjusting how tight and how fast you’d go based on how he groans and tugs at your hair. but it wasn’t enough for him, even if it feels good to have your hands do something so sinful like this. "didn’t i tell you tha—.”

before he finishes his sentence, your lips had pushed past the head before you have the whole tip inside your warm mouth, slowly pushing more and more that you can take. you can hear him groan out your name, blown-out eyes lovingly looking at you in satisfaction.

pleased with what reactions he’s giving but still wanting more, you used your tongue to lap around the length, feeling how some of the veins pop up from the sensation. tighnari groans, close to growling, and this spiked up the heat that you were feeling. you were so drunk from the haze that this had given you that it pushed more of your desires to please him more.

“f-fuck,” he curses, one you barely hear, and by god how much that turned you on more if that’s still impossible in the sorry state that you were in. more, you thought as you continued by sucking him in, close to having most of his dick fully inside your mouth.

“keep doing that and i might,” he stops as he lets go of a whine, feeling how you have finally had the tip reach the depths of your throat, your fingers digging on his thighs, your nose touching his abdomen.

you have finally earned it, you really are worth everything there is that he can offer and he will not let anything stop him from having you.

“fuck, come here.” tighnari pulls you away from his cock, grinning as he hears you whine. “hush now, i’m finally giving you what you want f/n,” he adds before you’re laid down on the bed.

a whisper was all you could let go as tighnari started to work on your clothes. he was quick to remove every piece of article on your body, relishing the sight of you naked, legs open and your cunt covered with the slick of your arousal. he can smell you, can feel you from the tips of his nerves, and he’s so fucking excited to finally have you all for himself.

“i want you.” that was the last thing you’d utter out of the pure emotions pouring out of your heart—not because of what your body screams or how your mind thinks but because this is what you want, feeling this close, so intimate with the person who you want to hear approval from, to hear his declaration of love. and you did, yes, you did hear him say those words before you were long consumed by the carnal desire that had been eating away at your thoughts.

tighnari knew that the aphrodisiacs would wear off soon but hearing you say that a tone different compared to the lust-induced and heavy whispers you’ve said confirms more of what he had known from the moment you stepped inside his house.

“i want you so badly too,” he declares before he shifts closer to give you a kiss. “you’ve always been on my mind.” the electricity when his lips met yours shocked you through the core, eyes tearing up but it barely makes sense when the kiss quickly turned heated, devouring your body whole with pleasure.

tighnari had removed his shirt and completely pulled off his pants in a haste, similarly reeling in the drunk daze you were feeling before he goes back in kissing you. his tongue had invaded your mouth, the fervor of how he moved against you while his hands are busy caressing your body, memorizing every curve, the pads of his fingers mindlessly tracing shapes—it was truly addicting.

“i need you ready to take me so stay still, won’t you?” tighnari whispers as two of his fingers travel down to your sopping pussy. you were beyond wet, hole gaping, waiting for him to just shove his whole cock inside. but he doesn’t want you hurt so he’s just going to spend his precious time preparing you.

it was torture but at the same time phenomenal when you finally feel his fingers sliding up and down your cunt, the tip of his thumb rubbing against your clit. you moan so heavenly against his ears, groaning when he feels your walls immediately clamping down on him as soon as he pushes his digits inside you.

“look at you,” he coos, listening to how you begged for more when he used his thumb to simultaneously rub on your throbbing clit. “getting close again?”

and you are, especially when tighnari leaves kisses on your neck, fastening his pace on your sopping pussy, thumb busy stroking on your sensitive nub. the tightness on your loins felt too much that you wrapped your arm around his body, helping you steady yourself as you finally came around his fingers.

he can feel you gushing so much slick, your body trembling below him. “are you ready to take me now, f/n?”

you mindlessly hummed in approval, a whimper following after as he removes his fingers inside you. tighnari grins, hooking his arms on your legs as he spreads you apart. you can feel the head of tighnari’s cock prod at your entrance, then he slides his whole length up and down your messy cunt, the head rubbing so gingerly on your clit.

“here’s your reward for being good to me, f/n.”

tighnari could almost feel his heart melt when he slowly pushes himself inside you, your walls squeezing him tightly.

the man on top of you can’t stop groaning as he slowly pushes back and forth, reeling in the sensation of finally being inside your tight pussy. and you keep sucking him in, already accustomed to his size at how aroused you were.

he was slow with his movements, each sensual stroke of his hips pushes himself further inside and it hits the right spots. your fingers digged on his skin, making him groan before he reaches out to the column of your neck, the ghost of his lips sliding up and down the sensitive skin before he take a bite down on your flesh.

you writhe with a scream, back arching closer to tighnari’s body as he pulled an orgasm out of you just because of one bite.

“hm? didn’t know you like being marked f/n.” he pulls away a little, lips close to your ears as he whispers “i know other ways to mark you mine, would you want that?”

before you could reply, he moves back and drags your body until he has your hips up and you’re face down the mattress. he stills for a moment, adjusting your hips before you could once more feel the tip of his cock moving up and down your clit. “be good and take all of it, okay?”

“hmm, okay.” as soon as his ears picked up your mindless mumble, tighnari pushes back in and continued with his ruthless pace. he has you seeing stars, feeling him go deeper than he was going earlier, his precise thrusts hitting all the right spots.

you can feel your essence drip down the middle of your thighs while it intensifies the filthy noise produced by your sexes as tighnari rams himself in and out of you. his fingers held your hips higher, pushing himself deeper until the tip of his cock pokes at your cervix.

he was too deep, your velvety walls engulfing him in warmth, he almost released his load but he wants to feel you come undone around him.

“do you want me to cum inside you f/n?” he asks, bending his body down. you were panting, lust clouding up your head that you’d moaned at his words.

“i do.”

“bet you’d look pretty all swollen up because of me.” hearing him say that sparked images running through your head, having his kits, getting knocked up by the man who you looked up to and had adored with your heart.

it wouldn’t be bad, right?

“hm~ yes. would look so pretty for you,” you said and it’s followed by your cries when tighnari pounds harder, his thrust never faltering to make you reach your peak.

“then t-take all of it, f/n.” tighnari follows suit, his dick twitching inside of you before you can feel him shoot his warm load deep inside you. you stilled, the warmth felt so good.

tighnari can hear the gentle hum from your body, alerting him of your post-state bliss. his hands are quick to wrap themselves around your hips, adjusting both your tired bodies so that you both lay on your sides. he was still seethed inside you, his cock far from softening but he hushes you for a while, rubbing circles on your skin.

“you’ve always been such an outstanding student of mine, f/n.” tighnari mumbled, lips placing gentle kisses on your neck, occasionally biting down the flesh leading up to him sucking down the skin. “breaks me a little whenever i see you lingering around those imbeciles who doesn’t know what’s good for you.”

as much as he wants to hear what you have to say about his sudden confession, he didn’t give you any time to reply as he pulled out and shifts his body to settle between your legs. he pumps his still-erect cock, your eyes feasting on how it glistens from both your cum.

“will you be mine? only mine?” he reaches down to give you kisses on your cheeks, your forehead, your lips while he rubs the tip on your awaiting hole. “i vow to give you what you deserve. so won’t you be good for me once more?”

helpless against the pleasure that tighnari easily does on you, he receives a nod.

“don’t worry about that paper. i’ll make sure you pass because you’re worth all these things i did f/n.”

⠀⠀scara-meow-che © 2023 ┃ do not copy, modify, or repost ANY of my content

"What if instead of tighnari getting struck by lightning it was his little brother." - friend of mine.

Spoiler for archon quest

Tighnari x teen brother reader (platonic)

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Chaos was all around as you now didn't have to worry about fatui but the lighting that struck.

The few fatui that were unfazed by the sudden storm fought you, your elder brother, and Dehya.

Finishing off the one in front of you, you turn to see where tighnari was and rushed to help him.

The next moments seemed to happen as if it were slow motion.

As you were running you noticed a glow coming from the around tighnari, as well as his hair start to rise in an unnatural manor.

He was about to get struck.

You ran faster to get to him.

Pushing him got of the way successfully just as the bolt touch you.

"Y/N!" Tighnari screamed as he watch you fall limp to the ground. You were body was now flowing with electricity almost like you wielded a electro vision.

"Is he alright." Dehya said as she saw what happened from afar.

"He will be alright, no need to worry he just needs some rest. If he let me get struck I'd probably still be standing but I don't think his body could handle it." Tighnari explained while laying your head on his lap.

"Idiot" he muttered under his breath.

...

You woke up with a groan as you tried to sit up but a force stopped you.

"Stay down and try not to move." Tighnari said pushing you down.

You opened your eyes to see you were in the room where hypasia was sleeping.

Coming to your senses you started to feel you body. Everything was in pain. It hurt to even breathe.

Lifting your head slightly to see you torso wrapped in cloth and your finger tips were burnt black on one side while streaks on gains were lead into to it.

You groaned again alerting tighnari to come to your aid.

"What did I just tell you, stay still." He half heartedly scolded you. "You an idiot ya know that. Your my kid brother, I'm supposed to be saving you. Never put yourself in danger. Do you hear me."

You tried to say yes but your voice didn't come through, you tried nodding but decided not because he said don't move.

In the end tighnari took your silence as you understanding and continued to care for you as he always had.

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Tighnari x reader

drabble

An: I thought if this and didn't want to forget and now here I am.

♛┈⛧┈┈•༶༶•┈┈⛧┈♛

Tighnari was patching you up after you came back from a withering zone. Minor cuts and bruises but Tighnari wouldn't let it slide.

After he was done he kissed you.

"You know what this means. I don't have to say it right." He said walking to his medicine cabinet to put stuff back in place.

"What if I want you to say it." You blushed, looking at him.

He sighs. "I love you Y/n."

You looked at him shocked.

"That's not what I Thought you were going to say." You blushed harder as he quickly turned to look. It looked like he gave himself whiplash.

"What." He said. I was his turn to blush.

"I wanted you to ask me to be your s/o." You chuckled.

"I thought we already established that."

"That's why I wanted you to say it."

"It has to be said verbally"

"YES"

...

"Well I love you, Y/n and I want to be with you." He said as he kissed you again. You kissed back.

"Okay I get it, you can stop now." You laughed through the kisses.

"No, now you have to say it back." He stopped to look at you.

Your foreheads touched.

"I love you Tighnari."

♛┈⛧┈┈•༶༶•┈┈⛧┈♛

Genshin men reacting to you telling them you're very horny?

One a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your honryness? 11? Mmm, good, then you can keep up.

Pairing: Kaeya, Diluc, Itto, Thoma, Xiao, Childe, Dottore, Pantalone, Tighnari, Zhongli x Fem!Reader

Tags: nsfw, smut, fingering, teasing, hallway sex, office sex, semi-public sex, mating press, biting, marks, creampie, blowjob, outdoor sex, facial, cunnilingus, trying to stay quiet

A/N: My mind went wild writing this.

Kaeya is taken back by how blatant you are with it. Whispering it into his ear, in front of his men too, it will get a reaction out of him for sure. Good thing he's already given his speech so he can drag you into his room, kissing you and bumping into walls along the way, his cock twitching with the need to give you what you wanted. The moment you step into the bedroom its time for all clothes to go, and for you to present your needy pussy for a good fucking.

Diluc thinks he heard you wrong. You're still behind the bar, how can you be horny already? Can you really not wait. Well, only if you promise to be quiet... Luckily there's music from outside to cover the slick sounds of his middle and ring fingers pushing past your entrance and moving with the rhythm of people's clapping. Its part of his job to be sneaky, he just never thought he'd use that skill for this.

Itto gets a boner and a big dopey grin instantly. That must be why you chose so little clothes today, you wanted him to have an easier time getting you naked. He has no problem helping you out behind that big boulder. It gives him something to sink his claws onto while his huge cock sinks into your needy cunt and fills it with a warm rush of seed to soothe the ache between your legs.

Thoma looks at you absolutely stunned that you would say this while he's trying to clean the hallway. Why would you say that now? Fuck, now you've got him thinking about it too. Well he can't drop work just like that but since the floor is already wet go ahead and spread for him. You watch him get down on his knees and bury his head between your thighs, encouraging you to jump up, grip his hair and let your pretty pussy gush all over his face while you're squeezing his head with your thighs.

Xiao casually slips his hand between your this and cups your pussy. He has a very blank look on his face while he starts fingering you, your mouth falling open in both pleasure and astonishment. What? You said you were horny right? So logically as your boyfriend he will take care of your problem for you. Be quiet and let his fingers work your pussy the way only he knows how.

Childe immediately takes you by the hand, not caring at all about the looks from the fatui you're getting. His cock is already hard just from thinking about fucking you. Before he can fix your problem you need to fix his. He doesn't care if you start moaning in the hallway, he is shutting you up with his cock before you can laugh at how eager he is for this. Him? You're the one who's dripping though her panties. He's taking those just so you know.

Dottore pulls you in his lap and smirks at you knowingly. You're finally getting addicted to his cock. Good girl, good cockslut, that's exactly what he wanted in the first place. Show him. Bend over the medical table and spread your pussy lips for him, finger that needy hole and tell him just how badly you want his cock to fuck you until you're a weeping, drooling mess.

Pantalone won't drop his work just to fuck you. But you can fuck yourself in his office if you want, just stay quiet. It's not even ten minutes before your moans distract him too much, he thought he could resist but he can't, you're in his head, in his heart. Just a quickie then, a fast pump that will make you feel better until later tonight where he will take his time punishing you for this distraction.

Tighnari thought he caught scent of it earlier but honestly he thought it was his rut approaching and playing tricks on him. Good to know his nose still works fine. Do you... well... do you want it now? He can but you'll have to keep real quiet, there are rangers patrolling the forest. Turns out that he's the one who can't keep quiet, not without sinking his teeth into your neck and leaving his mark on you.

Zhongli doesn't need to be told that you're horny, he could smell it from the moment you stepped into his office. That's why he told you to lock the door. He has your pretty thighs all scratched up from the force he's using to keep you still while his cock keeps hitting your sweet spot, scraping your inner walls and him, growling into your face about how beautiful of a mate you are, what a good bride you are, how much he, a god, wants to worship that cunt of yours.

ᝰ HOW YOU LIKE IT DADDY !

✶ 𓏲ּ ꩜ 𓂅 genshin men and their favorite positions <3

CW; fem! reader, vaginal penetration, sex positions, dacryphilia, breeding, manhandling

MISSIONARY

ayato, heizou, kaeya, lyney, pantalone, wanderer

missionary is not vanilla or boring when it comes to them, especially not when you're crying and begging them to stop when its too much. but do they listen? of course not. why would they when they can see every face you make when you're high on on the feeling of their cock buried deep within you?

laughs and coos at you tauntingly, asks you to speak up whenever you whine their name, telling them they're "too big" and that you're "so full". they will not stop until they have you crying so much tears that your cheeks and the pillow beneath you are stained wet.

COWGIRL / REVERSE COWGIRL

baizhu, dainsleif, diluc, tighnari, venti

loves this position because they can grab at your thighs and hips, also because they can lean back and watch you work hard for your orgasm while still being in control. they'd be so touchy in this position, hands never leaving your body, every inch of you will be caressed by them.

if they're into reverse cowgirl, you're in for a treat! also wouldn't stop touching you, but they would especially target your ass. they're absolutely obsessed with the way it looks whenever you bounce or grind on his dick, trying to make yourself feel good.

PILEDRIVER

albedo, itto, kaveh, kazuha, pierro

putting you into this position just makes them feel so so so good! they can't hold back the primal instinct to breed you while your legs are on his shoulders, and you just physically cannot move, completely in their mercy!

having your legs in the air and body bent meant that they're deeper in you than usual, head of his dock kissing your cervix with every thrust. probably goes a little feral every time you clench around him and ground yourself by grabbing onto his arms.

DOGGY

cyno, gorou, neuvillette, thoma, xiao

doggy but it usually ends up with you lying flat on your stomach, face buried in the mattress or pillow below you, trying your best to breathe. pounds into you so hard you're practically sinking into the bed with him holding your ass up and fucking himself into you like an animal in heat.

meant to do it fifty percent of the time, but the other fifty percent usually happens unexpectedly when they're so lost in the feeling of you pussy and just can't get enough of you. grunts so much, especially when your legs give out and he has to support your whole weight from your hips as he ruts into you.

ALL

al-haitham, capitano, childe, dottore, wriothesley, zhongli

so strong that they easily manhandles you into every other position they feel like at that specific moment. you'd start with missionary and the next second you're in doggy, they'd even hoist you up like you weigh nothing and push you against the wall, lifting you up and fuck you so hard you see stars!

also the type to be so mean about it, knows that you like being manhandled by them, and so they'd tease you each time they do it, smirk so big you want to slap it off of their face. but who has time for that when you're basically like a toy to them, so pliable and all for them to use.

"Where'd you get that bruise--Oh," in which your Genshin lover gets a good look at the first hickey he left

Warnings: please excuse mistakes as I'm on a time crunch and also sleep deprived, suggestive but still safe for work, humorous in some parts

Other works in this series: (You say I love you for the first time)

Characters: Aether, Albedo, Alhaitham, Ayato, Cyno, Dainsleif, Diluc, Itto, Kaeya, Lyney, Neuvillette, Scaramouche, Tartaglia, Tighnari, Wriothesley, Xiao, Zhongli, gn!reader  

Aether

gets flustered

"Uh-Umm... Maybe, you should..."

he wants to say cover it up but who is he to tell you what to do?

Starts to second guess if he really gave you that

Will start to think about the events of last night and deflates with embarrassment

Finally points it out, feels kind of bad that he left a mark

"It's just...distracting...I'm sorry if it hurt,"

Albedo

stares at it for the longest time.

There's a half smile, half amused look on his face, like he wants to be happy about it but doesn't want to be too obvious.

Just chuckles and points it out without any shyness whatsoever

"It's rather obvious, but do with it what you will,"

Comes up with some sort of concealing potion to help you hide it

Brews about a 100 of 'em

Alhaitham

Sort of does a double take, looks at it for a few seconds then looks you in the eye

"I'd advise you to hide it,"

he really only says that to keep things professional when the two of you go out

but in the next second he snakes a hand up your arm with a small secret smirk between the two of you

"However, I can't say that it won't happen again...Specially when..."

He recalls the events of last night at this moment, and it seems as if he's staring into your soul. He breaks away from you with a slight hum.

"...I best be going now."

He leaves you confused, but he only hurried off because he felt an urge to give you another one then and there.

Ayato

chuckles to himself

"Well, there's no hiding that I enjoyed myself,"

but gives you helpful suggestions on how to conceal it or at least make the colour less obvious, like putting ice against it, or something.

Speaking of ice, you can simply get it from the kitchen but Ayato is a tease... "I suppose my dear sister can adequately help you with that...Though what, pray tell, would you tell her?"

You kind of shrug and say that you'll tell her an animal bit you.

Ayato is amused "An animal," but there's a twinkle and hint of lust in his eyes. "Yes, perhaps that's what I become when it involves you. The statement isn't exactly a lie,"

Cyno

is silent. Not sure if he's happy about it or horrified.

Feels like a crime cause it looks like a bruise.

Does not say anything for a good minute because he simply doesn't know what to say and is talking to himself in his mind

Like Was I really the one who did that? Last night must've been...

Snaps out of his stupor when he's reminded of the events and clears his throat to catch your attention.

"Y/N...You...I...I've managed to leave a mark...on your neck..."

You absentmindedly touch it and let out a small ohhhhhhh in understanding

Clears his throat again and looks away, pretending to be busy with something. Flustered and doesn't know what else to say.

Dainsleif

Eyebrows involuntarily raise up at the marks.

Points it out immediately

"My dear, it seems that I had a favourite spot last night," and taps on your neck to let you know what exactly he means.

"I can conceal it with a little trick of mine, if you don't mind," he says he can make it invisible to the ordinary eye but some "special" people can see it, so...

"I suppose if you run into the traveller that you'd have to be honest about it. Hm? No, I don't quite mind if they know of our relationship,"

Diluc

is surprised, then apologetic

He didn't know is fully aware how rough he had been last night

Apologizes with a slight tint of red on his cheeks and can't seem to pry his eyes away from it.

"My apologies, Y/N. It looks like I was rather...careless...last night. You should wear something with a collar today...or perhaps, my coat?"

Is seriously considering repenting about it

Itto

"Whoa--"

Is legit about to throw hands but then remembers

"Oh yeah. I did that." while scratching his head bashfully

No shame about it afterwards, even has the gall to say

"I'm surprised it doesn't look worse! It was pretty wild last nig--"

You have to cover his mouth to save yourself from embarrassment

Kaeya

smirks and leans in close to brush his fingers against the hickey.

"It isn't the most flattering of marks but... it gives me quite the sense of accomplishment,"

winks, deadass tries to give you another one right away.

"How about we try that again? Just to even it out on both sides of your neck,"

is only half joking

Lyney

mischievous laugh

is more happy about it than shy, embarrassed or apologetic

"That wasn't very nice of me wasn't it?" but is still smiling

"Unfortunately I don't think I have any magic tricks up my sleeve to fix this one,"

Grabs and hugs you by the waist "I guess we'll just have to stay in, the two of us, until it's unnoticeable"

always looking for an excuse to spend alone time with you.

Neuvillette

clears his throat almost immediately when he sees it, like he choked on water

"Y/N," he starts rather sternly but falters and takes a few seconds to think.

"May I suggest wearing a scarf today?" is awkward about pointing it out so goes the roundabout way. You're so confused because it's the middle of summer.

"Well," he coughs once to try an explain to you. "I didn't have all manners of restraint last night...You were simply...irresistible,"

points it out by gently thumbing at it

Scaramouche

shit-eating grin at the sight of it

Doesn't tell you to cover it up, most likely wants you to go parading around with it.

"Tsk. What's the harm if people ask? Just be honest and tell them," he's just fucking around with your head now

but snatches your wrist and looks you straight in the eye with a confident smirk "And be sure to tell them who gave it to you. That'll teach them to back off,"

Tartaglia

laughs but is slightly apologetic

"Couldn't hold myself back, I'm sorry. How can I make it up to you?"

You tell him that the next time he leaves a hickey, he should leave it somewhere where it's more concealed.

"Oh?" sudden glint in his eyes. You might have said the wrong thing. "No take backs, Y/N,"

I think you know what or where he's thinking about

Tighnari

Doesn't say anything at first but immediately whips up a remedy for it. Some sort of green paste that helps with inflammation.

"Here," and hands you the bowl of herbs. "For that,"

He doesn't point at it but instead eyes it rather obviously

He also watches you put the paste on "Alright, just leave it for a few minutes and it should heal wonderfully,"

He doesn't exactly feel guilty but he's more worried that people will look at you weirdly.

"I suppose I'll have to be careful next time," with a sigh.

Wriothesley

laughs but bashfully face palms and tilts his head backwards

Recovers quickly and smiles apologetically

"Sorry love, couldn't hold myself back it looks like," lovingly takes your face in his palms

Can't hold his smile back "But can you blame me? I'm not gunna hide that I was way too excited,"

Suggests you to put a bandage of some sort over it.

"I'll try to be careful next time, but no promises,"

Xiao

Freezes while looking at it

For a split second is confused where you got such a mark but then flusters himself when he remembers it was from him.

"...Y/N..."

seriously does not know what to say

stands there staring at it that you finally just check in the mirror yourself. He hears you gasp and he kind of winces to himself and now feels a little guilty.

"I...didn't mean to hurt you,"

You quickly tell him it doesn't hurt, but you were just surprised.

Thinks for a moment, then mumbles, you can barely hear him "...So it's alright to do it again?"

Zhongli

chuckles, not shy about it. just amused.

"It's no one's fault except my own. I merely wasn't paying heed to how...carnal...my desires were,"

he again chuckles as he explains.

"Not to worry darling, I'm sure Bubu Pharmacy has something to remedy it. I'll be back with it in tow,"

brushes his fingers against the hickey as some sort of apology and promise that he'll fix it

End

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Literally so pretty, stayed there for a solid 5 minutes just taking pictures

CW: Sumeru men bottoming for you headcanons w/Tighnari. NSFW, MINORS DNI, anal fingering, anal penetration, the word 'cock' is mentioned (this can be imagined as a strap), GN!reader, top reader, bottom character, pet names are used, the reader is called 'master' in some sections

Featuring: Tighnari

Tighnari

Asking Tighnari if he would bottom for you visibly sparks something in the Forest Watcher you hadn't expected. His brown-green eyes widen in an instant at the thought, his tail thumping on the bed behind him making you aware just how much he likes the idea.

"A-Anything for you.."

Now, if anyone is going to be a good boy for you, it is definitely Tighnari with his eager-to-please attitude. Maybe it's his puppy nature that has him on his knees for you in an instant, his tail swishing behind him in excitement.

It isn't long before the fox is on his back in your shared bed, his body flushed a pretty shade of scarlet and his head tipping back against the pillows. His lips part as your tongue ghosts over his nipple, a thin whine bouncing off the wall of your room as he arches his chest up toward your hot mouth.

"Y/N...don't tease me.."

Tighnari's nipples are so sensitive that even the gentle pass of your tongue over the hardened bud has him gasping for air, hands fisting in the sheets below the two of you. Even an Archon could be brought to their knees at the sound the poor boy lets out as you give an experimental suck. The Forest Watcher's chest shudders as he draws in a ragged breath, his whimpers high and needy the more attention you pay to them.

By the time you're finished lavishing his nipples with attention, Tighnari's cock is aching, the tip flushed and dripping precum onto his stomach. Brown-green eyes are full of want as your hands dip down to trail over his inner thighs and they tremble at your warm touch in anticipation.

"Please touch me already..."

Tighnari's back arches as your fingers trail up his cock, the pads of your fingers expertly rubbing over the tip and smearing the precum along the sensitive skin. His eyes flutter shut with a gasp as your hand fully encloses his shaft giving him a light squeeze before pumping fluidly, watching as he clenches his fists tighter to stop from touching you.

Sliding your free hand down, you comb your fingers through the soft fur on the Forest Watcher's tail before wrapping around it to give a gentle tug. Before either of you have a chance to blink, Tighnari is keening with a sharp jerk of his hips, trying to push his cock toward your hand in an attempt for more friction. Oh, how you loved to toy with his most sensitive parts.

"Ngh! Y/N..."

It isn't long before you have two fingers buried inside his gummy walls, prodding relentlessly at his prostate, and forcing him to cry out with every thrust of your fingers. His body is flushed a pretty red by now, tears of pleasure clouding his vision as his thighs begin to tremble under your ministrations. The pads of your fingers feel so good rubbing over that bundle of nerves that Tighnari feels as if his mind is melting as you increase the speed of your hand on his cock.

"M-Master" He hiccups, hands trying to find purchase on the bedsheets as the tight heat in his stomach coils tighter. "'M gonna c-cum!"

"Go on, Puppy, cum for me, it's alright." You hum out, head dipping to wrap your lips around the head of his cock, tongue grazing the underside just as the heat in Tighnari's stomach snaps.

The Forest Watcher lets out a garbled cry of your name, his hands desperately grabbing at your hair in an attempt to ground himself as his cock spurts into your waiting mouth. He tugs the soft strands until his orgasm is over and you finally retreat, giving him a moment to breathe after the intense pleasure.

Sleepy brown-green eyes begin to droop after only a few moments of relaxation showing just how much energy the orgasm took out of the hard-working fox. Settling down next to Tighnari, you tug him close to your body causing a tired smile to form on his lips.

"I love you, Y/N."

A light chuckle escapes your throat as you rub a hand over his bare back, pressing a kiss between his ears with a smile. "I love you too, Puppy. Now, let's get some rest before our patrol in the morning."

CW: Coming home to him after a long trip - Tighnari version, fluff, blood/injury mention, semi-graphic depictions of violence, hurt to comfort, Tighnari goes a little feral and I’m proud, reader has an electro vision, gn!reader, reader is a sword user, reader gets injured. NOT PROOFREAD

You're finally home.

Vibrant eyes settle on the land of green before you, fondness lingers in their depths as you cast a glance in the direction of Gandharva Ville in hopes of catching sight of a familiar Forest Watcher. There is a delicate breeze in the air that sends thin wisps of your hair grazing over the smooth skin of your cheeks, giving you a gentle reminder of how Tighnari's kisses used to feel before you left home. It had been a few weeks since your departure away from Sumeru, too many days and nights had passed since those beautiful brown-green eyes had bored into yours. It had been too many days and nights without the Forest Watcher's lingering touch and the feeling of his breath whispering over your skin so deliciously.

Drawing a deep breath in, you take that first step into the land of your birth, dropping down from the ledge you stood on into the sea of green eager to welcome you back where you belong. Landing in a patch of Padisarahs, the strong earthy scent of home comes rushing into your senses without warning, causing the breath to leave your lungs for a moment. You were finally home. Casting a final glance towards the Chasm, you can't help the happiness beginning to bubble in your chest, the promise of unshed tears burning behind your eyes forcing your feet to move in the direction you want to be heading, Gandharva Ville. You had been away for long enough, it was time to find your beloved partner and give him the attention he deserved after the extended period you spent apart.

After the expedition you took in Liyue to better research their flora and fauna, not even being surrounded by the calming presence of nature could fill the hole leaving Tighnari behind opened. While your journey had proved to be fruitful, you had longed for home the moment your feet left Sumeru and your darling Forest Watcher. As you follow the welcoming path leading to Gandharva Ville, the snap of twigs in the brush nearby grabbed your attention, hand waving as your sword materializes in your hand. The electro vision hanging from your hip begins to glow at the sight of Eremite Mercenaries pushing their way through the dense thicket, swords at the ready as if they had been waiting for you. Now, this was less than ideal with your growing need to find Tighnari as soon as possible, however, whenever the opportunity to rid Sumeru of these dregs came up you certainly wouldn't refuse the offer.

Tension so thick you could cut it with a blade filled the air, and it was almost as if the birds had quieted down to witness the battle about to take place before them. A hushed whisper of a breeze ran its icy fingertips up your arm, but not even that could draw your attention away from the group of Eremites standing in front of you, both parties waiting to see who will make the first move. With the soft click of your tongue in annoyance, you pull a Vijnana-Phala mine from the side pocket of your bag and toss it at the feet of your aggressors. Before they have a chance to blink, it explodes and a thick green layer of smoke blinds them causing uproar from the group now afflicted with dendro. Slamming your foot into the earth below you, the vision on your hip all but sparks as purple cherry blossoms explode in the middle of the dendro field created by the mine.

The reaction between the two elements is quick and violent, sparks flying as it sends the Eremites flying backward in different directions until they are all motionless on the ground. Pity they didn't put up much of a fight after all, huh?

"Y/N?"

A soft, almost tentative voice cuts through the air from the tree above you and the sound alone is enough to have your heart fluttering in your chest. Whipping around the 'thump' of feet hitting the ground, you're not too surprised as a certain fox is rushing into your arms, his tail idly swishing behind him to convey his excitement upon your sudden arrival.

"You weren't supposed to be back for another week." Tighnari's voice is muffled from where he has buried himself into your neck, hot breath fanning over the sensitive skin as he speaks.

Reaching up, you run your hands over the Forest Watcher's back, a soft chuckle escaping as his tail only increases in speed to show his approval of the gentle touches. It had been too many nights without you by his side, and just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, you appeared like a light ready to guide the fog away. You were safe and had returned home to him.

"Tsk, what a lovely reunion between lovers, hm?" A mocking voice cuts through the air, succeeding in both ruining the mood and making the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

Tighnari had reluctantly pulled himself from your chest the moment the voice rang out, placing himself between you and the group of Eremites that had silently come up the path during your brief interaction with your lover. His bow had already materialized in his hand, drawing it back just as the head of the arrow began glowing green, a soft blossom over the tip signaling he was ready to fire. There were four of them, three men and one woman with sharp blades drawn, ready to strike down their newfound targets if they dared to make any sudden moves.

"Now now, why the hostility? Tighnari, surely you realize you're outnumbered here? Even with your little partner, you couldn't possibly take all of us on. They don't seem like...the strong type, if you know what I mean. Reactions are easy to trigger, why don't we see i-"

Before the poor girl can finish her sentence, Tighnari releases his arrow without a second thought, especially as your name was brought into this. A soft whistle can be heard as the arrow flies through the air towards her head a sharp thoomp erupts from the area of impact, and as it sinks home, four dendro arrows break off of it, seeking out other soft spots of her body and slicing into her flesh with ease. No sound escapes from her, not a scream or gasp, only a soft thump as her body hits the lush grass below her comrades, her crimson blood staining the earth.

A whistle sounds just behind you and Tighnari, neither of you having time to react as pain ricochets up your arm, the sharp head of an arrow easily piercing into the flesh of your bicep, going clean through the tissue before landing in the grass a few feet away. It wasn't often you got injured while roaming Sumeru so you had never had the chance to increase your pain tolerance much. What a curse that turned out to be, huh? Dropping your sword, your hand flies to the wound steadily trickling blood with a shrill cry, the pain nearly enough to make your legs buckle underneath you. Tears cloud your eyes in an instant as Tighnari whips around, brown-green eyes wide as the metallic scent of your blood fills his senses

Whoever shot you either wasn't the greatest of shots, or their goal was simply to disarm you so Tighnari would have to fight alone. There is another soft whistle behind you as another allow comes flying from the brush, the sharp head sinking into the back of your right thigh with ease. Pain travels up your leg as your muscles tense up once more at the sudden injury to the meat of your thigh, and the only thing that keeps you from collapsing on the forest floor are the strong arms that wind around you.

"Y/N?...Y/N you need to focus on me." Tighnari's words are quick, but calm as a free hand cups your face, fingers tilting your chin up so your eyes can meet. The brown-green depths are full of concern as they lock with yours, flicking to do a full assessment of your wounds before he lets out a shaky breath. "Don't touch the arrow, okay? Put pressure on your arm, I'll finish this quickly, and then we can get you patched up."

The Forest Watcher is quick to set you on the ground, making sure your wounds aren't being strained before he is stood upright, bow materializing in his hand once more as he casts a glance towards your aggressors. One large, black ear twitches before he is drawing his bow back and releases, striking one of the greasy-haired Emerites in the chest without warning. Like his previous arrow, four dendro arrows break off and sink themselves into their target's weak spots causing the man to crumple with a gargled cry. You feel as if you're going to pass out with the pain clouding your mind, threatening to darken your vision as you struggle not to give in and pass out. Pressing your hand to the wound on your arm with as much force as you can muster, you focus on trying to stabilize your breathing, panicking won't make Tighnari feel any better, you need to be strong for him.

Taking a few steps back, Tighnari pulls a Vijnana-Phala Mine from the satchel on his hip before tossing it in the direction of the two mercenaries still standing. As it hits the ground, it explodes and a thick layer of green smoke encircles the remaining men, causing them to react violently, shouting and waving their weapons in an attempt to strike the Forest Watcher.

"What's wrong? Can't see?" His voice is laced with so much anger that if the laws of nature would allow, he would be breathing fire with each spoken word.

Drawing back his bow once more Tighnari fires two arrows, one at each enemy that end up breaking into several smaller dendro arrows that strike their targets viciously, sinking between the gaps of their armor into the soft flesh underneath. His once friendly, open behavior has shifted into something darker and much more aggressive, since you have been brought into this ridiculous disagreement that should've ended days ago. You are his partner and he was supposed to protect you, he had failed at the one job he was supposed to maintain, and boy were these men regretting it now. Heavy footfalls can be heard from the brush behind you as Tighnari deals with the last of the Eremites forcing your brain to try and focus on the sound despite the pain.

Shit.

There is a tense moment of silence in your head as a hooded mercenary comes running from the brush behind you, his dagger is drawn and it feels as if time has come to a slow crawl. You know this man's intentions the moment that your eyes catch the way his blade glints in the sunlight and your heart drops to your stomach.

He was going after Tighnari.

You're on your feet in an instant, the pain of your wounds long forgotten the moment you discover that your partner is now in danger, he is too busy finishing off the others to realize what is going on. You knew that you couldn't get to him in time to block the blow of the dagger, yet, as the weapon raises to deal a potentially fatal blow, an intense wave of determination washes over you. You can feel the buzz of energy on your hip as your vision activates, electro shooting you forward in a flash of purple light until your back connects with Tighnari's, forcing the Forest Watcher to keep himself from tumbling forward.

"Y/N!?"

You don't have the words to warn him of your intention to block the blow, the adrenaline pumping in your veins feeling as if it's squeezing your vocal cords shut. You manage to raise your hand just as the mercenary's dagger is thrust downward with enough force to cause a fatal wound, eyes squeezing shut as you brace for impact. The pain slicing through you hand forces a cry from your lips, your eyes snapping open to try and grasp what exactly had happened. Fuck it hurts. Unsurprisingly, the blade had gone clean through your palm and the pain nearly makes you rip your hand away if it isn't for your attacker applying more pressure. His goal was to kill one of you, to avenge his comrades and these injuries now made you an easier target.

Before you have time to process the danger you're in, the Emerite begins to apply force to the dagger forcing it towards your chest. The vision on your hip lights up once more as you push upward on the blade in return, your scream escapes through clenched teeth as you struggle to turn the tide of the fight. A purple aura radiates around your body, as your vision assists with giving you the strength needed to throw your head forward, connecting with the bridge of the mercenary's nose and forcing him to take a few steps back. The dagger is ripped from your palm in the process, now that the blade as been removed there is nothing stopping the blood from oozing from the wound.

You're hardly given a moment to breathe as the mercenary recovers from the blow you've dealt him, his blade stained crimson as he gets ready to charge once more. Just as he takes one step, six dendro arrows fly past your head and a fierce growl sounds in your ear as Tighnari presses against your back, his face centimeters away from your own. His eyes are all but blazing as he settles his gaze on you, not casting a second glance toward any of the fallen enemies as he goes to check your wounds.

"You idiot." Tighnari huffs at you, brown-green eyes settling on the wound through your hand before he is tugging bandages from his satchel, wrapping it the best he can so you don't lose anymore blood on your travel to Gandharva Ville. "If you ever do so-"

Reaching up your uninjured hand, you cup Tighnari's cheek warmly, thumb smoothing over the pale skin before your forefinger and thumb grip his chin, forcing your eyes to meet once more. You search his gaze for any sign of anger or resentment toward you, but after finding that there is none, you can't help the laugh escaping your throat. "Nari, I just need you to kiss me already."

The Forest Watcher's eyes widen slightly for a moment, almost as if processing your words, but you can't bear the wait anymore. After your long stay in Liyue, as well as the shitshow you came back to, you're not letting this moment slip away from you. Carefully tugging Tighnari's face to your own, you waste no time in slotting your lips together in a much-needed kiss, hand shifting to grace over his ears after just a moment of being connected. The action forces an involuntary whine from the man's throat and he is quick to pull away with a mock scowl, but it vanishes nearly as quickly as it had formed.

"Come on, let's go get you patched up. I'm sure Collei will be pleased to see you've arrived home safely."

tw - unusual ways of sh please read at your own risk.

a/n - this is very bad but i need to feed y'all.

there have been moments when all you want to do was stop breathing. but you have too much to do and too many people who rely on you. so, you settle for hurting yourself instead.

tonight is one of those nights. sitting on your bathroom floor, you pull at your hair and bite your own arms. you taste blood.

tears fall from your eyes as you fall on the floor from exhaustion. you need to clean yourself up. he's supposed to come over in fifteen minutes.

and so, with a shaky sigh, you get up off the cold tile and rinse the blood off your arm. it kind of hurts but also feels kind of nice. it makes you feel kind of alive.

your gaze slowly looks up to the mirror and is met with what most would call an absolute trainwreck. "what a disgusting sight," you think.

your gaze moves back towards the floor as you finish washing the blood off. removing your arms from under the faucet, you look at the bite marks that adorn your arm. it almost makes you feel proud.

fingers trail across the marks as you exit the bathroom to find bandaids. or some gauze. or somthing.

but, much to your dismay, he is standing right outside the bathroom door. your eyes widen with panic as you stare at him. as you look up at him, his eyes meet yours.

"darling... this is getting out of hand," he murmurs. pulling you close, he looks at the damage you've done to yourself. his brows furrow with worry as he sees just how bad it is.

"i.. i'm sorry.." you mutter. it makes your heart hurt every time he sees you like this. it's not the first time he's had to help you after a breakdown.

"don't apologize."

"but you have to deal with me. i'm an adult. you shouldn't have to take care of me."

"i don't take care of you because i have to, darling. i do it because o want to." and with that, he pulls you into a tight embrace. his face buries in the crook of your neck as he goes on: "and i want to because you are my everything. not just my world, but my cosmos."

a lump forms in your throat as he rambles his love for you.

"i love you," you sigh as your voice breaks. a shaky breath leaves your lips as you cry into his shoulder.

"i love you too," he whispers.

the rest of the night is then spent with you curled up in his arms, watching a movie, and him whispering little 'i love you's every chance he gets.

bonus:

"why'd you come over so early anyways?"

"cause i left my razor..."

chuuya, kunikida, fukuzawa, dazai (delusional), aether, zhongli, neuvillette, tighnari, venti, diluc, giyuu, and any of your other amazing favs.

hi !!

can i request f! reader x tighnari where reader was always bullied and hid her ears, then she met tighnari and she stops hiding it ??

btw can i be 🤑 anon

hi !!

yes, you can:) I also gave her a tail, I hope you don't mind!

There was a time when you loved your ears. They sat so pretty on top of your head, the same shade as your hair. At night, it was a comfort to rub an ear. The motion had you falling asleep quickly. Joining the Akademiya was the turning point.

The stares you were able to handle, it's actually what you expected to happen. A few brave people asked if they could touch your ears or tail only to be politely rejected. Some even asked for pictures!

It was all easy enough to handle.

Until it wasn't.

Tugging on your ears became a fun little game when people would walk past you. Laughing at your painful whines and protests. The harsh actions leave you rubbing your poor ears afterwards. The loud sounds made them hurt enough by the end of the day, constant tugging didn't help.

Then it was the loudness. Clapping their hands next to your ears. Sometimes they'd lean in and shout.

It got to the point that your head would be pounding. Their actions leave you crying in your bed from your sore and throbbing ears. You couldn't handle it anymore.

From then on, you always wore a hat. It covered your ears that stayed turned down against your head You'd think that'll stop them from bothering you. All it did was turn their attention towards your visible and very vulnerable tail.

You ended up having to hide that, too.

Eventually, their actions stopped and you left the akidemiya to continue your studies elsewhere. Sumeru City was always too loud for you to handle anyway. But the fear of revealing your ears and tail remained.

Gandharva Ville is the place that is home to the Forest Watchers. Deep in the Avidiya forest and away from the bustling city of Sumeru. Sounded like a great place to stay to you.

It's where you meet Tighnari.

One could imagine your surprise at the sight of two fluffy ears standing on top of his head, just as dark as his hair. A tail moved gently behind him, a mixture of black and green - also like his hair. It looks so soft and well taken care of.

Her own tail twitched from under her shirt, longing for the same type of freedom. It's obvious the people here weren't the same as the ones you've dealt with most of your life - but that couldn't stop the fear you held.

Tighnari took notice of the ear tips sticking out from the bottom of your hat. How you looked away whenever you saw that someone noticed them. Shielding yourself from something that will never happen.

He knew outright asking you would lead to you either panicking or getting defensive. So he had to go about things slowly. He kept you near him, wanting to show that everyone here would do nothing to harm you.

"Here, why don't you try this?" Tighnari held out a small container to you. He saw you running your fingers through your tail, frowning at the feel of it. "This will help keep it soft and hydrated in this kind of climate. I have another one you can use if you ever go to the desert as well."

With little hesitance, you take the item. "Thank you," Truly, you were thankful. Your tail wasn't used to the humidity here in the forest so the fur was a lot dryer than normal.

Oh, but then...

"Does it work on ears, too?"

Tighnari's lips tug upwards, happy you were starting to trust him to talk about your ears and tail now. The next step is getting you comfortable enough to let them breathe. He was certain your ears were sore by the end of the day being cupped up under a hat.

"Could you help me with this?" you asked one day, holding the container in hand. Your tail unwound from your waist. Ears were still hidden but it's a start.

He spoke softly. "Of course."

You sat on the bed, tail laying in his lap once he was comfortable next to you. TIghnari is gentle as he runs his hands through the fur on your tail. It was a lot softer now and looked healthier from the time you first arrived. You've taken good care of your tail and ears on your own so far, this was just an excuse to get closer to Tighnari.

Heat rush to your cheeks. While he was occupied with your tail, you reach up and remove the hat you wore. Your ears slowly shoot up, twitching a little from being contained for so long.

"Did you want me to do your ears, as well?" He asked in a near whisper.

You nod. Eyes closed at the swirl of emotions when he tended to your ears. This is the first time you have them out freely, let alone allow another to touch them in this way.

When Tighnari was done, you felt relieved. Like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders. Feeling brave at the moment, you lean forward, placing a kiss on Tighnari's cheek. Completely missing the blush that rose to his face.

You went out the next day, ears and tail on show. And every day since.

Could someone be a dear and remind me who it was that wrote a pantalone fanfiction where the reader is Dottore's child? I don't remember whether it was gender neutral or not. Thank you very much in advance.

a hybrid’s instincts

◇ characters ◇ zhongli, gorou, tighnari, (bonus) platonic!diona

◇ tags ◇ pregnancy, afab!reader, dragon!zhongli

◇ a/n ◇ what's that? will i ever stop pushing the dragon!zhongli agenda? hahahahahahahhahahhaha hhahaha ha ha- no.

𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡

oh? what's this? it seems like your pregnancy triggered something in these men. their more… "animal side", perhaps?

ever since baizhu’s confirmation - actually, even weeks before that - zhongli has been very reluctant to let you wander out of the house. or even out of his sight, in general (which is quite strange since with his enhanced dragon senses you know he’s able to locate you within the house with no problems at all).

at night, you sometimes wake up to him in his dragon form. sometimes it’s his compact form nuzzling and he's purring near your stomach, sometimes it’s his half-dragon form where he’ll place his head beside your stomach with his tail curling around you protectively. it doesn’t matter whether you’re already showing or not; your heartbeat and the little hatchling’s brings him a sense of comfort that he needs, lest he becomes restless.

his nesting behavior is out of control. he’ll bring you all the pillows and blankets, surround you with the nicest smelling flowers, make you always wear his shirt, and he’ll bring anything you want to the bed so you don’t have to leave the nest. the further you are into your pregnancy, the more reluctant he is to leave you alone. he ends up taking that paternal leave hu tao has been telling him to get. bless her.

gorou is just as excited as he’s alerted. kokomi will have to force her best general to take a temporary leave from the army throughout your pregnancy because he’s so jumpy and sensitive to literally everything and his behavior is making all of the soldiers anxious.

gorou insists that you take a walk with him every day; just something light around the block to keep you from feeling lethargic. he’s also developed a habit to sniff everything that will touch your hand. yes, that includes your supposedly harmless change of clothes. it’s not ridiculous in his opinion! it’s a necessary precaution!!

will snarl when a stranger approaches you and tries to touch you in any way, even if it’s just a friendly gesture. he would be so embarrassed and apologetic about it afterward, but only once you’re at the safe haven of your house.

are you a forest ranger? an adventurer? does your profession require you to venture into the wilderness? welp, say goodbye to your job for the time being, because there is no way in any cycles of samsara tighnari would let you go into the dangers outside while you’re carrying his pups.

walking arm-in-arm whenever you're out and about is a must these days. whenever a villager congratulates you, you can sense his hold tightening despite the polite smile on his lips. if it was up to his instinct, he wouldn’t have let you get out of the house, but rationally he knows you need to move around and breathe in the fresh air.

though you still won’t be exempt from your beloved’s sassiness (”you want me to get you coffee…? do you think i’m an idiot?”) as long as what you ask for doesn’t harm you, he’s at your every beck and calls now, no question asked. you’re craving for collei’s specialized pita pockets? he’ll learn the damn recipe from collei herself and serve it on your favorite plate the next day. you want to be carried everywhere? good thing he’s got the physique fitting for the head of the forest rangers. you want ten kisses a day? say no more; he’ll give you thirty.

[bonus - platonic]

at first, diona seems super indifferent about it, only reacting with a ‘hmph… congrats, i guess’, but her actions speak louder than words. you know how cats tend to hover around pregnant women and even lay themselves near their bulging bellies? that's right.

no, you will not be having alcohol. no, your spouse will not be having alcohol. no, all the people within five hundred meters radius from you will not be having any single drop of alcohol. she won't allow those boozehounds to get close to you.

she’s so amazed at how your stomach keeps growing bigger every time you visit her. when you give her your permission, she’ll curiously poke and stare at your bump. her hand will gently pat your tummy as she unconsciously smiles. she starts to seek you out more often after that, telling you that she’s just there in case you need help, but you know she’s just worried about you. she would be such a good big sister to your baby!

© zhongrin | 2022 ◆ no repost. reblogs much appreciated. feel free to reach out to submit suggestions, feedback, comments, or if you just want to talk!

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He loves me, I love him not

Synopsis: When he tells you he loves you and you don't say it back. {So like forever ago I don't remember how long, there used to be this Tiktok trend where a person wouldn't say I love you back to their partner and film their reaction.} That's the idea behind this but it's not really a modern au. The boys aren't being filmed. You're just messing with them.

Disclaimer: No pronouns used/gender specified. Not a modern au just straight up fluffy stuff with a small amount of angst in Chongyun's part.

Characters: Aether, Chongyun, Tighnari, Venti, Scaramouche.

A/N: I want to write a new 5wirl post so bad but I also doubly realized how much I enjoy writing for Tighnari. So you guys will have to suffer till I get bored of him.

Venti

☆ He says he loves you so often that your reply has become second nature. So much so that you worry you might not be able to trick him like this.

☆ Yeah part of it was because he was the absolute cutest and sweetest boyfriend ever. But the far louder side of your brain nagged on about how you'd end up hurting his feelings.

☆ Though you pushed those worries aside and did it regardless. It was just a test of sorts after all: "I love you." He mumbled sweetly into your ear as the two of you sat side by side, feasting on apples and bread for breakfast.

☆ The words sat on the tip of your tongue, an equally affectionate reply replaying in your brain. "Mhm." You settled on.

☆ His head swiveled towards you so fast you could've sworn it'd disconnect from his body. Though it only took a glimpse of the corner of your eye for a small smile to stretch across his face.

☆ "Not feeling it this morning, Windblume?" His words so close to your ear cause the hairs against your neck to raise and you let a little shudder flow down your spine. "Or maybe you just feel like teasing."

☆ "Ven.." You cut off at the feeling of his lips on your cheek.

☆ "It's ok." He giggles "Though if you ever genuinely don't feel like saying it back, don't worry I understand."

☆ "I love you too, so much."

Tighnari

☆ Listen he rarely ever says these three words. Not because he doesn't feel as strongly for you as you do him or because he's heartless. He just doesn't want to overuse the phrase. He thinks it should mean something every time.

☆ And it's been a while since he last said it so at this moment he just stops, deadpanning in the doorway.

☆ No words to break the awkward tension just a full blown not blinking staring contest.

☆ "What?" You gaze back at him innocently

☆ "Don't play dumb, I believe I said something very romantic and heartfelt a moment ago."

☆ "Did you??" You continue to tease, pulling a confused expression for effect.

☆ And yeah sure you could spend the whole day trying not to let a grin slip as his unamused grimace gets darker. But of course you slip and say it back. Just be prepared for him to be the petty bastard he is and revoke kissing privileges later.

☆ What do you mean he's dodging your kisses? He's just busy right now. Guess you'll have to wait till he stops finding your annoyed huffs funny.

Aether

☆ He says it at least once every time he sees you for two reasons: One the constant fear that the next time he sees you will be the last. And two he's just naturally affectionate in that way.

☆ So yeah: this time when he says it and he's met with pure silence he's more than a little worried. He's not exactly looking at you right now. He's cleaning the last of the dishes in the sink, while you dust the living room only a few feet away.

☆ He ponders over whether or not you heard him or maybe in fact he just hadn't heard you. So he just repeats himself, waiting a bit anxiously for a reply. Though this time he notices the quick flinch of your shoulders and the way your cheeks puff only to relax a second later.

☆ Suddenly your little game is exposed. He dries his hands, walking up behind you quietly enough that you don't hear him coming.

☆ He soon enjoys the wriggle of your hips in his grasp as he pulls you off the table you'd been standing on. Gently he lowers you to the ground his kisses swiftly covering every inch of your face. A soft murmur of "I love you" pressed into every spot on your face until all you could do was breathlessly wheeze his name.

☆ Now you can't help but state the words back outright. Your beaming grin and adoring eyes giving you away before you could even utter it.

☆ But Aether's, Aether so of course neither of you are moving from that spot till he gets the appropriate amount of kisses and love you's back.

Chongyun

☆ Another one who doesn't say he loves you often but he knows what displaying those emotions can do to him plus he's a little shy. It's ok you live with it.

☆ Today had been sort of rare though. He'd been off the whole day, just meditating during the early morning and training until the sun had finally set.

☆ Unlike Xingqiu, you didn't play pranks on Chongyun. Actually you were the one who normally took care of him after Xingqiu's latest prank. But you felt a sort of playful mood arise. Perhaps not seeing your boyfriend today had stirred up some energy in you.

☆ He slipped into his side of the bed like he always did, reaching out to intertwine your hands. "Goodnight Name, I love you." He whispered

☆ "Goodnight, Yun." You shifted closer to him, eyelids drawing shut.

☆ You can feel every shift of the mattress as Chongyun wiggles about, hand holding yours a little tighter and then suddenly everything stills.

☆ You almost pretend to wake up but he takes the choice away, taping your shoulder.

☆ "Name, Did I upset you? You always say you love me back.." His eyes shift between each of yours as he nibbles the popsicle. (You honestly can't imagine where he got it from.)

☆ "Yun.."

☆ "Is it because I didn't spend the day with you? I probably should've have, shouldn't I.. I didn't mean to be a bad boyfriend.. I'm more accustomed to training on days off and-"

☆ And of course you have to kiss his cheek and talk him down because he won't stop worrying.

☆ "I'm so sorry Yun. And I do love you."

☆ The light pink dusting his cheeks makes the pang in your chest lighter as you pull the blankets up to cover you. (Not him cause heat.)

☆ "I am thankful you were just pranking me." He mutters into your collarbone. "But next time if you do can you just do it the way Xingqiu does instead?"

☆ If you love him at all you will never do that shit again.

Scaramouche

☆ He's surprisingly spontaneous with how infrequently he'll tell you he loves you. Someday's he'll say it when he first sees you and then again at night. Other days you won't hear the phrase uttered at all.

☆ To be fair It's always a little shocking to hear how easily those words come to him no matter how long the relationship has gone on for.

☆ He's just sort of laying in your lap when you decide to test him. His head cradled by your thighs. Your hands carding sections of his hair away from his closed eyes.

☆ A little sigh falls off his lips before those affectionate words fall off his lips. You opt for pure silence however. Keeping a blank expression as best as possible as his eyes soon fixate on you from his spread out angle.

☆ "Didn't you hear me?" He asks

☆ "Hmm?"

☆ His hand reaches up to take your wrist, "I said, I love you."

☆ "Ok, heard you loud and clear." You give him a thumbs up.

☆ You only get a split second view but his grimace is instantly noticeable. "You can be so annoying sometimes."

☆ "Scara wait!" You can't hide your giggles as you trot along behind him but he doesn't even bother to stop walking.

☆ Don't worry he's already accepted your apology. He just really hates your little pranks.

OF ALL THINGS, I BECAME A SEELIE!

Of all things, you became a seelie when you got isekai’d into your favourite game, Genshin Impact. You decide to make them fall for whatever charms you have left in hopes of being taken in as a pet to survive.

Aether & Dainsleif ver.

➸ Cyno, Al-Haitham, Nilou, Tighnari.

➸ Gender-neutral reader.

➸ Inspired by the manhwa Of All Things, I Became A Crow. Al-Haitham is a little mean here 😂

#CYNO

Cyno finds you buried in the sand when he went to the desert, having been drawn towards your burial spot by your frantic squeaks. When you got isekicked to Teyvat, you had the worst luck of running into a group of eremites who decided to bully you, but fortunately, Cyno happened to be nearby after you were trapped in your sandy coffin.

He isn’t sure what type of creature you are and decides to bring you to the Akademiya once you were dugged out. He’s surprised when you wiggle free from his hands and float up to rest on the spot between the ears of his headpiece, but he doesn’t say anything since you weren’t being difficult. Just as he’s about to step inside the Akademiya, he’s quickly stopped by Aether who then tells him that you’re a rare seelie.

It doesn’t take very long for Cyno to warm up to you. He thinks that you’re rather cute (but would never say it out loud) and would sometimes poke your squishy body out of curiosity. There was a time when he disturbed your sleep with his incessant poking, which earned him a tiny slap on his index finger.

Seeing the General Mahamatra with a downgraded version of the Traveler’s flying companion is certainly a sight in Sumeru City. You’d follow him everywhere, even when he’s apprehending a scholar for plagiarism or other academic violations. You act like an extra pair of eyes for Cyno, which he is grateful for; if the scholar tries anything funny, you’d instantly alert him. You eventually became Cyno’s unofficial partner, and he’d feel a little lonely if you’re not around to listen to his god awful jokes.

Cyno initially didn’t know that you don’t need to eat and has tried to feed you dried fruits and nuts on occasion, only to get uno reversed every time. Taking the seedless date from his palm, you proceed to push the fruit against his lips to silently tell him to eat it. He hesitantly opens his mouth as you shove it in, and he couldn’t stop the minuscule smile from surfacing when you rub against his cheek with an adorable squeak.

Whenever he has a meeting with an official, he lets you fly off on your own, knowing that you’ll come searching for him once you’ve done enough exploration for the day. His only concern is you running into Al-Haitham; he’s an Akademiya lunatic and Cyno doesn’t trust him at all. He’s not sure if you understand him, but he would always remind you to avoid Al-Haitham.

Later on, Cyno orders a mini version of his headpiece for you to wear so that the two of you could match. You don’t miss his soft smile as he carefully puts it on you and calls you his seelie Mahamatra.

Keep reading

5 (+ 1)

or five times you attempted to pet tighnari's ears and the one time he let you

tighnari x gn! reader rated: t wc: 9k+

a/n: i swear i'm not a genshin writer. every now and again one just really hits me and won't leave me alone. i'm shaking at the prospect of meeting cyno.

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when you had taken up the life of a very luxurious forest ranger, you hadn’t done so with any grand goal in mind. growing up you’d never been enticed by the prestige of the akademiya. the too tight robes warded off any appeal of unlimited knowledge. 

you weren’t much of a haggler either, so market trading had never been much of an option. to be honest, in most cases you couldn't be bothered and would give away something for free if it meant getting the person out of your face.

maybe as a child you’d dreamed of theatre. promises of dancing in front of a crowd. or performing a sincere song of gratitude in honour of your generous archon. but there was a reason why only the children of sumeru dreamt. because it saved you the reality of embarrassment. 

ultimately it made sense for you to be a forest ranger. you were blessed with a vision and had the aptitude for conflict when needed. you didn't mind being outside. sumeru was a beautiful land of bountiful vegetation and fauna. you were proud to be part of the force protecting it. 

so naturally, you were destined to join their ranks. you would fit in splendidly as long as you followed the basic code of conduct.

the rules were simple:

execute every possible strategy to ensure the safety of the public

do not engage in any withering zone excavation without first reporting it

do not under any circumstances attempt to touch master tighnari’s ears.

you believed that honour should be given where it was due, and tighnari certainly earned a bulk of it in sumeru. he was as tenacious in his research as he was in his determination to cull the withering.  

it was admirable. unquestionably gave his subordinates something to look up to. it helped that he made an easy guy to work for. tighnari was an abundance of knowledge, never failing to deliver relevant facts about any form of botany in sight. 

during your initial interview he completely sidetracked himself from testing your competency in favour of dumping the equivalent of a knowledge capsule on the entire forest on you. and during the whole time all you could think was how cute.

those fluffy, distractingly soft ears he had that twitched with every emotion. you noticed that sometimes they swayed unprompted, as if they had a mind of their own. the man himself seemed oblivious to your obsession, or just so immune to the attention at this point that it hardly phased him. 

it was a shame really. 

because by the time he realised you were out of your seat, he had a split second to snatch your offending hand before your fingers to reach the fur. the utterly adorable culprits seemed to tease your failure, flickering invitingly just out of reach of your wiggling fingers. 

at least you had enough integrity to smile in the face of defeat as your future boss leered at you unimpressed. 

he spent the remainder of your now orientation laminating over the very extensive punishment policy to be expected of any broken infractions. 

|2|

it was safe to say the threat of punishment didn’t weigh too heavily on your consciousness. what you did learn, was everything more the life of a ranger had to offer. it wasn’t as though you belittled it to a simple forest guide. you were well aware of how each and every one of your colleagues put their life on the line to protect the gifts from the first of the dendro goddess. 

but you never expected your contribution to feel so satisfying. 

every day your body got stronger, gaining the resilience and stamina to endure long treks through the forest. you became more in tune with your vision, able to protect not only yourself but others from harm. unexpectedly, tighnari’s long winded tangents began sounding more appealing as you absorbed the information rather than repel it. 

with each passing day you grew into the role of a proper forest ranger.

though there was one thing you hadn’t grown out of. 

“you two will be assigned with me. we’ll patrol the southeast canopy.”

tighnari was always so serious when delegating assignments. archon’s bless him. given it was a momentous occasion as it was imperative to understand everyone’s role so that their was a fair opportunity to return home safe and sound. 

it was just he way his ears followed each command. the adorable quiver not at all equivalent to his resolute voice. even after over a year under his command, it was still so distracting. to be fair, you’d learned to control your urges. after the second attempt and a week of making sure the long row of lamps remained glowing, you had at least accepted the pressing issue of testing his patience. 

your respect didn’t go unrewarded either. over time, you learned that under those cute ears was a very interesting man. you always knew he valued his time in the forest and that the publications were not just for show like some of the akademiya graduates. but to witness his unfiltered passion for the forest was … kind of refreshing. 

it made for genuine conversations that allowed you to feed off one another. while you’d never quite match his never ending knowledge for botany, you accompanied it well with your growing love for fauna. 

in short, tighnari had become an unexpected friend. 

with very endearing ears that you still felt the urge to touch after many, many months of barely held restraint. 

it was admirable. 

worth the gained friendship. 

and yet.

collei’s shoulder knocked comfortably into yours as she hopped with glee. her joy made her unaware to the sharp gazes watching her exuberant movements for any signs of fatigue. being around collei had eventually led you to believe that something was different about her.

as a fellow trainee for a time, the two of you had grown close enough for her to feel secure in delving into more of her past. her illness wasn’t necessarily rare but it wasn’t often you met many affected with as much optimism as she had. 

there was no doubt she had bouts of pain. sometimes you would cover her patrols to give her extra days of rest. tighnari was the most observant, always knowing when she needed a break. still the girl was a refreshing take on life in these darkening days. 

it helped that you both shared a fixation with a certain pair of furry ears.

whereas she was more timid in her appreciation, you had yet to shed your bold approach. 

well, maybe you got a little smarter. 

“but i already know about the sweetwater mushrooms,” collei whispered back, confusion staining her voice. there were times like this that her charmingness rivalled tighnari. 

you resisted the urge to pat the crown of her head. 

you all knew about the infamous fungi. upon its discover, tighnari had spent nearly a month after submitting his entry into the new rainforest guide speaking all about its elements; to anyone or anything regardless how responsive. 

if it was a botanical topic the fox found it hard to resist engaging. 

leaning closer, you kept a close eye on the leading man.” i know you do but tighnari always has something more to say. i just need you to ask him about it.” you refrained from using the word distract. 

collei’s ability to lie wasn’t a favourable skill. more often than not she caved in on herself before being able to spin a convincing tail. you’d learned fairly quickly the first time you convinced her to test a new route. the two of you hadn’t found any trouble but the slight delay in return roused a few questions. and of course tighnari had been the investigator. she never had a winning chance. 

“i still don’t get why i have to ask.”

“because i need an opening to try to touch his ears.”

the sharp gasp she left out was enough to shatter the gossip bubble as tighnari turned with a suspicious frown. his gaze fell heavily on you as the culprit. 

“what are you two muttering about?”

laughing sheepishly, your hip checked subtly against the younger girl’s as you took the lead. “just about the dusk birds. their mating season is approaching.”

tighnari raised a brow, but didn’t question further. one of the ways you’d managed to bond with collei had been over the observation of the bird hatchlings. they were one of the safer offsprings you were allowed to track in your earlier days, making you very familiar with their nesting grounds. it was one of the few areas he allowed you both to wander together without supervision. 

“uh huh, well unfortunately i doubt we’ll get many sightings this low. please try to stay vilgint for any threats.”

tighnari rolled his eyes at your comical salute but was unable to hide his small grin. it only fed into your wider one. 

good. he was in an amicable mood today. you’d both need it. 

collei managed to remain cool headed despite your hanging plan as the three of you ventured through the more worn paths. travellers and students alike tended to frequent these parts, fending off most wildlife who didn’t want to be bothered. it was mostly flora that flourished, taking up any available space. 

the perfect conversation starter. 

the green haired trainee squeaked when you cleared your throat and nudged her softly. the noise caused a flicker to tighnari’s ear but he otherwise left the two of you to your devices as he examined the population of fungi. 

your gaze darted to the seemingly preoccupied man and back, to which collei gulped but carefully approached. “um, master tighnari. do you mind going over the procedure for warning travellers about fungi again? sometimes i stumble with the more insistent ones.”

you could hear a bit of truth bleed into the ploy. it was certainly convincing enough as tighnari gestured for her to come to closer as he plucked a few samples. “certainly! it’s always good to familiarise yourself. sometimes they can get a little tricky. like this one, the bell-shaped and conical caps can often confuse people. you have to really pay attention to the arch…”

archons bless him, it didn’t really take much. 

tighnari’s eyes darted briefly to you as you settled near them. his body turned to welcome you into the discussion, but he otherwise continued his deep analysis of proper measurements of cap width. the fleeting eye contact was enough for you to witness the undeniable brightness as he conversed. 

as much as you liked to tease him, the jest hardly had any weight when the man was as serious about his research. he often responded with a chide about the importance of understanding and how it promoted coexistence. and then he would give you editions of his publications for you to study. 

the first few times, after you’d baulked at the depth of the information, you’d actually managed to discover a few interesting elements. despite his ability to drone on, the passion he felt was undeniable when reading through this material. even if you didn’t retain much of the actual reading, the smile you developed lingered. only to widen when you’d witnessed the excited flicker of his tail when you’d returned the books with a few inquiries of your own. 

tighnari took your interest in the fauna populating the forest seriously, cultivating the bud of fascination and furthering it. you hadn’t developed enough academic discretion to attempt a article- not that it would have been credible without the proper education- but tighnari baubles your insights all the same, often using your tracking skills to help develop new routes during various mating and hibernation periods. 

it … really helped you feel at home. valued amongst the other forest rangers. 

so what if you occasionally found your cheeks warming whenever he complimented your new discoveries. 

“when people ask, it's important to point out as many examples as you can to help them identify. in most cases you only have their attention for a few minutes so you need to capitalise.”

you had to give it to collei, she was either fully immersed or integrating very well into the diversion. though when tighnari got like this, it was nearly one in the same. 

rolling onto your knees, you paused as those endearing astute ears twitched in your direction. tighnari hadn’t skipped a beat, however instinct was so inherent. it made for an unfair advantage, however you had desensitisation on your side. the next disturbance you made as you leaned closer hardly got a reaction as his second nature focused on the world outside your bubble. 

it was a flattering downfall that you’d happily exploit as your hand neared your objective. 

“- actually that’s a common mistake. some of the gills look similar but if you notice here..:”

oh no. 

in one fluid motion, tighnari managed to capture your hovering hand, dragging it forward under his arm to come in contact with his other. the motion dragged you flush against his back as he manipulated your fingertips against the underside of the mushroom. 

“-… there’s a coarser distinction. of course, you have to be careful when encouraging other to touch freely as some can still be poisonous.”

naturally you doubted tighnari would use you so freely as an impromptu demonstration, punishment be damned. though the way he kept your appendage hostage implied that you weren’t free from reprimand. 

poor collei chuckled nervously as tighnari held out the fungi for her to try, eyes wondering anxiously between the two of you. from your imprisonment, you were unable to see what expression tighnari was giving off, but if the tight grip was any indicator it was safe to hypothesise that it wasn’t in your favour. 

“i um- see. thank you, master.”

tighnari didn’t appear to have any ill will towards the girl which was a small grace. his tone, however, was noticeably pinched as he directed the conversation over his shoulder. 

“do you have any questions, ranger?”

yep. 

there’s the wrath. 

accepting defeat, your head careened forward into the hollow of his shoulder as you mumbled your negative with the shake of a head. Immediately you felt his posture stiffen in responses to your relaxed submission. the proximity awarded you a personal showcase of the heat crawling up the back of his neck. 

interesting. 

“well then!” tighnari forced a cheerful bravado as he brought you both to an abrupt stand, releasing you in favour of stepping forward to lead. “collei, listen closely as they recite every classification as we finish our patrol. we can make note of their mistakes so that they don’t make them again when they extensively copy them onto the new pamphlets for next release.”

it didn’t evade you how the fox refused to face you as he pressed forward. you dared to guess that the rosy hue of his neck might match the roundness of his cheeks.

perhaps some discoveries were worth the failures. 

|3|

“I really want to feature the spinokrok in my next story but I’ve never really seen one up close. dad says it’s too dangerous though.”

“he’s right. they’re at the very bottom of the ravine.”

“oh…”

“but sometimes i pass through on patrols. if you’d like, i can snap a reference photo for you!”

“really? that would be awesome, thanks so much!”

children’s happiness was truly a unique fruit of motivation, both gratuitous and frankly slightly treacherous to consume. tighnari might liken it to one of the colourful sprouts that populate the banks near the cliffside; beautifully cunning but sure to leave you with a nasty surprise.

—okay, maybe that was a little dramatic. 

but you were certainly going to be in for quite the scolding if tighnari found out that you derailed your patrols for the sake of taking a leisure photo of wildlife. in the defence of safety, the fox wasn’t as easily swayed by a childish promise. 

fortunately, you were adept enough with just about any patrol path through the rainforest by now. your experience often persuaded tighnari to give allowance for you to tend to the paths along the outskirts of the village solo. 

which you were totally doing. 

just from a view a couple hundred metres below. 

the path towards the wetland ravine was a muddy line in the undergrowth, a quieter trail that rarely gathered much traffic: traveller or wildlife. to be honest, you hardly ever saw anything other than the spinokrok’s down here. though given their diet, it wasn’t much of a surprise. 

you carefully neared the bankside, watching the position of the sun in between the treetops. you’d already bartered away a lot of your time venturing this low. while you were known for a bit of wandering, if you took too long to check-in someone would end up alerting tighnari before long. the sky was already beginning to bleed into a light orange, the beginning shades of the setting sun melting into the blue above. 

not your first nighttime return, but the light scolding would be easy enough to shake off. 

the sudden splash drew your attention to the winding river as a crane took flight. the skittish fowl wouldn’t have been alerted to your presence this early which meant that your targets weren’t far off. 

tugging the kamera from your knapsack, you followed the line of the water through the lens. 

“there you are…”

razi would be pleased with the prints of the small brood of three. highlights from above complimented the red scales nicely. curious, you swung the lens further upstream in an attempt to capture a few more. known for their meat, if undisturbed it would be easy enough to find at least another two or three. 

however as the slithering vines stretched norther further, twisting through branches on its congest to conquer vegetation, you found the rapidly darkening view to be concerning. sure enough, the once plentiful flora was beginning to shrink on itself and take on a dull shade. the distinctive red flow of the withering zone was seated right in the apex of the blistering landscape. 

“here too?”

the area was small, but this route was part of the weekly assignments rather than the more frequent. had you not come here in search of fauna, it likely wouldn’t have been discovered for a few more days. unfortunately, locating it yourself was tantamount to giving away your private detour. 

for a brief moment you debated taking the chance to report, weighing the pros and cons. ultimately, the loss of independency once tighnari tracked your impromptu route was too great of a squander. besides, it was a small devastation. you were qualified to handle it.

—except for the corrupted machina lingering just out of sight. 

the narrow lens of the kamera hadn't been able to capture the additional dangers before you neared. had you been aware, you would have attempted to at least down one before you got too close. it was a tight battle, suffering under the thick miasma while trying to cut off the source. 

you’d managed to down the bulkier of the two, but the swindling snake-like projection had been doing an annoying job of evading your strongest attacks. with your hp at threatening level, coupled with low energy regeneration, you were starting to regret your choices just a little bit. 

you briefly wondered if tighnari would scold you through the eulogy. 

the darkness blanketing the forest worked against you, as the remaining threads of daylight faded. the red glow of the withering was the least comforting form of light to rely on as you made a hasty dodge away from the blasting beam. 

“oh, crap.”

a miscalculation saw your foot caught on a fraying vine, careening your forward as you landed heavily onto the ground. the threatening wind of the machina generating energy had you sucking in a harsh breath as you attempted to stand, resulting in a sharp jolt of pain as your ankle protested. a cold chill numbed your body in the worst way as the unsettling realisation of your actions weighed in. scrambling feebly for your weapon, you attempted to shield the next blow though you knew it wouldn't be enough. 

“enshroud!”

your body jerked in alarm as a cloud of green circled the earth around you. the lack of visibility should have been worrying, had you not been very familiar with it’s caster; and the inevitable reckoning that would come. 

the first half came in the form of a series tanglevine shafts trained to track and devastate. the secondary wave wiped out the last of the threats before your savour was able to focus on the bleeding blooms. you’d never been more grateful to witness a successful clearance, as the suffocating effects of the withering abed away. it gave you just enough clear air to breath a grateful sigh of relief before it all soured. 

the second half of your retribution, was a quieter approach of wraith then you were use to. tighnari refused to look you in the eye as he kneeled before your injured limb. not that that you were trying to see the reflection of your guilt staring back at you. it gave you the opportunity to observe that he’d come alone, making you wonder if he’d been informed or had simply stumbled upon you. 

neither option was beneficial. 

the fox was obviously simmering, that much was clear even in his silence. he’d produced a small aid kit from his belt and was examining your ankle. the first sounds of annoyance permeating the air when you squeaked at the firm pressure against the joint. 

it was obvious that you wouldn’t be walking out of here. 

as if you weren’t in enough trouble. 

tighnari’s reticence preserved as he tied a stiff bow at the end of your wrapping before turning to offer his back. sighing, you accepted your fate and looped your arms around his neck. tighnari waited until your knees settled at his sides before he rose to his feet, added a second security under the weight of your thighs. 

at first you hoped to construct a plausible excuse in his silence, but after you’d practised the same redemption for the twelfth time you were starting to become more concerned about his resilience. you dont think you've ever witness tighnari hold back a scolding this long. 

unable to hold out any longer, you poked the hornet’s nest. 

“so razi has this new story idea.”

yeah you were throwing the kid under the bus, sue you. 

the first flicker of his ears was a subtle warning, but you pressed through. 

“he wanted to use the spinokroks as his next character but he’d never really been able to see one up close. and naturally it wouldn’t be safe for a child to traverse the forests. even with his father.”

there goes the second ear. 

“so being the helpful forest ranger i am under your tutelage, i offered to secure a reference photo for him. which of course—”

tighnari’s voice came quiet and strained. “please stop talking.”

you waited for him to say more, sure that he’d have more to tack on, but no other words left his lips. it was disconcerting in a way you hadn’t experienced before. you'd suffered through annoyance, frustration and some rage. 

but rarely disappointment. 

it was bitter tasting. 

it was rather telling when even the wildlife seemed to avoid the pair as you ascended out of the ravine. tighnari managed to not only reach the outskirts of the village, but did so without cracking under the pressure of your culpability. 

unfortunately you weren’t as robust. 

“tigh—”

“for every word, i’m adding a week of lamp maintenance duty.”

you squeezed your arms and legs around him in a hug, seeking out a thread of comfort through the throbbing pain of your ankle. 

“i’m sorry.”

tighnari sucked in a sharp breath as his steps halted. you could see the first glow of the lamps in the distance, no doubt a night crew lingering near to welcome the late returners. 

“you’re an idiot.”

a tight fist squeezed your heart as you shuddered against his back. 

“i know.”

“another week! i cannot believe your absolute disregard for your welfare. not only in straying from your patrols but to attempt to clear a withering zone without reporting it first. what were you thinking?”

your lips parted, voice small,” well i thought given how far off it was that no one would come across it before it spread.”

the fox was quietly shaking under you,” i’m tempted to bench you for a year for this alone. you could have been killed.”

“but i wasn’t.”

tighnari didn’t acknowledge the crackled excuse as he resumed the ascent towards the heart of the village. the conversation was over, at least for tonight. you almost felt bad for those hapless to witness the quiet fury as the leader trudged through the canopy. though the arrangement surely painted a telling story no one dared to stop or question.

upon entering your bungalow, tighnari silently backed into your bed until you took the hint.

as your arms slipped from around him, your fingertips brushed against the furry cartilage. though the action went ignored by both parties.

“rest, we’ll discuss this in the morning.”

|4|

the discussion did not come the following morning, or the rolling day as the sun rose and set. given your ailment you weren't exactly able to seek out your punishment, though the waiting game felt like the precursor. 

for the first three days, your only visitors were collie and one of the local healers. tighnari likely hadn’t banned the nervous girl, allowing her to stumble in at first light to assess your injuries. it seemed as though he also didn’t inform her of much as she tired to glean what she could. 

unfortunately, your mood hadn’t really improved from the night before, nor had your pain levels. you managed a tight smile at best, gritting through a scarce overview. the overhanging rumours were that you finally pushed tighnari to his limits. which was not too far from the truth. 

your medicine came in three intervals, and each visit was just that. umm only offer a genial knowing close-lipped smile as she applied the numbing cream and rewrapped your joints. the only news came from collei with each meal. it was never what you wanted to hear, but the sound of a voice other than your thoughts was welcome. 

you were able to keep up with light chat, the both of you doing an amicable job at avoiding the shaggy sumpter beast in the room. if the flightiness she gave off was anything to go by, then tighnari hadn’t completely cooled off. initially, you’d only probed subtly. asking about her patrols to see who accompanied her. questioning new withering zone reports to gauge who might be assigned. either tighnari had instructed her to be tightlipped or she was on as much of a lockdown as you were because the information gleaned was inconsequential. 

it wasn’t until the fifth day, when you were able to balance on your injured ankle for longer than a minute that you dared to try for more. 

umm had just finished, stepping clear of the doorway to allow collei to maneuver freely with the two bowls of lunch. the younger girl was in a lighter mood, giving you the extra confidence to push. 

you took a bite of the leftover stew first, before testing the waters. “has tighnari taken you on any deeper patrols lately?”

the girl stiffened but otherwise did not show any signs of distress. 

“not really, he’s been kind of strict with patrols lately. only seniors have been assigned to the forest floor. i patrolled the understory with nasrin yesterday though! the dusk birds are starting to nest.”

you could resist a soft smile as the girl lead comfortable into a short tangent about the different locations she’d tracked in her notebook. she loved to watch the hatching process from the birth to first flight. tighnari was often more lenient with her during this season. you were pleased to know your mess up hadn’t resulted in that being taken away.

“hopefully i’ll be healed enough to catch one of the hatchings.”

collei’s gaze flickered to your freshly wrapped ankle, “master tighnari wouldn’t say but he’s been pretty testy about ranger etiquette lately. well more than useful.”

“yeah, i was pretty stupid,” you muttered, quoting the fox’s words from that night. 

collei sat upright on the chair by your desk, responding to your despondent mood. “he’s not nearly as bad as before though. i mean that morning after he was really mad. not like loud angry, but everyone knew not to test him. but he’s calmer now”, she assured.

you assumed as much. avoiding you was likely the best way to keep his temper in check.

you watched as the green haired trainee squirmed in her seat, no doubt uncomfortable at the idea of being between the brewing conflict. tighnari no doubt tried to ease that predicament by withholding information. the least you could do was honour your half to keep from setting her off. 

“umm said i should try walking around more. i got permission to pace the platform if you want to join.”

the girl jumped at the chance, nearly losing her bowl in the process. laughing, you quickly took hers and set it on the desk with yours before standing to your feet. collei was at your side, urging your arm over her shoulder. it wasn’t really necessary but you’d never turn down the girl’s assistance. 

carefully the two of you ambled through the leaves shrouding your entrance. it wasn’t the first time this week that the sun warmed your skin. umm had urged you to test the distance from your bed to your porch on the second day with each visit there after. it helped tp press your limitations while keeping the joint from getting too stiff. but this was the first time you’d been able to venture far enough out to interact with more than the same two people for the last few days. 

collei remained diligent as she led you down the straight path, attention not straying from your gait as you greeted faces you haven't seen in awhile. the reception was overall positive, your health and wellbeing superseding the wraith that had hung over the encampment for the past week. it narrowed down the list of those you’d need to apologise to at least. 

“oh it’s master tighnari!”

your gaze snapped to her extended finger, noting the tall tuff of ears before anything else. his back was turned to you, a fortunate thing as you still weren’t sure how to face him just yet. he appeared to be conversing with a group, though it wasn’t the usual collection of rangers waiting for assignments. 

you recognized the garments however. 

collei groaned as she sagged under your arm. “its the akademiya again. when will they ever learn?”

likely no time soon, as the pressure from both the forest and threat of the ‘scarlet king’ followers continued to rise. the first time you witnessed the prestigious envoy attempting to recruit the fox, you’d been in awe. it was somewhat of an honour to be approached by anyone doning the gowns. next to the archon herself, they were the reigning power. however the prestige lost a light grace, when tighnari scoffed at the invitation. 

it was one of the occasions that you’d really come to appreciate more than just his vast knowledge. of course, you respected him as a leader but it was different to consider his understanding of plant life on a scholarly level. his tangents that he loved to rattle your ear with were published and very popular articles. 

he was something of a celebrity. a fact that you loved to tease just to see the tops of his cheeks grow warm at the admission. 

now, even at this distance, you could see a similar red dusting his fair skin. but not in the pleasant way that warmed your chest. 

no it seemed that an inkingly of your excursion still peaked his heart rate. and this wasn't making it any better.

that wasn’t good.

“collei, please help me.”

“huh? oh, wait! not too fast.”

tighnari grit through a tight smile, barely hanging onto his fangs to keep them from showing. at a young age his mother taught him that human could find it threatening. frankly, right now he wished to find out how much of a truth that was if it got these nuisances out of his hair. 

this was the last thing that he wished to deal with right now. the institution had taken a different route it seemed, sending students under the premise of studying under his tutelage. something he would maybe consider any other time than now. 

his foot tapped irritably as one of the bolder ones spoke his piece, spouting words of prose that meant nothing to him. they were all weak and obvlivious children wandering aimlessly. he had enough of those under his own watch. 

“master tighnari, i've read all your publications intensively and feel that i would be a valuable asset in your further research of the withering zones. i believe that together we can find a cure.”

tighnari barely resisted rolling his eyes. it was almost laughable. the withering had plagued them for centuries and they were still no closer to curbing it. no amount of research at this point was going to factor in. all they could do was contain, and that was a skill the akademiya didn’t teach.

breathing audibly through his nose, the fox attempted to remain cordial. “i appreciate your determination, however, i'm not in a position right now to allocate more rangers to facilitate your safety. the forest—”

“—i’ve also read intently on the local fauna and proper was to track warning signs of predators…”

tighnari really hated when he was interrupted. 

“i’m confident in my ability to spot danger before it becomes a problem.”

especially by know-it-alls who were overstepping in his domain.

the student continued on unware of the growing dangers, “i’ve brought a few of my manuscripts with me if you’d like to browse some of my speculations and hypotheses…”

tighnari's brow twitched as the student droned on. for someone who boasted about extensive research on understanding predators he was rather obvious to the one standing before him. the same couldn't be said about his colleagues who were carefully edging back. 

“if i could just get a few samples—”

the student had sense enough to notice as the plant scholar suddenly flinched, hand coming up to grasp the wrist of the hand threatening to touch the tip of his ear. it was the first time since opening his mouth that he’d taken into account the strained curl to the lips of the botany researcher. 

his gaze then flickered to the more relaxed, if not slightly sheepish smile of the forest ranger behind. they seemed otherwise unconcerned despite the death grip they'd been trapped in for … attempting to touch master tighnari’s ears?

the student felt a shudder wrack his body as the fox’s grimace smoothed into … something that he would one day recognize as a reckoning he’d be fortunate to survive in years to come. 

“apologies, you’ll have to excuse me. it appears one of my rangers feels well enough to venture off their bed rest and is due for some new assignments.” with that, the lead ranger looped the still trapped limb over his shoulder before assisting the injured ranger back up the canopy. 

“you can give your manuscripts to my trainee, collei.”

the green hair trainee in question waved timidly, unsure of how she got in this position but willing to help.” hello, im forest ranger trainee collei. please let me assist you safely out of the forest.”

|5|

“it’s master tighnari!”

believe it or not, forest rangers did get off days. while it was still heavily frowned on to use that time to exploit certain privileges to free roam the forest, there were other activities that some could get up to. 

some would use the opportunity to travel to the city or port for the market or to visit family.

others utilised their freedom to work on personal research. 

then there was tighnari who used the opportunity to research the local flora … via oral experimentation. 

your small project had been tossed aside in favor of darting out of your bungalow at the cry of fright from the green haired girl. it wasn’t the first time you’d witnessed tighnari taking his passion … to the next level. that time, curiosity had thrown him into a rather long slumber that he’d conveniently woken up from after a gratuitous amount of panicking on collie’s part and just in time for you to return with the rescue aid party. 

it was safe to say that was not the last occassion, and tighari had treated you both to several lunches to make up for the scares. 

but it wasn’t often that he was brought back to the village in a state. more often than not the ailments resolved in the time it took someone to find him or simply shaken off with no concern. 

it was enough to have you barreling unannounced through the head ranger’s door with apprehension. firm but fraying hands caught you as you stumbled through, righting your body before you could embarrass yourself. 

“don’t worry, tighnari is fine. it’s a harmless reaction to one of the fungi he consumed.”

umm brought her hands to a comfortable leisure behind her back as you peered over her shoulder. 

tighnari was lain out across his bed. it looked as though he had been tucked away intentionally, but the man had fought away the sheets in a fit. there was a light coat of perspiration doting his forehead and his skin had taken on a rosy flush. it hardly looked harmless. you’d never seen the lead forest watcher look so … unravelled. 

when was he going to learn to stop experimenting so freely?

umm gave a passing pat to your shoulder,“with a bit of rest he’ll be just fine.”

you had hoped as much but it eased some of your worries to see him at least home safe. though his predicament still tested your resolve. you would distract yourself for the time being concocting your own chiding speech. seriously, someone needed to hold him accountable. as it seemed, you were the only one daring enough to challenge the fox. 

heavily a relieved sigh, you turned to leave. collie would likely need a second dose of comfort now that you’d taken your own inventory of the indisposed ranger. umm, bless her soul, wasn’t a very convincing source of comfort. having collie help prepare your speech would do some good for her as well.

“wait, don’t go yet.”

you stiffed at the unexpected plea. the voice behind you sounded a bit stronger than it should be in this predicament, more like the fox you recognized. umm hadn’t left you with any instructions, but it was safe to assume he was meant to rest as not to rile up his heart rate anymore. something you were very good at doing.

you liked to think that the two of you were on agreeable terms thus far. you’d been a textbook ranger over the last few weeks. not testing the limits of your privileges or boundaries. it allowed for the two of you to have some nice conversations. though you doubted anything very articulate would come from his mouth right now. 

it was unfair, how adorable he looked with mussed hair, heavy eyes and creased clothes. umm had taken responsibility to rid him of the more decorative parts of his uniform, leaving him in a simple shirt and pants. the said shirt appeared to have been tugged open, revealing the lean muscles of his chest and abdomen. 

that was decidedly leaning away from cute, as you tore your gaze away and scolded yourself. 

“you should really lay back down, tighnari, i need you to be yourself when i deliver your scolding later.”

“tigh.”

“huh?”

you were shaken out of your stupor when he stood, concern triggering your fight reaction as you quickly huddled him back onto the bed before he fell. he allowed you to do so, however when he glanced up at you his olive eyes showed annoyance.

“i prefer when you refer to me as tigh.”

your mouth open and closed silently at the admission. you could never recall tighnari outright scolding you for the curtail of his name. you used it so sparingly, and only ever in the comfort of just yourselves or collei. 

he never really showed any emotion other than surprise the first time he’d realised what you said. you never assumed he’d catalogued the occurrences to feel any ownership over the name.

you fidgeted under the scrutinised of the fox, unsure of how to proceed from there. it was obvious that he was still mildly effective if the rose of his skin was anything to go by. but there was undeniable clarity cutting through the fog in his eyes. it was enough of a relief to have your shoulders sagging slightly. 

if it got him to comply and rest through the remainder of the effects, you could concede. 

“okay, … tigh. please stop eating flora so carelessly.”

it wasn’t your intention to start the chastising prematurely, but if he wanted you to talk, you’d do so. you weren’t sure what all of this he would recall, but you hoped the echoing nag of your voice would hover like a hangover next time he considered experimenting alone. you knew he only tested things with vague assumptions, just enough to ensure that he wouldn’t perish on sight. but it was still close enough calls for you to worry. 

you thought nothing of the way he snared your hands, too used to having them detained in pursuit of your goal. maybe another time you would be the one to catalogue just how frequently the two of you help hands. certainly enough to suffer from desensita-

your speech cut off with a choke as the fox brought one of your hands to the crown of his head. it was the closest you’d ever gotten to your prize, just a simple flex of your fingers and it would be yours. 

and he was just allowing it. 

“um, tigh…?”

you swallowed as his hold slid to your wrist, thumb caressing the inside. 

“it’s what you want, right?” unintentionally your finger flexed under the strain of resisting, just the casual brush against the ear causing the body to shudder. tighnari managed an even breath through his nose, but you suspected his heart was creating as much of a racket as yours was. “ i want you to. i don’t mind if it’s you.”

you sucked in a sharp breath at the omission.

it took strength that you didn't think you had, and stupidity you’d likely reflect on later that night as you regrettably pulled your hand away. firmly not thinking at all about the soft whine that left the fox’s lips at the action. 

your smile was wobbly, frail under the weight of emotions teetering at the edge. you gave his bicep a comforting squeeze before you urged him to lay back in bed. thankfully he didn’t put up much of a fight as you tucked him in. 

his lashes fluttered closed against the cool caress of his cheek.

“next time, promise.”

between one breath and the next, he fell asleep.

|+1|

tighnari woke to a low hanging sun and a heavy head. despite the warnings he opened his eyes, then immediately shut them. though blurry and out of sequence, the master ranger was able to piece together the majority of his last coherency. 

he’d been experimenting with the effects of the moonshade mushrooms. there had been reports of unaware travellers losing consciousness in the middle of the forest and waking in a fevered state. naturally, he’d taken it upon himself to test the outcome in order to properly assign warning labels in his next publication. 

the initial bout of slumber had been brief, broken by a wave of nausea and the sensation of his body overheating itself. he then recalled umm stripping away his uniform in order to help him cool down.

and then there was you.

he remembered the sound of your concern and the inkling of berating though he couldn't exactly call back the wording. he was sure to get an encore either way; well deserved. 

there was a gaping absence in his recollection, but the sensation of your hand settled between the space of his ears hadn’t escaped him. when had he gotten bold enough to daringly reach out like that? sure you’d done the same on multiple occasions but it had been in pursuit of a singular goal while he—

tighnari stared at the leaf drawn entrance of his chamber, face burning. 

but surely that could not have all occurred before noon. 

“oh good you’re awake. that mushroom managed to down even you for a full day. it's certainly something to be aware of.”

the elderly woman peered briefly through the cut of the door before granting herself entrance. tighnari sat obediently still as she flittered over his vital signs, ensuring his temperature and heart rate were within agreeable boundaries. 

she scribbled the notes like clockwork into the parchment on his desk. while his methods weren’t often agreed upon, umm saw the value in the repercussions. her diligence had help assist in multiple breakthroughs. tighnari would be sure to deliver a nice basket of her favourite tree sap candies once he was back in working order. 

amir would have certainly taken initiative to oversee assignments for the day. he would certainly owe collei a visit as well to assure her fears. he vaguely remembered her putting up a fuss when he’d been carried in, shortly before she’d been directed out leading to her alerting you. 

tighnari’s cheeks grew hot again. he refused to acknowledge the rising blush even as umm chuckled quietly while gathering up her kit. instead, he kept his eyes on the entrance as he pinned his sashes in place and equipped his vision. 

it wasn’t as if the two of you weren’t already rather close. it was safe to say he gave you more allowances than most. sure, your futile attempts to touch his ears could be frustrating at times, but more so because of the opportunities you took than the actual actions. 

despite popular belief, tighnari didn’t truly hold his ears in that high regard. it was more out of proprietary that he shied away from strangers acting out of curiosity. to be honest, he really wouldn’t mind too much if a ranger asked to pet them. but it seems as if their own misconceptions had fed into the unspoken rule that his fox-like features were out of the question. 

except for you. 

over time, the two of you managed to lapse into a comfortable game of cat and mouse. tighnari knew if he’d shown any true signs of anger you would have backed away from the start. but his tolerance had permitted you to try again and again. 

so what if the occasional punishments he placed on you deterred the others, it never snuffed your fire and that was all that mattered to him. 

it was only natural that over time constant exposure would ignite his own interest. he could recall with vivid memory the way it felt to have you pressed against his back that time in the forest when you attempted to claim your prize in the middle of his lecture. he’d made you wait there while he finished the lesson, all the while relishing in the heat permitted his back. 

had it been just the two of you, he would have let you. 

yet when he finally caved and gave you the permission you'd been seeking all this time, you’d backed out. 

‘next time’ you’d promised. 

“if you’re done laminating, once you've finished eating you can go find them. i  believe i saw them returning not long before i came here.”

umm didn’t wait for a response as she saw herself out, her amusement audible even as she descended the ramp to her own domain. 

tighnari didn’t rush the act as he finished his meal and the provided water. once he finished, his lips turned at the dimming sunlight. his schedule was all but thrown out the window for the day, though he doubted anyone expected him to contribute much. still it stung his consciousness as a leader to leave his subordinates hanging , even if they were all self-sufficient adults. at least the headache had disappeared with proper nourishment. there would be time to salvage his routine later.

the sun was positioned late in the afternoon, but the dim light still irritated his eyes. he blinked through the sting as he welcomed the sight of the quaint village operating adequately in his absence. 

he returned any passing waves and gave brief responses to their questions. for the most part everyone seemed confident that he’d make a full recovery, though he still harboured the guilt of worrying them. 

brow pinched, he waved nasrin closer. “have you seen collei?”

the purse of her mouth didn’t spell anything good. tighnari hoped her illness had not acted up in his absence. “she had trouble sleeping last night so someone swapped patrols with her. she just set off not too long ago.”

the girl sometimes had trouble sleeping when plagued with anxiousness. tighnari settled that he would confront her upon her return, for now he had one more stop. he had a feeling he knew who offered to adjust their schedule to accommodate the girl.

he found your bungalow with practised ease, delivering a single knock before you offered entrance. he found you seated at your desk, no doubt detailing the report of your finding before submission. it was a relief to see that you took a break from your typical mischievousness to conduct a seemingly uniform patrol while he was indisposed. 

“i don't suppose you came across any new interesting flora on your patrols?”

tighnari watched as your shoulders stiffened at the unexpected sound of his voice. your head whipped around, eyes assessing him carefully before you gave a timid, relieved smile. 

“i think we can all agree that you’ve had enough adventures for one week,” you noted with light scolding. 

grinning, tighnari cared little if his fangs showed, knowing you wouldn't find them threatening. your gaze followed him as he secured the leaves behind him before approaching your desk. he leaned comfortably against the wooden structure as he browsed the report. it had been routine indeed, not a single withering sighting. 

“are you sure you’re alright? you had me worried for a bit.”

tighnari’s brow rose,” only a bit?”

scoffing, you rolled your eyes,” it’s not the worst thing you’ve eaten but seeing you down for so long was concerning. collei will be relieved to see you back on your feet.”

tighnari braceed his palm against the dest and leaned into the posture,“and you?”

“i owe you a scolding. you always get onto me about being aware and careful of my surroundings. yet here you go testing unknown fungi alone in the forest. at least bring it back before you test it out so we can be there if you need us.”

tighnari waited for you to finish, eyes shining with thinly veiled amusement. you seemed to recognize it as well, huffing as you realised your scolding didn't have as much weight as the seasoned scholar. 

unable to resist, the fox reached out to run is fingers along the side of your face before letting them rest against your shoulder. he watched as your chest expanded to take in the small gasp of surprise. it was a rare moment for him to initiate contact like this, especially given the recent occurrence only yesterday. while his recollection was misty, yours was clear as day. 

“i think you owe me something else too.”

tighnari watched your reactions carefully, from the flutter of your lashes to the rapid thrum of your heart beat against the pulse under your jaw. he never shied away from a discovery the promise of a satisfying understanding driving him from one revelation to the next. 

admittedly, you’d been a gradual observation. the question at the tip of the scale all this time while he’d unknowingly researched you thoroughly with each new interaction. day and day again, you prompted him with new variables both under his control and not. it was only today that he managed to form a working hypothesis. a hesitant theory that he knew would shift everything.

tighnari watched with growing fascination as the initial shock meddling into purposefulness as your hand came into view. impatient, he couldn't resist ducking his hand to meet you halfway. the first careful touch was equally inquisitive and hesitant. each time in the past, your hand had darted out with such certainty. yet now with it all willing at your fingertips, you allowed yourself the time to explore.

he hadn’t realised his head had come to rest against your collar bone until he felt the rumbled of your laughter. you didn’t simply just touch his ears, you caressed the length form the widest part to the tip. your fingertips tickled the tufts of fluff at the base. and the light scratched you delivered against the firm cartilage had him all but melting into your hold. the burst of new stimuli tickled his nerves and left pleasant sensations.

later he would analyse the data but he was already certain about his conclusion. 

your words mussed the top of his head as you spoke, humour bleeding into your intrigue. “can’t believe it took you a year to crack, tigh.”

tighnari sagged further at the uttering of the name. you flinched, not expecting the words of response to be mumbled into your skin. gratefully, it didn't cause you to pause.

“what was that?”

your touch slid from his ears to the curve of his jaw as his head rose to meet your gaze. 

“i actually had two hypotheses I wanted to test.”

though he didn't speak more than that, he could tell you were well aware of the implications. your lips parted to respond, but no words could pass the lump in your throat. tighnari tested the waters, leaning closer enough to brush the tup of his nose against yours. when you didn't pull away, he leaned down and pressed your lips together, firmly but briefly. as he breathed in deeply,  the smell of lush forestry, sweet flora and you invaded his scenes. the scent of familiarity minding with the aroma of what he called home was intoxicating. 

your eyes shone bright with mischief as tighnari pulled away, no doubt observing the rosy hue spreading across his face. 

“i think we need to experiment a little more before we can come to a confident conclusion.”

tighnari leaned back in and nuzzled you affectionately. 

“i agree.’’

tagging upon request: @lott-the-otter @uhohitsemmy

Sometimes the name doesn't matter

synopsis: sometimes it matters that you are his wife. PART 2

pairings: Capitano, Kaveh, Tighnari, Zhongli x fem!reader (separately)

tw: fluff, established relationship, hurt/comfort; hybrids, unwelcomed courting, kind of female objectification (all in Tighnari's part)

word count: 6.9k+ words

a/n: part 1 can be read here!

Capitano

Fast elegant fingers of a pianist run across the keys of black and white and the violins in the hands of other musicians are there to serve together with the chorus of beautiful voices, selected by Lady Columbina personally. The music infiltrates the souls of the nobles present, filling them with the sense of grandeur and glory, touching even their harsh unfeeling hearts.

The atmosphere of the gathering is gratifying, would’ve even been endearing if not for the stately figures of the Harbingers standing on both sides of the throne, where the Tsaritsa would've been seated had she not decided to refrain from attending it altogether. She has more important matters to take care of, and nine of her most loyal servants can definitely fill in her place on that yearly event.

Sure, this year it is more important since the two Harbingers are missing and the seats stay vacant - it's been the talk of the nation. Who is going to be nominated? Can it be influenced? Will they claim the names today?

Is the mysterious Commander, whose arrival became the topic of multiple speculations, be the one? A fierce warrior many heard of, but almost none saw face to face. The man was believed to be as powerful as the 11th Harbinger or maybe even the 10th! Having an army and an establishment of his own on the farthest line of the Snezhnayan border, he still is under the command of Lord Capitano, which makes it even harder to fish any more information than what is already known to the public.

"I only heard about him. He and his troops are protecting our borders from the monster's invasion in the North."

"Ew, who would've wanted to live in the North! It's much harsher than all the Snezhnaya."

"Shush, the Commander is wealthy and respectful, you can bear some cold."

"What do you imply?"

"The Commander is unmarried, there is no way he isn't, not with a life like this. But it can always be changed, and the woman he takes as wife would be one of the luckiest ones!"

"You are right… Maybe he is actually handsome. Maybe he'd be even willing to buy a whole mansion for his promised one and not take her with him to that awful place. Maybe…"

Maybe, maybe, maybe. It travels through the crowds like a storm in its wake, eventually reaching the Harbingers, who, for the first time after appearing and greeting the already arrived, stop resembling the statues. Eyes shift among the people and each other; some gazes hold interest, some - annoyance. Only Pantalone has an ever present smile on his face, fingers clasped in front of him and sapphire rings sparkle in the ballroom light.

"Looks like Capitano's estimated soldier caught everyone's attention. My, my, how curious and nosy the people can be…"

"I understand the curiosity though," admits Childe, arms crossed to prevent laying even a finger on his blade, that is resting on his hip. "This person sounds like an interesting specimen… I've heard of his talents in both strategy and tactics, and it seems like his strength is a legend. I'd love to spar with him."

"Oh you, thinking only about fights, young man," Pulcinella disapprovingly shakes his head and raises his cane to point in the gingerhead's direction. "I highly doubt our guest will have time to spare, considering the period of time concerning the stay that was mentioned in the letter we received."

"And I believe the majority of that time would be spent with Il Capitano, isn't it right?" Columbina's soft voice must be drowning in the music, but everyone hears her loud and clear.

"..." The Harbinger stays silent and nothing can be read from his body language since he is the only one remaining still in his place, his huge looming figure resembling one of the full-set armor nobles like putting in their halls as a part of interior. Except this one isn't empty.

"So much potential to become my test subject, to be perfected... Yet lost to the lands of Northern regions," Dottore huffs in disappointment, his sharp teeth peaking when he clicks his tongue. "Say, Pierro, can't things be rearranged? I'd happily have our dear border protector as my underling."

The silence between the nine suddenly becomes thick. There is something indescribably tense in the air and only Childe can't understand why some of his colleagues seem to be more interested in how the Captain would react and not the 1st of the Harbingers..

"You know why this can't be rearranged, Dottore," the stare of an icy blue eye would pin everyone to the ground, destroying their will and order to obey, though doing little to scare the Doctor. "And it was favored by the Tsaritsa herself."

The finality of the short statement makes the scientist back down from the proposition he's been bringing up every time the topic touches the Commander, yet ending up the same way as always - with an ultimate rejection.

Three heavy thuds make everyone in the room fall silent. Many heads turn to look at the ceremonial staff hitting the floor the last time and staying still in the hand of a tall, thoroughly dressed man.

"The protector of the Northern border, the glorified and esteemed warrior of Her Majesty Tsaritsa, The Commander has arrived," the master's of ceremonies voice carries like a thunderclap, cutting off the quite leisurely music the orchestra was playing for the dances and entertainment.

The rustle of note sheets is fleeting and not a moment later the musicians straighten in their seats, taking a deep breath. Trumpets boom in a spacious room and make nobles shiver in surprise, some especially susceptible women even lean on their partners for support. The choir and the violins join the triumphant song the brass instruments sing, signaling that the time has come.

Everyone holds their breath as the tall heavy doors leading to the ballroom are being pulled open. Everyone has their gaze glued to a slowly growing gap. Everyone keeps their eyes wide open, afraid that even one blink can cost them missing the legendary sight.

Everyone gasps.

The tall figure enters, posture straight and shoulders squared, confidence evident in every step. Black satin clothes are adorned with golden chains and intricate patterns. The white military coat stayed resting on the shoulders - showing off the position, the closeness to the Harbingers. And then there is the face - a scar crossing the left brow, calm bored eyes, not sparing anyone a glance, which do not fit the other female features of your face.

Yes, the Commander happens to be a woman.

Stopping by the steps leading to the throne, you bow - not kneel, bow, - holding your open palm by the heart and respectfully closing your eyes. Music stops.

“Greetings, my lords. Let Tsaritsa bless you and your mission.”

“Let Tsaritsa bless you and your service to her,” Pierro says, raising his hand. “Lift your head,” which you do, looking him right in the eyes, yet still holding your hand by the chest. “There is time for duties and there is time for entertainment. And tonight, given your rare visits to the capital, I suggest you enjoy the latter.”

“Much obliged, Lord Pierro.”

And with a wave of the older man’s hand, the orchestra starts a new composition, waking up the ones who were in a daze, reminding others they are here for drama.

And the first one to take action is the 11th Harbinger.

“Commander, Sir- I mean, Lady?” The gingerhead is the closest to you out of all his colleagues, having only to descend a few steps to be on your level. “I’ve heard a lot about you, many admirable things. How do you look at sparring?”

“Right in the middle of a ballroom? Quite positively, young man,” your lips twist in a half-smirk, baring a sharp pearly canine. “But I believe the nobles have already had enough shock to take and rumors to create. Maybe another time. Haven’t seen you before though. Are you new?”

“Tartaglia, the Eleventh Harbinger, Lady Commander.”

“Ma’am would be enough,” you click your tongue, glancing behind and noticing how slowly, but surely some of the aristocrats are inching towards you, clearly interested in conversation, Well, you are not. “On second thought, starting a duel right now and here doesn’t sound like a bad idea…”

“I’ve always known you are quite insane,” Arlechino butts her way in the conversation, giving you only a small nod as a greeting. You simply glance at her.

“For years I’ve been hearing of my insanity, think of something new,”

“How about, ‘the one who knows no limits’?” Pantalone’s smile is as dazzling as it’s fake and sometimes your hands are itching to strangle the man. Maybe even go all the way out and bite his head off. Literally.

“The only ones who know no limits are the wind and the stupidity. I’m neither. Who I am though,” your gaze travels higher, to the steps closest to the Tsaritsa’s throne, to there Pierro and the first three Harbingers are standing, “is a wife. And I’d like to have a dance with my husband.”

Not many heard your words, but the ones who did, gasp loudly, staring at you with wide eyes. Which get even wider when Il Capitano, a seemingly motionless statue before, turns in his place and, without a pause, steadily descends to you. Now, as you are standing so closely it becomes evident how obviously your outfits match. The chains, the patterns, even the precious stones - everything. Perhaps it is terrifyingly cute. Perhaps it's cutely terrifying.

“Husband,” your smile again, offering him your hand, which he immediately envelopes in his big clawed one.

“Wife,” is the first word the big figure rumbles for the evening, the void of its helmet staring at you. And that’s all you speak to each other, hearing the beginning of another melody and turning to join the dancing pairs.

“...What was that?” Childe voices what’s been plaguing the minds of the attendees. “First the Commander appears to be a woman, and now she is married to the Lord Il Capitano?” He glances at Pulcinella, who joins his side and decides to watch the pair that caused a commotion have their fun. “Do they not use their names?”

“They find no sense in them,” the Rooster answers just the last question. “And,” he lowers his voice and the ginger has to bend down to hear the next words, “I didn’t tell you that, but the Captain really loves calling her his wife. So be quite cautious while seeking a fight with her. You might end up impaled. By either of them.”

Kaveh

With a soft smile you watch a group of children merrily leaving their classroom, interrupting each other in attempts to tell everyone how exciting the lesson was. They do not forget to grin and wave at you, passing by, and you return the sentiment, contently observing their happy faces and sparkly eyes.

Every time this happens, a strange sense of fulfillment overtakes you - supporting and sponsoring Kaveh was one of the best decisions you’ve ever made. The greatest architect of nowadays is offering his guidance to the young generation, teaching them everything about beauty and practicality, helping them to develop their own creative vision, and at the same time boosting the confidence of kids of all ages. And you couldn’t be prouder of him.

Him, who meticulously prepares for every single lesson. Him, who is oh-so-gentle with his words and precise in his speech. Him, who teaches both Sumeru citizens and people coming from abroad. Him, who is as passionate about it, as he is about his designing job, telling you every single detail of how the lessons went on your way home or over the dinner. Him, who is happy and who makes you happy too with that fact alone.

When the last kid leaves, marking the ending of the final class for today, you glance at the clock. Now Mister Meticulousness will need half an hour to tidy up the classroom and put all the tools away. Tomorrow is free from classes at his (he always corrects your as in the both of you) school, so you can collect your stuff as well - after all, being the manager of this establishment and Kaveh specifically requires your presence. You can be strict and unyielding whenever he can’t and this partnership proves to be successful every day.

Just as you are writing down some financial staff, there is a soft knock on the doorframe. Immediately lifting your eyes you hum, observing a very good-looking woman and a boy, shyly holding onto her hand.

“Hello, how can I help you?” With a quill laid on top of your accounting book, you stand and round the table, offering the two to step closer.

“Ah, hello, miss…” eyes with long, pretty lashes flit to the name tag attached to your clothes, “...Y/n. This is master Kaveh’s artistic school, am I correct?”

“Yes, you are. Are you here to sign your boy up for a class?” You offer her son a sweet smile and he answers you with a small lift of his lips.

“Mhm. You see, he is a big fan of master Kaveh and his works - can study the pictures of his designs taken by Kamera day and night.”

At that, the boy lowers his gaze and blushes a little, digging a hole in the ground with the tip of his shoe.

“Oh, really?” A gasp that escapes your chest is one of excitement. “That’s marvelous! I am sure your hopefully soon-to-be-teacher will be very interested in hearing your opinion of his works, young connoisseur,” he giggles, lifting his eyes at you again, and there you see undisguised delight. “Oh, but my bad, I didn’t ask your names…”

The woman’s lips bare two rows of perfectly white teeth as she smiles at you, introducing herself and her son.

“We are from Fontaine actually. But my parents wanted to spend some indefinite period of time in Sumeru for their health and we decided to join them. So while we are here, I thought I’d make my son’s dream come true.”

“That’s so nice of you,” you can’t help but admire her a little for that. “I can tell you first a little about our school, you’ll ask all the questions you need to, and then I’ll show you around. Kaveh should be done with cleaning by then, so there’s a big chance you’ll even talk to him personally.”

“Really!?” That’s the first time throughout your entire interaction when the boy opens his mouth and actually makes a sound. “Master Kaveh is here right now?”

“He is. But can’t promise a long conversation - there are still blueprints waiting for him back at home.

“Ah, right… He is the great architect after all,” the woman hums, staring to the side as if in thought. “Between the commissions he takes and this school he must be making good money. Not to mention so handsome…”

Oh… What a familiar tone, what a familiar look in those eyes. Suddenly that ounce of respect you felt for her disappears.

“Money is irrelevant to him as long as he reaches his goal,” is your restrained response. 

“Ah, of course! Handsome, sweet, kind, good with kids and is not a snob. Sweety, you ought to charm him for me!” She pinches her son’s cheek. “Imagine Master Kaveh as your daddy!”

Oh Archons, again?

There is absolutely no doubt that the light of Kshahrewar is not only well-known and popular among kids, but is thirsted after by women. In a half of a year your school has been existing, there were numerous times when moms of little students made comments alike or some single females trying to schedule private sessions with the architect. What a sagacious decision it was to make group studying only, it saves you some drama, once the legal document is shown. Though there are exceptionally persistent examples…

But this time you pity the kid a little, because he genuinely seems to admire Kaveh. And his next words make you internally cheer for the little guy.

“Master Kaveh as my dad? But mom, I have a dad already,” the boy pouts, rubbing at the pinched cheek. You notice a red mark and two little crescent moons that her nails left on a tender skin. “I love him and don’t need another one.”

“Sweety, you just don’t understand how great it would be to have such a dad! Just trust my word-”

“Ahem, Madame, I kindly ask you to deal with your family affairs once you are out of here. As for the school - I am open for discussion.”

The displeased way she glances at you doesn’t go unnoticed, but you do not show it anyhow, calmly staring back at her, while your hand reaches up to your chest. As if finally remembering her initial reason for coming here with her son, the woman sighs and puts a palm on the boy’s shoulder.

“Of course, miss- I’m sorry I forgot your name…” And her eyes flit to the name tag again.

Momentarily the woman squints from the light reflecting on the metal, and when she blinks the bright spots away, there is a beautiful golden ring on your hand. The hand that is holding the flipped tiny plate with just two words engraved in it.

"Kaveh's wife"

With widened eyes she stares back at your sweetly polite smile. Not saying a word as if letting the notion sink in, you walk to the wall. Grabbing the backs of two chairs you drag them to your table so they could sit, and take your rightful place in front of them. 

“If you are here for something aside from or instead of signing your son up for classes, I believe my name should be irrelevant to you. My status though,” you knock a nail twice on the badge, “must. So… what are you here for, Madame?”

The boy climbs onto his chair right away, while his mother tarries a little, still shocked by the revealed fact and your suddenly changed demeanor. She needs a couple more seconds to compose herself, but eventually she too sits down.

Despite what happened earlier, your conversation proves to be fruitful and fifteen minutes later you are showing around the school, sharing some additional information and answering every single of the kid’s questions. 

When in the last room you find your husband, closing Mehrak and looking ready to leave, the boy lets out a gasp. The sound attracts the man’s attention, and he turns to the three of you with a soft smile.

“Oh, hello there, little guy!” The blond waves at him, breaking the blissful stupor of a child that immediately turns red and hides behind his mother. Surprised, Kaveh looks at you for explanation but, instead, takes notice of your name’s replacement. Oh wow, this again. What was the last time you did that? Two weeks ago?

“Ah, Master Kaveh!” The woman charmingly smiles, batting her lashes at him, which would’ve made you cringe had it never happened before. “You see, my son-”

“Pardon me, Madame, give me a moment,” the male softly interrupts her and reaches for a similar metal plate on his chest with his own name to flip it. It’s almost comical how sour the temptress’s face got in a second.

And there is what for. Now two words are proudly matching yours, engraved in an equally beautiful cursive to remind the world who the two of you become once stripped of your names.

Just his ”Y/n’s husband” to your “Kaveh’s wife”.

And like that one more kid takes part in your lovely school and one suitor less is after one of its founders.

Tighnari

With each passing day of your team’s research in the desert you found it harder and harder to control yourself. Some days you were even on the verge of clawing and biting, tail and ears twitching in annoyance and pupils turning into wild slits, making your hybrid nature more obvious.

Was it because of the research? No, it couldn’t be farther - your colleagues have been making so much progress, heeding your advice and following your lead. Was it the location perhaps? A little, but you learnt how to deal with heat and dryness. Was the process taking too much time? On the contrary, you are on your way home already, having finished the job 4 days earlier than you estimated in the beginning.

Then what on earth could possibly trigger you like this?

Well…

“Hey, forest foxy, want me to catch the Consecrated Flying Serpent for you?”

Ah yes, him.

Never again will you trust the higher ups at the Akademiya to sponsor your team with the bodyguards. Out of every possible candidate, your Herbad-titled colleague concluded that hiring five descendants of Valuka Shuna would be a marvelous idea. 

“They are the desert kind - they’ll be good guides.” “Look how much stronger they are, they’ll definitely protect all of you.” “They are of the same kind as you, Y/n. Don’t you think it’ll be easier for you, as the leader, to have someone akin with you?”

No, it absolutely would not!

Desert fennec hybrids are different from the forest ones - and it’s not even the case of your green and their sandy brown fur or their more brutal physique against your more delicate one. It’s their character and world perception. You’ll never call them barbarians, but they really developed more of the animal nature than your kind did.

And from day one it was a pain in the butt. 

One of your five new bodyguards was clearly the leader - he was bigger and broodier, with more scars littering his body, and his whole stance was screaming of a higher position. When you were introduced for the first time, something lit up in his grayish eyes, which were looking you over appreciatively. You ignored that, more focused on the discussion of the upcoming expedition and making sure the five were aware of what was required of them.

Luckily they were, and, admittedly, they did fulfill their task meticulously, proving to be great help. If only one of them wasn’t so diligent.

You lost count of how many times the leader tried to get into your personal space and you had to move away. Of the numerous invitations to hunt together. Of the endless displays of his strength and abilities. Of the many conversations you didn’t even try to eavesdrop on (they talked pretty loudly) around the topic of when will your shell be cracked and you’d accept the male’s courting attempts.

The answer was obvious, but he just never got it. Even when you called him for a serious conversation on the turning-into-an-issue matter.

“With all respect I must ask you to stop with whatever you’ve been doing to woo me. I have a husband.”

You still remember how he blinked at you dumbly, clear lack of understanding written on the sun-kissed face.

“...and?”

“The heck do you mean ‘and’?”

“Well, you don’t have a mate?”

It was your turn to stare at him speechless, ear twitching and tail curling closer to your legs. It was getting worse than just ridiculous.

“If we are speaking in such terms, then my husband is my mate. So, please-”

You nearly gasped when the male immediately leant closely, violating your personal space and practically stuffing his nose against your neck. Shocked by such lack of shame, you lost the ability to talk or move for a moment, gaping at him sniffing around and humming upon the discovery.

“You don’t wear anyone’s smell on you.”

You were not proud of yourself at that moment, but you absolutely lost it. Sharpened claws dug into his chest and with an angry snarl you pushed him back.

“Get away from me!”

You must’ve been a sight - canines bared and fingers twitching, ready to attack; fur standing on both your ears and tail, signaling your distress and eyes slitted in pure rage while directed at the man in front of you. The worst part? The idiot seemed to like it even more.

“What me and my partner do must be of no concern to you. I told you ‘no’ and I mean it.”

But bold of you was to assume he’d stop. Oh no, it’s gotten worse. Now he was actively calling you a ‘forest foxy’, absolutely abandoning your name and even trying to scent you. It was suffocating - the desert aridity was lighter in comparison to the male hybrid’s pheromones. 

Never in all your academic practice have you wanted to return home so badly.

Fortunately, your colleagues quickly caught on to what was going on and always helped you to escape the unwanted interactions. Plus they were equally as mad as you were, because his individual scent irritated their human noses - and that was the main reason why you and Tighnari, both spending a lot of time around other people, did not practice it. Partly, you are sure, this whole situation was the reason for your earlier return - and you were grateful for their understanding.

However, your stubborn suitor did not dream of giving up. Killed desert animals were still offered to you, stories of his legendary battles with monsters were told for the hundredth time (even though no one was interested in listening at that point) and attempts to lure you with the musky smell once again made. Archons, and the green-furred fennec girls from your teens used to dream of that.

Maybe Lesser Lord Kusanali would be merciful and you’ll meet your husband somewhere on your way?

“Herbad Y/n!”

…wow, that was quick. Not Tighnari, but incredibly welcome too.

“Collei!” For the first time in days there is a reason for your soft smile. Which the young girl mirrors, waving at you from not so far away. You notice a couple more of the Forest Rangers at her side, and that sight alone makes you finally exhale in relief. You are so close to being home.

“Master is here too! Want me to get him?”

Oh, Dendro Archon, thank you.

“I’d really appreciate it, dear!” With a quick nod the green-haired apprentice disappears in the bushes, and you turn back to the scholars of your group. It’s time to abuse your power a little. “We are almost at the Devadaha Pool. Since all of you live in Sumeru City I hope you’ll excuse me for staying behind. As for you five,” your gaze moves to the bodyguards and it’s so hard not to rejoice - soon they’ll be just a memory, “I ask you to accompany the rest of my team to the Akademiya. Then you can consider your job done and be free. Keep the payment for the last three days that didn’t happen - think of it as a bonus for a good job.”

All but one eagerly nod and bid you farewell with wishes of getting home safely. And frankly speaking? You couldn’t care less for that one when you spot familiar and oh so dear big pointy ears with an intricate golden earring adorning one of them.

“Tighnari!” You didn’t want to sound so desperate, you really didn’t. But when those forest-like lovely eyes look in your direction, it becomes clear to you - the yearning has gotten unbearable.

“Y/n…” His smile is dazzling and the way his body immediately pushes to walk to you almost makes the memories of the last weeks’ events go away.

The key word - almost.

Someone grabs your elbow when you want to meet him halfway. Oh right, you already forgot about him.

“Let me go, you, imbecile!” And again you have to snarl and be rude, ripping your arm out of the strong hold and quickly darting into your husband’s embrace. The natural smell of the leaves, the flowers, the sweet and bitter concoctions he makes in his home laboratory, comfort you and your whole body goes nearly limp in his hold. It’s been weeks and you are tired of fighting with the brick wall - this time you want your lover to handle it for you.

“Y/n, my lotus, are you alright?” Gentle fingers comb through your hair and scratch at the base of your ears - a whole ass adult, that you are, wants to tear up. But you can only shake your head a no. “Has this man been bothering you?” This time it’s a yes. “I got you, dear.”

“So,” the browny green eyes sharpen upon staring at the cause of your current state, when it starts speaking, “you are that ‘husband’ the foxy has been talking about? I thought you’d be stronger. Or at least taller. Now I see that I was right and you really can’t be her mate.”

“Oh but I am. Not that we have to prove anything to a stranger. Y/n,” he carefully pries your face from his shoulder, caressing your cheek with a beanie pad, “let’s go home. You must be so-so tired.”

“I am, ‘nari. I am exhaus-”

“There’s no smell of you on her and vice versa,” the desert descendent of the Valuka Shuna seems to not be planning to stop. “Her neck is not marked. You let her wander by herself for weeks? And you keep calling her by the name. Her name should've stopped mattering once she became your mate!”

The hand around your waist tenses and you can feel the claws threatening to tear through the gloves he always wears. You don’t need to look at the face of your lover to know how pissed he is. And if Tighnari decides to attack him and tear his tongue out? You will not stop him.

“I am going to say it once and only once. She is not just a mate, she is my wife, by the Sumeru law and by the blessing of the Dendro Archon. And this fact must matter to you more than the case of her name. So fuck off and leave my wife alone. And if you don’t get it in a civil way - this woman is taken. And this territory is mine.”

With that, the Forest Watcher effortlessly lifts you in his arms and, holding you as if a precious bride, turns around to leave. You haven’t looked back once.

“You can’t imagine how much I missed being called your wife,” you quietly confess, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Especially after he didn’t listen when I said that I am.”

Tighnari hums sympathetically, leaning close to rub his nose against yours.

“Will it be okay then if today I address you as my wife only? When we join the other rangers, I mean.” 

”...if you think I will be embarrassed - make it a whole week.”

With a soft chuckle your husband plants a kiss on your lips, sealing the deal and promising you tranquil days at last.

“As you wish, wife.”

Zhongli

"...and so Rex Lapis takes the form of a dragon, a majestic creature he was born as - the one of whom the fair maiden would never be scared of. Lady Guizhong's robes flutter in the tender wind traveling among the mountain peaks and caressing the earthly scales of the God's enormous body. His eyes, shiny as gold, gaze at her with an unfamiliar softness as she holds a gentle flower - a delicate gift from her lover, the one that proves that under all that armor is a stone heart capable of love. Heart that is beating for her."

To loud applause the Iron Tongue Tian bows his head, drawing the legend of the gods in love to its end. You cannot bring yourself to clap even politely, both hands on your lap, hidden under the table, twitching when a man beside you lets his gloved palms meet each other a couple of times.

It’s the second time you had to sit and endure the baloney from the very beginning to the very end, not to count all those times you overheard it in passing. From the moment you settled in the Liyue Harbor together with your husband, to live the rest of your incredibly long lives together among the humans, you've been painfully aware of their interpretation of Rex Lapis and his relationship with other immortal beings. Before that you rarely accompanied him during the walks, busy with helping Yakshas and other adepti protect the said humans to grant them a peaceful life - as immortal guardians grew fewer, every single one counted.

Never have you ever imagined that knowing so little of the citizens’ folklore would backfire so hard. It seems that people got somewhat bored listening to the stories of Liyue and Rex Lapis, no matter how many interpretations existed. Literature became more diverse in genres and romantic novels were on top of the list, so street narrators started losing their audience little by little. Before it could grow into something more drastic the new side of history was presented to the public - stories about love among immortals appeared and its freshness and uniqueness caught people’s attention immediately.

In their searches for new material, speakers dug through hundreds of volumes. The main interest was the Lord of Geo, of course. If you have a story of a presumably stone-hearted creature ever having fallen in love with someone - that’s pure gold! But who could you present as a love interest of the Archon? It must be someone very close to him and, obviously, no one is more well-known for that than the deceased Archon of Dust.

You sigh, reaching for your cup and declining Madam Ping’s offer to pour you some more tea - for an unclear reason the fellow adeptus joined you two tonight. You have thousands of years of life behind your existence, a soul hardened by constant battles, and mannerism as polished as a jade statue, yet for a moment you feel concerned that the woman would notice a pang of hurt in the smallest of your features.

Zhongli definitely noticed the first time. It was meant to be a date night - simple, but sweet, with the evening lights, delightful aroma of the finest tea and the tales pouring from skilled tongues reflecting the atmosphere of what your nation really is. However, the luck of the land of trades wasn’t on your side, as someone requested the “Guili legend” as they called it. At first you were confused. Then in disbelief, almost turning to look at your mate, with whom you were bonded long before he became allies with the ash-haired woman. In the end you felt something you thought was beyond you - bitterness.

When you left the restaurant, slowly walking back to your house, Zhongli’s fingers gently touched your elbow, asking for your attention.

“Does it bother you that much, my love?”

Bother you? Well… It does feel insulting when someone speaks of your husband having been in love with someone else, but mortals can’t possibly know the truth for many reasons.

“I can’t say it doesn’t,” you admitted calmly, stopping and turning fully to him. He did the same, gazing at you with a hint of worry in those golden eyes you loved so much. The ones, you knew, always looked only at you. “But it can’t be helped, right? There was a reason and mutual agreement why you, as Rex Lapis, made our union unknown to your people, and now, since you are “dead”? There is no one to tell our story. Don’t worry though,” you put a hand on top of his and smiled, when his other one was laid on top of yours in a gesture of comfort. “I can deal with it. I know you love going to the storyteller’s performances. I’ll just try to ignore what they say about you and Lady Guizhong.”

Sometimes Zhongli thinks he does not deserve you. Ever so patient and understanding, you always had your husband's best interest at heart. Marriage, however, in its basis is a form of a contract, and a good contract is all about both sides being equal in everything. And if you must know one thing about Rex Lapis - he never makes bad contracts.

When the audience calms down, the man decides to make his presence and intentions clear by raising a hand. From the corner of his eye he notices you slightly turning your head to glance at him, and he catches a glimpse of puzzlement in your gaze. He can't help but think how adorable you are, even if you deny it again and again, claiming that nothing can be adorable about a several millennia-old warrior. Maybe not, but his wife definitely is, and he thinks with a primordial pride igniting in his chest, that mating with you was the best decision his past self had ever made.

Reaching under the table he rests his free hand on top of yours, gently squeezing it in reassurance, offering you the warmth of himself, seeping through his glove. Just as your shoulders relax to his delight, the raised hand adorned with rings is finally noticed.

"Ah, Mr Zhongli! Such an honor to see a regular, especially someone as wise as yourself!" Iron Tongue Tian beams with a wide smile, closing his fan and focusing his full attention on the history connoisseur. "I doubt you have questions, given your vast knowledge, and I can't wait to hear what else you can add to this already heart-felt story."

You force your lips not to twitch, hiding behind the tea cup again. Suddenly it tastes bitter. But another squeeze your husband gives your hand doesn't let you dwell on it too much.

"You are correct, I do have some knowledge to offer. However, it might disappoint you, as it will completely destroy the story of the Geo Archon and the Archon of Dust."

The whispers ran through the crowd like a powerful wave, and you can see confusion written over every single face. But also, there is intrigue.

"I took it upon myself,” Zhongli however continues, “to invite Madame Ping to back up my story, as she was the witness to it," the elder woman - a well-known Adeptus that doesn't hide her existence among mortals - nods with a soft smile.

"I read this in legends a long time ago, but remembered only when the 'Guili legend' became popular. Rex Lapis indeed had a lover, however it was not Lady Guizhong," the gasps are almost deafening. Just as your quickened heartbeat.

And for the next hour the man by your side and the elderly-looking woman that joined you tonight proceed to tell the story of the adeptus, who was the first and only to ever bring the Geo Archon to his knees, to be worshiped like a goddess by his eyes, by his words, by his very heart. Of a warrior, whose fierce eyes and valiant nature made a dragon in Rex Lapis roar in delight. Of the woman, who entranced him with her beauty, caring soul and motherly attention directed to other adepti - Madame Ping adds with a laugh of how the two created a parent-like dynamic even before they became official (at that you find it so hard not to turn bashful).

They tell the legend of the silk flowers - the ones you might see everywhere in the vast lands of Liyue. How the Geo Archon personally asked the Dendro Archon for guidance to cultivate the tenderest of flowers, how he taught his people to make the delicate fabric out of it, but even then it couldn’t compare to the skin of his immortal mate.

They tell stories of how annoyed she was when the god turned into a dragon to fall asleep somewhere in the depths of the earth for years without telling her prior, and how he returned with the purest stones and metals and with his own hands forged the pair of matrimonial rings (yes, the ones wrapped around your fingers to this day).

Madame Ping fondly speaks of all those thousands of years of protection the said adeptus spent to make sure that her godly spouse’s people were safe and maybe just a tiny sliver of pride rushes through your heart at the public acknowledgement.

“But she wished not to be known,” the woman sighs and you know she glances at you reproachfully. Well-deserved, given the circumstances you are in right now. “Thus it’s not much of a surprise people made a mistake like that. Besides, you won’t find much information in written sources about her either way.”

 “But she must have a name at least!” Someone from the fairly grown crowd exclaims.

“That she does,” Zhongli nods, lacing his fingers with yours under the table, lips tugging in a calm smile, when you squeeze his hand in return. “Though I am afraid it would be pointless to try and find out now - we wouldn’t want to disturb her mourning the departure of her husband, would we? After all, they must’ve loved each other so much.”

“But how can you be so sure?”

“Because,” golden eyes are on you, catching yours, pulling you in, whispering for your soul and heart to get lost in them, “I can understand how this love was born and got to bloom. My wife showed me that.”

the maid cafe at the school festival

expl: you offered to volunteer at the maid cafe being held in room 3-2 when you realized they needed more employees, you and your friend were having a great time until someone you knew walked in with their friends

a/n: i'm now going to begin taking requests for the polls that are found at the bottom of these ff's, feel free to send them in and i'll include them in this ff once i receive 3!

requests for polls

masterlist

second person writing no pronouns used

"I'm really sorry to ask you this, but could you two come to help us out? We really need the added assistance and few people are willing to do it..." The committee president said, looking feverishly ill from the amount of stress they were taking on at the school festival.

Before you could pipe up your opinion, your friend had already beat you to it and was offering to help out class 3-2 with their festival project.

You sighed, knowing this would be either embarrassing or publicly humiliating. Your friend got up and began following the committee president, which you did seconds later after you recollected your thoughts.

They took you into the classroom of 3-2, which was decorated with streamers at the front doors and tables set up like a cafe. You know what they were doing beforehand since it seemed to be the talk of the school for a short while. The people already working at cleaning the tables smiled at you and your friend, happy that at least someone had come.

"Here, you'll be wearing this for the time you're here, you can wear it over your clothes or you can wear the full outfit in the back." One of the workers said, it looked like she was holding the whole place together.

Your friend grabbed your hand and let out a quick, "Let's go," before walking into the closet area of the classroom. They began putting on the outfit they preferred, and you did the same, knowing you'd be here for a while just from how much they were beaming at the opportunity given to them.

In reality, it didn't go half as bad as you thought, you were having a lot of fun! And it seemed like the customers coming in were having fun too. The food was really good and the drinks were pretty easy to learn.

You heard the door open again and turned around to greet whoever came in, seeing as you were closest to it.

"Hey, come on in, how many will you be having to-"

Tighnari looked shocked when he saw it was you working here, and more shocked when he saw what you were wearing. You two knew each other from working well in science class as partners. The crush you had on him was a bit big, which was why you were so embarrassed for him to see you like this.

Your friend turned the corner and put a hand on your shoulder, smiling at the 3 boys who had walked in. "Hey, you guys! Come on over, I've got a table over here that's free." Leading them to the table closer to the windows in the back. You watched them walk away and tried to cool your face from the redness it got at that moment.

You weren't the one who was serving them, your friend did it for you. All you did was watch from the distance here and there to see what they were doing. What you didn't notice was Tighnari kept sending glances at you the whole time.

Cyno also seemed to notice this and nudged Aether next to him. The two boys looked as Tighnari took a sip of his drink but also glanced towards your back at the front of the room.

When your friend returned with the food, Cyno spoke, "Could you get that person to come over here real quick?" Tighnari lowered his eyebrows at his friend in an irritated matter. Your friend looked where Cyno was pointing and smiled, nodding and telling them they'd be right back.

When you finally walked up to them, Tighnari avoided your eyes while Cyno smiled brightly up at you.

"My friend here was wondering if he could get your number?" Cyno said while pointing toward the embarrassed green-haired boy. Tighnari looked up at you, silent, and you smiled while taking the napkin on their table and writing down your number.

Aether looked shocked, Cyno smirked, and Tighnari blushed even more when you handed it to him and walked off.

Both boys patted him on the back when they left, and a 20-dollar tip with your name on it was left on the table in Tighnari's handwriting.

The only reason that Xiao came in the first place was that Aether suggested the idea, Ganyu wanted to come along, and Venti practically dragged him from his spot in the tofu booth.

That was when the person to greet them was none other than you, Xiao's crush for the 3 years they'd attended high school. His face was flat and empty when he saw you, masking the absolute embarrassment in him when you saw he came to a place like this.

Venti chatted you up the whole time you served their table, and Xiao sat closest to the window and said nothing while he stared outside of it. Ganyu was a sweetheart and asked if there were any vegan meals being served in the nicest manner possible. Aether was also very nice and asked if the chefs could make something last minute for his sister before they left.

But Xiao? Quiet as a mouse, you even looked over at him every time they called you over to their table. Sometimes, they didn't even call you over to order, they just wanted to chat with you.

It worried you a little bit, you knew that he was normally quiet, but he seemed even more on edge today. It changed when you walked over again on your own will seeing as you had nobody else to serve for a bit.

"Xiao? Are you alright?" You asked with a worried expression on your face. The sound of your voice calling his name caused him to nearly shoot out of his chair. Venti, Ganyu, and Aether also looked toward their flustered friend. All the poor boy could do was nod and keep looking out the window, his face beginning to match the half-eaten caramel apple on Venti's plate.

"He's just shy, right Xiao!" Venti said while patting him on the back obnoxiously. It was like you were staring at a statue with how stiff he was in his chair. And it continued to be that way the whole time they stayed.

Feeling awful for him, when the other 3 were busy talking to another worker there, you snuck around and placed a small plate of almond tofu in front of him. His eyes immediately shot to where your arms were placed on either side of him while you reached over behind him.

"Sorry that you're feeling this way Xiao," You said while patting him on the back a bit. His face darkened in blush, but a small smile was evident while you walked away to keep doing your work.

When you returned to the empty table, unable to send them off because it got so busy, you saw the empty tofu plate and a 5-dollar bill with Xiao's number underneath it.

Heizou was more interested in staying where the puzzle-themed booths took place, but with how persistent his friends were he finally agreed and came along for the ride.

His shock was not as exaggerated as the other boys were, he was happier to see a familiar face in a place like this. Now, Heizou was definitely a little surprised to see you working here out of all the fun booths and cafes surrounding the school, but he wasn't one to judge.

It wasn't until you were the one to be serving them, did he finally put more attention onto you. It wasn't like he didn't know who you were, his crush on you lingered for a while now ever since the two of you partnered up for math this year.

It just seemed like seeing you in such an outfit made him pay even more attention to you, so much that he didn't even listen to what his friends had to say because he was so busy staring at you across the room.

You had a lot of people's attention that was for sure, practically being handed tips left and right as you walked by the tables you previously served. His jealousy boiled a bit in his stomach, but he tried to ignore that feeling and keep enjoying the time spent with his friends.

Kazuha even asked him if he was alright at one point, seeing his friend look a little irritated in a direction he couldn't quite catch. But Heizou just shook it off as he was a little weirded out being there. Which was a lie, he liked how lively it was and how kind the workers were.

Heizou finally reached his breaking point when he saw someone try and flirt with you while you served another table. He got up from his seat and excused himself from his friends with a smile. Walking over to you with an irritated look on his face and standing behind you with his arms crossed.

The person flirting with you seemed to stop talking, and you smiled in a confusing manner before turning around and seeing Heizou really close to you.

"Oh! Heizou! What's the matter?" You said with a tilt of your head at his appearance. His eyes were still glaring at the person in front of you two, but a couple seconds later he looked down at you with the softest gaze and smile.

"I'm alright, I was wondering if you could come back over to our table for a bit." His words made you smile at him, lightly patting his bulging muscular shoulders that were tense from the other person's move on you.

"You could have just waved me over! Come on, let's go." Smiling at him before turning to walk back to Kazuha and the others. He gave the person one last nasty look before he turned to you with a kind gaze and followed you.

Alhaitham was not shocked, nor surprised to see you here. He was more interested in just sitting down to chat up a conversation than anything else. Kaveh suggested they get a bite to eat, and this was the closest thing to them.

Alhaitham knew you, sure, but he wasn't in the same grade as you, being in the grade above and only really seeing you when you'd be walking around the school with your friend or attending school events like this one.

That's why he was so interested in finally getting a chance to speak to you more. Seeing as the crush he held for a while that was only flamed with short glances in the hallway and mentions of your name could finally ignite more.

And ignite it did, you were really nice to them the whole time and even helped the 2 boys navigate the slightly confusing menu that the committee leader put together. You asked if they had allergies if they preferred different seating since the sun was blaring a little bit into the room, etc.

Kaveh even noticed that his friend seemed to smile more when you came around to ask how everything was. A smirk led onto his face when he realized it was good bait to tease Alhaitham. Saying something embarrassing in order to brighten up his face and get him blushing just as you were rounding the corner to check on them again.

"How is- Oh my! Alhaitham are you okay? You don't have a cold do you?" You said before instinctively reaching down to press a hand to his forehead. The small action blew up his face in a stream of red while Kaveh nearly fell out of his chair laughing.

"I'm fine, really," Alhaitham spoke with a smaller voice than his usual confident one. Kaveh continued to laugh at his friend who almost never lost his cool while you kept asking if he needed anything to help.

"Please let me know if there's anything I can get you." Your worried tone made it even worse for him, the poor boy was shifting in his seat from how embarrassed he was.

When you finally walked away, the glare that sent Kaveh's way from Alhaitham was the icing on the cake. The blonde kept mocking his friends' small tone when replying to you. At one point, you even walked by to serve another table and placed a glass of water next to him. Which he couldn't even smile to appreciate before his eyes caught Kaveh's cheeky ones.

A note was left before they left, from Alhaitham, apologizing for the events that happened, along with two 20-dollar bills. You smiled looking down at the note and folded it to save in your pocket for later. Why had you never paid more attention to him before?

HOW genshin men try to woo youఌ︎

Ft. Xiao...kazuha...tighnari

Xiao

He first goes to Zhongli for advice! The old geo archon suggested that he give you gifts! Though being an adeptus xiao dosn't own any mora so he can't buy you any gifts..

So he comes up with a plan! He heard mortals like shiny things so- whenever he sees something shiny he brings it back to you

You now have a growing collection of colorful crystals, and rocks- sometimes your darling xiao finds mora on the floor and he gives it to you saying "I have no need for such things- so..you take it" you don't think anyone has the need for 1 mora but you couldn't bring yourself to tell him that and so gratefully accept all these little trinkets he brings you

You one time compared him to a crow-..safe to say he didn't understand your comparison

Eventually, the little stones he brought you had an effect and you confessed your undying love for him

Kazuha

He makes haikus based on you! Like everything about you has been made into a poem! From your hair to your eyes your confidence to even the weapon you wield had been made into a poem at least- once

Since he's explored many different places he likes taking you to those not known by the general public- those places who have not been touched by humans...so clean, so pretty

He makes lots of food so when you get tired and tell him that you should leave- he traps you by showing you the delicious food he's made now you can't leave him!

" but [nick-name]...what about the food I made...? Are you not gonna eat it??"

Guilt tripping at it's finest

Tighnari

He makes conversation with you by talking and talking about plants when he starts there's no stopping him

Oh, you're getting bored? He slowly moves towards you- sitting right next to you so when you finally fall asleep from all the plant talk your head falls on his lap or shoulder- now he's free to look at your beautiful face without disturbance

He knows talking about plants all the time can get boring- so! He asks around for anyone who knows what kind of things you're into- after acquiring said information he tries his best to learn as much as he can about your topic of interest even if he doesn't find it interesting he'll still try- because of you

Since he's a forest ranger he doesn't have much free time so- he always takes you with him on missions to 'make sure you're ready to do this alone' spoiler he always insists on coming! Saying "oh you're going there...ill come along to...wh-what no! It's not because I'm worried or anything-..I just need some fungi that only grow at that part of the forest...okay"

Sure...

tripped up | 𝕥𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕟𝕒𝕣𝕚

❥ getting high with tighnari. mention of drugs

he gets all touchy and clingy and the heightened sensitivity in the tips of his ears and the base of his tail alone is enough to make him come with the slightest touch from you

hes so needy, so whiny, so delirious in his desire to feel you, he wants to lose his mind to you. mumbling about how he will die if he’s not inside you. as soon as he sinks his heavy cock into you, he just fucks and fucks and fucks cause the pretty shrooms you both took have turned him into a shameless mess. and no matter how many times he comes, he’s still so hard. still full of so much cum that he needs to pump into you.

his body has become so sensitive. every kiss, every bite, every graze of your fingers against his skin sets him aflame. he is so overwhelmed, his body on sensory overload. he feels like he could cry and in fact he does. tears pool in his eyes and his moans border on pornographic as his lithe frame works hard to reach release, his mind collapsing leaving only a primal need to take you. it is like his body is on fire and the only thing that can bring him sweet relief is making you scream his name for all of the forest to hear.

🫢🫣😮‍💨🛐🛐🛐

taking his knot | 𝕥𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕟𝕒𝕣𝕚

a.n: i want to eat him. cw. knotting

ʕ •̀ ω •́ ʔ

imagine the way he would switch between whimpering and growling. his hands slipping from your waist because he’s fucking you in such a frenzy that a sheen of sweat covers your body, the smell of your arousal driving him insane.

he flips you over flat on your stomach and fucks into you like that. he lets gravity do the work as he drops his hips against your ass, pounding into you. but when you cry for more, for him to fuck you harder and deeper, he grips the headboard and uses it to drive himself into you. the wood bangs against the wall as he splits you open, and he’s sure everyone person and creature in gandharva ville can hear your cries of pleasure.

he’s borderline delirious now. his body weight is comforting on top of you as he licks from your shoulder up to your ear, nibbling on your skin as he whispers filthy promises of how your gonna take his knot, of how he’s gonna empty himself into your tight hole and fill you up. when he feels himself getting close, he quickly pulls out and turns you over; something about how the lewd look on your face as he stretches you out makes him come even harder. he pushes your knees to your chest as he slips inside you, a harsh growl bubbling from his chest as he sets a harsh pace, hard and so deep that each thrust takes your breath away. you know he’s close when you feel yourself begin to stretch around him even more.

you press a hand to his lower stomach in an attempt to get him to slow down but he grabs it, holding it above your head as he leans in closer, “you’re gonna take this cock for me?” he whispers before capturing your lips in a passionate kiss. it’s sloppy and messy as your teeth gnash together, his tongue swirling around yours.

he leans back again and holds your thighs down, your knees pressed to your ears now as he has you spread wide open. he pushes himself inside you one more time, slipping in with a wet pop. his grip is tight against your legs as his cock swells some more before coating your insides with thick ropes of creamy cum. he lets out the most salacious moans as he fills you, showering you with praises of “that’s it’s baby” and “fuck you feel so warm” and “god you’re so good for taking all of my cum. for taking all of me.”

the sensation of fullness coupled with how wanton and filthy tighnari is being is what finally drives you over your edge. with a wail of his name so loud he’s sure the sages in sumeru city could hear, you tighten around his thick cock, and the vice grip you have on him causes him to choke. he collapses to your chest with a whine as his body shoots out even more cum. and after giving you all that he has, he lays there, his face pressed against your chest as he waits for both of you to catch your breaths. his tail curls around your waist as he slowly turns you guys over, his cock still inside you. you rest on top of him for a moment, your eyes sliding shut when all of sudden you feel him jerk underneath you. you look down at him to see his pretty eyes glowing, his canines growing a bit sharper as he asks you with a predatory grin,

“ready for round two??”

just… petting a sleepy tighnari’s head when he just woke up in the morning. he’s yet to properly open his eyes as he does a big stretch™, then just turns to snuggle up closer to you again if that’s even possible

gently coming through his dark hair before lightly scratching the base of his fluffy ears. before he can even realise it, tighnari is craning his head in different directions to get you to scratch different parts as his tail drapes over your legs, a blissful exhale the only thing being heard.

it’s only when you can’t stop the giggles from bubbling over that he fully comes to, ears perking up in alert. little do you know, he’s already planning his revenge for catching him off guard as you boop his nose. but he’s quick to get you back by mercilessly attacking your sides until you’re gasping for air between laughter, begging him to stop tickling you.

tighnari= just a big cat

this was so FLUFFYYYY OML I CAN FEEL LITERAL CLOUDS

5 (+ 1)

or five times you attempted to pet tighnari's ears and the one time he let you

tighnari x gn! reader rated: t wc: 9k+

a/n: i swear i'm not a genshin writer. every now and again one just really hits me and won't leave me alone. i'm shaking at the prospect of meeting cyno.

|1|

when you had taken up the life of a very luxurious forest ranger, you hadn’t done so with any grand goal in mind. growing up you’d never been enticed by the prestige of the akademiya. the too tight robes warded off any appeal of unlimited knowledge. 

you weren’t much of a haggler either, so market trading had never been much of an option. to be honest, in most cases you couldn't be bothered and would give away something for free if it meant getting the person out of your face.

maybe as a child you’d dreamed of theatre. promises of dancing in front of a crowd. or performing a sincere song of gratitude in honour of your generous archon. but there was a reason why only the children of sumeru dreamt. because it saved you the reality of embarrassment. 

ultimately it made sense for you to be a forest ranger. you were blessed with a vision and had the aptitude for conflict when needed. you didn't mind being outside. sumeru was a beautiful land of bountiful vegetation and fauna. you were proud to be part of the force protecting it. 

so naturally, you were destined to join their ranks. you would fit in splendidly as long as you followed the basic code of conduct.

the rules were simple:

execute every possible strategy to ensure the safety of the public

do not engage in any withering zone excavation without first reporting it

do not under any circumstances attempt to touch master tighnari’s ears.

you believed that honour should be given where it was due, and tighnari certainly earned a bulk of it in sumeru. he was as tenacious in his research as he was in his determination to cull the withering.  

it was admirable. unquestionably gave his subordinates something to look up to. it helped that he made an easy guy to work for. tighnari was an abundance of knowledge, never failing to deliver relevant facts about any form of botany in sight. 

during your initial interview he completely sidetracked himself from testing your competency in favour of dumping the equivalent of a knowledge capsule on the entire forest on you. and during the whole time all you could think was how cute.

those fluffy, distractingly soft ears he had that twitched with every emotion. you noticed that sometimes they swayed unprompted, as if they had a mind of their own. the man himself seemed oblivious to your obsession, or just so immune to the attention at this point that it hardly phased him. 

it was a shame really. 

because by the time he realised you were out of your seat, he had a split second to snatch your offending hand before your fingers to reach the fur. the utterly adorable culprits seemed to tease your failure, flickering invitingly just out of reach of your wiggling fingers. 

at least you had enough integrity to smile in the face of defeat as your future boss leered at you unimpressed. 

he spent the remainder of your now orientation laminating over the very extensive punishment policy to be expected of any broken infractions. 

|2|

it was safe to say the threat of punishment didn’t weigh too heavily on your consciousness. what you did learn, was everything more the life of a ranger had to offer. it wasn’t as though you belittled it to a simple forest guide. you were well aware of how each and every one of your colleagues put their life on the line to protect the gifts from the first of the dendro goddess. 

but you never expected your contribution to feel so satisfying. 

every day your body got stronger, gaining the resilience and stamina to endure long treks through the forest. you became more in tune with your vision, able to protect not only yourself but others from harm. unexpectedly, tighnari’s long winded tangents began sounding more appealing as you absorbed the information rather than repel it. 

with each passing day you grew into the role of a proper forest ranger.

though there was one thing you hadn’t grown out of. 

“you two will be assigned with me. we’ll patrol the southeast canopy.”

tighnari was always so serious when delegating assignments. archon’s bless him. given it was a momentous occasion as it was imperative to understand everyone’s role so that their was a fair opportunity to return home safe and sound. 

it was just he way his ears followed each command. the adorable quiver not at all equivalent to his resolute voice. even after over a year under his command, it was still so distracting. to be fair, you’d learned to control your urges. after the second attempt and a week of making sure the long row of lamps remained glowing, you had at least accepted the pressing issue of testing his patience. 

your respect didn’t go unrewarded either. over time, you learned that under those cute ears was a very interesting man. you always knew he valued his time in the forest and that the publications were not just for show like some of the akademiya graduates. but to witness his unfiltered passion for the forest was … kind of refreshing. 

it made for genuine conversations that allowed you to feed off one another. while you’d never quite match his never ending knowledge for botany, you accompanied it well with your growing love for fauna. 

in short, tighnari had become an unexpected friend. 

with very endearing ears that you still felt the urge to touch after many, many months of barely held restraint. 

it was admirable. 

worth the gained friendship. 

and yet.

collei’s shoulder knocked comfortably into yours as she hopped with glee. her joy made her unaware to the sharp gazes watching her exuberant movements for any signs of fatigue. being around collei had eventually led you to believe that something was different about her.

as a fellow trainee for a time, the two of you had grown close enough for her to feel secure in delving into more of her past. her illness wasn’t necessarily rare but it wasn’t often you met many affected with as much optimism as she had. 

there was no doubt she had bouts of pain. sometimes you would cover her patrols to give her extra days of rest. tighnari was the most observant, always knowing when she needed a break. still the girl was a refreshing take on life in these darkening days. 

it helped that you both shared a fixation with a certain pair of furry ears.

whereas she was more timid in her appreciation, you had yet to shed your bold approach. 

well, maybe you got a little smarter. 

“but i already know about the sweetwater mushrooms,” collei whispered back, confusion staining her voice. there were times like this that her charmingness rivalled tighnari. 

you resisted the urge to pat the crown of her head. 

you all knew about the infamous fungi. upon its discover, tighnari had spent nearly a month after submitting his entry into the new rainforest guide speaking all about its elements; to anyone or anything regardless how responsive. 

if it was a botanical topic the fox found it hard to resist engaging. 

leaning closer, you kept a close eye on the leading man.” i know you do but tighnari always has something more to say. i just need you to ask him about it.” you refrained from using the word distract. 

collei’s ability to lie wasn’t a favourable skill. more often than not she caved in on herself before being able to spin a convincing tail. you’d learned fairly quickly the first time you convinced her to test a new route. the two of you hadn’t found any trouble but the slight delay in return roused a few questions. and of course tighnari had been the investigator. she never had a winning chance. 

“i still don’t get why i have to ask.”

“because i need an opening to try to touch his ears.”

the sharp gasp she left out was enough to shatter the gossip bubble as tighnari turned with a suspicious frown. his gaze fell heavily on you as the culprit. 

“what are you two muttering about?”

laughing sheepishly, your hip checked subtly against the younger girl’s as you took the lead. “just about the dusk birds. their mating season is approaching.”

tighnari raised a brow, but didn’t question further. one of the ways you’d managed to bond with collei had been over the observation of the bird hatchlings. they were one of the safer offsprings you were allowed to track in your earlier days, making you very familiar with their nesting grounds. it was one of the few areas he allowed you both to wander together without supervision. 

“uh huh, well unfortunately i doubt we’ll get many sightings this low. please try to stay vilgint for any threats.”

tighnari rolled his eyes at your comical salute but was unable to hide his small grin. it only fed into your wider one. 

good. he was in an amicable mood today. you’d both need it. 

collei managed to remain cool headed despite your hanging plan as the three of you ventured through the more worn paths. travellers and students alike tended to frequent these parts, fending off most wildlife who didn’t want to be bothered. it was mostly flora that flourished, taking up any available space. 

the perfect conversation starter. 

the green haired trainee squeaked when you cleared your throat and nudged her softly. the noise caused a flicker to tighnari’s ear but he otherwise left the two of you to your devices as he examined the population of fungi. 

your gaze darted to the seemingly preoccupied man and back, to which collei gulped but carefully approached. “um, master tighnari. do you mind going over the procedure for warning travellers about fungi again? sometimes i stumble with the more insistent ones.”

you could hear a bit of truth bleed into the ploy. it was certainly convincing enough as tighnari gestured for her to come to closer as he plucked a few samples. “certainly! it’s always good to familiarise yourself. sometimes they can get a little tricky. like this one, the bell-shaped and conical caps can often confuse people. you have to really pay attention to the arch…”

archons bless him, it didn’t really take much. 

tighnari’s eyes darted briefly to you as you settled near them. his body turned to welcome you into the discussion, but he otherwise continued his deep analysis of proper measurements of cap width. the fleeting eye contact was enough for you to witness the undeniable brightness as he conversed. 

as much as you liked to tease him, the jest hardly had any weight when the man was as serious about his research. he often responded with a chide about the importance of understanding and how it promoted coexistence. and then he would give you editions of his publications for you to study. 

the first few times, after you’d baulked at the depth of the information, you’d actually managed to discover a few interesting elements. despite his ability to drone on, the passion he felt was undeniable when reading through this material. even if you didn’t retain much of the actual reading, the smile you developed lingered. only to widen when you’d witnessed the excited flicker of his tail when you’d returned the books with a few inquiries of your own. 

tighnari took your interest in the fauna populating the forest seriously, cultivating the bud of fascination and furthering it. you hadn’t developed enough academic discretion to attempt a article- not that it would have been credible without the proper education- but tighnari baubles your insights all the same, often using your tracking skills to help develop new routes during various mating and hibernation periods. 

it … really helped you feel at home. valued amongst the other forest rangers. 

so what if you occasionally found your cheeks warming whenever he complimented your new discoveries. 

“when people ask, it's important to point out as many examples as you can to help them identify. in most cases you only have their attention for a few minutes so you need to capitalise.”

you had to give it to collei, she was either fully immersed or integrating very well into the diversion. though when tighnari got like this, it was nearly one in the same. 

rolling onto your knees, you paused as those endearing astute ears twitched in your direction. tighnari hadn’t skipped a beat, however instinct was so inherent. it made for an unfair advantage, however you had desensitisation on your side. the next disturbance you made as you leaned closer hardly got a reaction as his second nature focused on the world outside your bubble. 

it was a flattering downfall that you’d happily exploit as your hand neared your objective. 

“- actually that’s a common mistake. some of the gills look similar but if you notice here..:”

oh no. 

in one fluid motion, tighnari managed to capture your hovering hand, dragging it forward under his arm to come in contact with his other. the motion dragged you flush against his back as he manipulated your fingertips against the underside of the mushroom. 

“-… there’s a coarser distinction. of course, you have to be careful when encouraging other to touch freely as some can still be poisonous.”

naturally you doubted tighnari would use you so freely as an impromptu demonstration, punishment be damned. though the way he kept your appendage hostage implied that you weren’t free from reprimand. 

poor collei chuckled nervously as tighnari held out the fungi for her to try, eyes wondering anxiously between the two of you. from your imprisonment, you were unable to see what expression tighnari was giving off, but if the tight grip was any indicator it was safe to hypothesise that it wasn’t in your favour. 

“i um- see. thank you, master.”

tighnari didn’t appear to have any ill will towards the girl which was a small grace. his tone, however, was noticeably pinched as he directed the conversation over his shoulder. 

“do you have any questions, ranger?”

yep. 

there’s the wrath. 

accepting defeat, your head careened forward into the hollow of his shoulder as you mumbled your negative with the shake of a head. Immediately you felt his posture stiffen in responses to your relaxed submission. the proximity awarded you a personal showcase of the heat crawling up the back of his neck. 

interesting. 

“well then!” tighnari forced a cheerful bravado as he brought you both to an abrupt stand, releasing you in favour of stepping forward to lead. “collei, listen closely as they recite every classification as we finish our patrol. we can make note of their mistakes so that they don’t make them again when they extensively copy them onto the new pamphlets for next release.”

it didn’t evade you how the fox refused to face you as he pressed forward. you dared to guess that the rosy hue of his neck might match the roundness of his cheeks.

perhaps some discoveries were worth the failures. 

|3|

“I really want to feature the spinokrok in my next story but I’ve never really seen one up close. dad says it’s too dangerous though.”

“he’s right. they’re at the very bottom of the ravine.”

“oh…”

“but sometimes i pass through on patrols. if you’d like, i can snap a reference photo for you!”

“really? that would be awesome, thanks so much!”

children’s happiness was truly a unique fruit of motivation, both gratuitous and frankly slightly treacherous to consume. tighnari might liken it to one of the colourful sprouts that populate the banks near the cliffside; beautifully cunning but sure to leave you with a nasty surprise.

—okay, maybe that was a little dramatic. 

but you were certainly going to be in for quite the scolding if tighnari found out that you derailed your patrols for the sake of taking a leisure photo of wildlife. in the defence of safety, the fox wasn’t as easily swayed by a childish promise. 

fortunately, you were adept enough with just about any patrol path through the rainforest by now. your experience often persuaded tighnari to give allowance for you to tend to the paths along the outskirts of the village solo. 

which you were totally doing. 

just from a view a couple hundred metres below. 

the path towards the wetland ravine was a muddy line in the undergrowth, a quieter trail that rarely gathered much traffic: traveller or wildlife. to be honest, you hardly ever saw anything other than the spinokrok’s down here. though given their diet, it wasn’t much of a surprise. 

you carefully neared the bankside, watching the position of the sun in between the treetops. you’d already bartered away a lot of your time venturing this low. while you were known for a bit of wandering, if you took too long to check-in someone would end up alerting tighnari before long. the sky was already beginning to bleed into a light orange, the beginning shades of the setting sun melting into the blue above. 

not your first nighttime return, but the light scolding would be easy enough to shake off. 

the sudden splash drew your attention to the winding river as a crane took flight. the skittish fowl wouldn’t have been alerted to your presence this early which meant that your targets weren’t far off. 

tugging the kamera from your knapsack, you followed the line of the water through the lens. 

“there you are…”

razi would be pleased with the prints of the small brood of three. highlights from above complimented the red scales nicely. curious, you swung the lens further upstream in an attempt to capture a few more. known for their meat, if undisturbed it would be easy enough to find at least another two or three. 

however as the slithering vines stretched norther further, twisting through branches on its congest to conquer vegetation, you found the rapidly darkening view to be concerning. sure enough, the once plentiful flora was beginning to shrink on itself and take on a dull shade. the distinctive red flow of the withering zone was seated right in the apex of the blistering landscape. 

“here too?”

the area was small, but this route was part of the weekly assignments rather than the more frequent. had you not come here in search of fauna, it likely wouldn’t have been discovered for a few more days. unfortunately, locating it yourself was tantamount to giving away your private detour. 

for a brief moment you debated taking the chance to report, weighing the pros and cons. ultimately, the loss of independency once tighnari tracked your impromptu route was too great of a squander. besides, it was a small devastation. you were qualified to handle it.

—except for the corrupted machina lingering just out of sight. 

the narrow lens of the kamera hadn't been able to capture the additional dangers before you neared. had you been aware, you would have attempted to at least down one before you got too close. it was a tight battle, suffering under the thick miasma while trying to cut off the source. 

you’d managed to down the bulkier of the two, but the swindling snake-like projection had been doing an annoying job of evading your strongest attacks. with your hp at threatening level, coupled with low energy regeneration, you were starting to regret your choices just a little bit. 

you briefly wondered if tighnari would scold you through the eulogy. 

the darkness blanketing the forest worked against you, as the remaining threads of daylight faded. the red glow of the withering was the least comforting form of light to rely on as you made a hasty dodge away from the blasting beam. 

“oh, crap.”

a miscalculation saw your foot caught on a fraying vine, careening your forward as you landed heavily onto the ground. the threatening wind of the machina generating energy had you sucking in a harsh breath as you attempted to stand, resulting in a sharp jolt of pain as your ankle protested. a cold chill numbed your body in the worst way as the unsettling realisation of your actions weighed in. scrambling feebly for your weapon, you attempted to shield the next blow though you knew it wouldn't be enough. 

“enshroud!”

your body jerked in alarm as a cloud of green circled the earth around you. the lack of visibility should have been worrying, had you not been very familiar with it’s caster; and the inevitable reckoning that would come. 

the first half came in the form of a series tanglevine shafts trained to track and devastate. the secondary wave wiped out the last of the threats before your savour was able to focus on the bleeding blooms. you’d never been more grateful to witness a successful clearance, as the suffocating effects of the withering abed away. it gave you just enough clear air to breath a grateful sigh of relief before it all soured. 

the second half of your retribution, was a quieter approach of wraith then you were use to. tighnari refused to look you in the eye as he kneeled before your injured limb. not that that you were trying to see the reflection of your guilt staring back at you. it gave you the opportunity to observe that he’d come alone, making you wonder if he’d been informed or had simply stumbled upon you. 

neither option was beneficial. 

the fox was obviously simmering, that much was clear even in his silence. he’d produced a small aid kit from his belt and was examining your ankle. the first sounds of annoyance permeating the air when you squeaked at the firm pressure against the joint. 

it was obvious that you wouldn’t be walking out of here. 

as if you weren’t in enough trouble. 

tighnari’s reticence preserved as he tied a stiff bow at the end of your wrapping before turning to offer his back. sighing, you accepted your fate and looped your arms around his neck. tighnari waited until your knees settled at his sides before he rose to his feet, added a second security under the weight of your thighs. 

at first you hoped to construct a plausible excuse in his silence, but after you’d practised the same redemption for the twelfth time you were starting to become more concerned about his resilience. you dont think you've ever witness tighnari hold back a scolding this long. 

unable to hold out any longer, you poked the hornet’s nest. 

“so razi has this new story idea.”

yeah you were throwing the kid under the bus, sue you. 

the first flicker of his ears was a subtle warning, but you pressed through. 

“he wanted to use the spinokroks as his next character but he’d never really been able to see one up close. and naturally it wouldn’t be safe for a child to traverse the forests. even with his father.”

there goes the second ear. 

“so being the helpful forest ranger i am under your tutelage, i offered to secure a reference photo for him. which of course—”

tighnari’s voice came quiet and strained. “please stop talking.”

you waited for him to say more, sure that he’d have more to tack on, but no other words left his lips. it was disconcerting in a way you hadn’t experienced before. you'd suffered through annoyance, frustration and some rage. 

but rarely disappointment. 

it was bitter tasting. 

it was rather telling when even the wildlife seemed to avoid the pair as you ascended out of the ravine. tighnari managed to not only reach the outskirts of the village, but did so without cracking under the pressure of your culpability. 

unfortunately you weren’t as robust. 

“tigh—”

“for every word, i’m adding a week of lamp maintenance duty.”

you squeezed your arms and legs around him in a hug, seeking out a thread of comfort through the throbbing pain of your ankle. 

“i’m sorry.”

tighnari sucked in a sharp breath as his steps halted. you could see the first glow of the lamps in the distance, no doubt a night crew lingering near to welcome the late returners. 

“you’re an idiot.”

a tight fist squeezed your heart as you shuddered against his back. 

“i know.”

“another week! i cannot believe your absolute disregard for your welfare. not only in straying from your patrols but to attempt to clear a withering zone without reporting it first. what were you thinking?”

your lips parted, voice small,” well i thought given how far off it was that no one would come across it before it spread.”

the fox was quietly shaking under you,” i’m tempted to bench you for a year for this alone. you could have been killed.”

“but i wasn’t.”

tighnari didn’t acknowledge the crackled excuse as he resumed the ascent towards the heart of the village. the conversation was over, at least for tonight. you almost felt bad for those hapless to witness the quiet fury as the leader trudged through the canopy. though the arrangement surely painted a telling story no one dared to stop or question.

upon entering your bungalow, tighnari silently backed into your bed until you took the hint.

as your arms slipped from around him, your fingertips brushed against the furry cartilage. though the action went ignored by both parties.

“rest, we’ll discuss this in the morning.”

|4|

the discussion did not come the following morning, or the rolling day as the sun rose and set. given your ailment you weren't exactly able to seek out your punishment, though the waiting game felt like the precursor. 

for the first three days, your only visitors were collie and one of the local healers. tighnari likely hadn’t banned the nervous girl, allowing her to stumble in at first light to assess your injuries. it seemed as though he also didn’t inform her of much as she tired to glean what she could. 

unfortunately, your mood hadn’t really improved from the night before, nor had your pain levels. you managed a tight smile at best, gritting through a scarce overview. the overhanging rumours were that you finally pushed tighnari to his limits. which was not too far from the truth. 

your medicine came in three intervals, and each visit was just that. umm only offer a genial knowing close-lipped smile as she applied the numbing cream and rewrapped your joints. the only news came from collei with each meal. it was never what you wanted to hear, but the sound of a voice other than your thoughts was welcome. 

you were able to keep up with light chat, the both of you doing an amicable job at avoiding the shaggy sumpter beast in the room. if the flightiness she gave off was anything to go by, then tighnari hadn’t completely cooled off. initially, you’d only probed subtly. asking about her patrols to see who accompanied her. questioning new withering zone reports to gauge who might be assigned. either tighnari had instructed her to be tightlipped or she was on as much of a lockdown as you were because the information gleaned was inconsequential. 

it wasn’t until the fifth day, when you were able to balance on your injured ankle for longer than a minute that you dared to try for more. 

umm had just finished, stepping clear of the doorway to allow collei to maneuver freely with the two bowls of lunch. the younger girl was in a lighter mood, giving you the extra confidence to push. 

you took a bite of the leftover stew first, before testing the waters. “has tighnari taken you on any deeper patrols lately?”

the girl stiffened but otherwise did not show any signs of distress. 

“not really, he’s been kind of strict with patrols lately. only seniors have been assigned to the forest floor. i patrolled the understory with nasrin yesterday though! the dusk birds are starting to nest.”

you could resist a soft smile as the girl lead comfortable into a short tangent about the different locations she’d tracked in her notebook. she loved to watch the hatching process from the birth to first flight. tighnari was often more lenient with her during this season. you were pleased to know your mess up hadn’t resulted in that being taken away.

“hopefully i’ll be healed enough to catch one of the hatchings.”

collei’s gaze flickered to your freshly wrapped ankle, “master tighnari wouldn’t say but he’s been pretty testy about ranger etiquette lately. well more than useful.”

“yeah, i was pretty stupid,” you muttered, quoting the fox’s words from that night. 

collei sat upright on the chair by your desk, responding to your despondent mood. “he’s not nearly as bad as before though. i mean that morning after he was really mad. not like loud angry, but everyone knew not to test him. but he’s calmer now”, she assured.

you assumed as much. avoiding you was likely the best way to keep his temper in check.

you watched as the green haired trainee squirmed in her seat, no doubt uncomfortable at the idea of being between the brewing conflict. tighnari no doubt tried to ease that predicament by withholding information. the least you could do was honour your half to keep from setting her off. 

“umm said i should try walking around more. i got permission to pace the platform if you want to join.”

the girl jumped at the chance, nearly losing her bowl in the process. laughing, you quickly took hers and set it on the desk with yours before standing to your feet. collei was at your side, urging your arm over her shoulder. it wasn’t really necessary but you’d never turn down the girl’s assistance. 

carefully the two of you ambled through the leaves shrouding your entrance. it wasn’t the first time this week that the sun warmed your skin. umm had urged you to test the distance from your bed to your porch on the second day with each visit there after. it helped tp press your limitations while keeping the joint from getting too stiff. but this was the first time you’d been able to venture far enough out to interact with more than the same two people for the last few days. 

collei remained diligent as she led you down the straight path, attention not straying from your gait as you greeted faces you haven't seen in awhile. the reception was overall positive, your health and wellbeing superseding the wraith that had hung over the encampment for the past week. it narrowed down the list of those you’d need to apologise to at least. 

“oh it’s master tighnari!”

your gaze snapped to her extended finger, noting the tall tuff of ears before anything else. his back was turned to you, a fortunate thing as you still weren’t sure how to face him just yet. he appeared to be conversing with a group, though it wasn’t the usual collection of rangers waiting for assignments. 

you recognized the garments however. 

collei groaned as she sagged under your arm. “its the akademiya again. when will they ever learn?”

likely no time soon, as the pressure from both the forest and threat of the ‘scarlet king’ followers continued to rise. the first time you witnessed the prestigious envoy attempting to recruit the fox, you’d been in awe. it was somewhat of an honour to be approached by anyone doning the gowns. next to the archon herself, they were the reigning power. however the prestige lost a light grace, when tighnari scoffed at the invitation. 

it was one of the occasions that you’d really come to appreciate more than just his vast knowledge. of course, you respected him as a leader but it was different to consider his understanding of plant life on a scholarly level. his tangents that he loved to rattle your ear with were published and very popular articles. 

he was something of a celebrity. a fact that you loved to tease just to see the tops of his cheeks grow warm at the admission. 

now, even at this distance, you could see a similar red dusting his fair skin. but not in the pleasant way that warmed your chest. 

no it seemed that an inkingly of your excursion still peaked his heart rate. and this wasn't making it any better.

that wasn’t good.

“collei, please help me.”

“huh? oh, wait! not too fast.”

tighnari grit through a tight smile, barely hanging onto his fangs to keep them from showing. at a young age his mother taught him that human could find it threatening. frankly, right now he wished to find out how much of a truth that was if it got these nuisances out of his hair. 

this was the last thing that he wished to deal with right now. the institution had taken a different route it seemed, sending students under the premise of studying under his tutelage. something he would maybe consider any other time than now. 

his foot tapped irritably as one of the bolder ones spoke his piece, spouting words of prose that meant nothing to him. they were all weak and obvlivious children wandering aimlessly. he had enough of those under his own watch. 

“master tighnari, i've read all your publications intensively and feel that i would be a valuable asset in your further research of the withering zones. i believe that together we can find a cure.”

tighnari barely resisted rolling his eyes. it was almost laughable. the withering had plagued them for centuries and they were still no closer to curbing it. no amount of research at this point was going to factor in. all they could do was contain, and that was a skill the akademiya didn’t teach.

breathing audibly through his nose, the fox attempted to remain cordial. “i appreciate your determination, however, i'm not in a position right now to allocate more rangers to facilitate your safety. the forest—”

“—i’ve also read intently on the local fauna and proper was to track warning signs of predators…”

tighnari really hated when he was interrupted. 

“i’m confident in my ability to spot danger before it becomes a problem.”

especially by know-it-alls who were overstepping in his domain.

the student continued on unware of the growing dangers, “i’ve brought a few of my manuscripts with me if you’d like to browse some of my speculations and hypotheses…”

tighnari's brow twitched as the student droned on. for someone who boasted about extensive research on understanding predators he was rather obvious to the one standing before him. the same couldn't be said about his colleagues who were carefully edging back. 

“if i could just get a few samples—”

the student had sense enough to notice as the plant scholar suddenly flinched, hand coming up to grasp the wrist of the hand threatening to touch the tip of his ear. it was the first time since opening his mouth that he’d taken into account the strained curl to the lips of the botany researcher. 

his gaze then flickered to the more relaxed, if not slightly sheepish smile of the forest ranger behind. they seemed otherwise unconcerned despite the death grip they'd been trapped in for … attempting to touch master tighnari’s ears?

the student felt a shudder wrack his body as the fox’s grimace smoothed into … something that he would one day recognize as a reckoning he’d be fortunate to survive in years to come. 

“apologies, you’ll have to excuse me. it appears one of my rangers feels well enough to venture off their bed rest and is due for some new assignments.” with that, the lead ranger looped the still trapped limb over his shoulder before assisting the injured ranger back up the canopy. 

“you can give your manuscripts to my trainee, collei.”

the green hair trainee in question waved timidly, unsure of how she got in this position but willing to help.” hello, im forest ranger trainee collei. please let me assist you safely out of the forest.”

|5|

“it’s master tighnari!”

believe it or not, forest rangers did get off days. while it was still heavily frowned on to use that time to exploit certain privileges to free roam the forest, there were other activities that some could get up to. 

some would use the opportunity to travel to the city or port for the market or to visit family.

others utilised their freedom to work on personal research. 

then there was tighnari who used the opportunity to research the local flora … via oral experimentation. 

your small project had been tossed aside in favor of darting out of your bungalow at the cry of fright from the green haired girl. it wasn’t the first time you’d witnessed tighnari taking his passion … to the next level. that time, curiosity had thrown him into a rather long slumber that he’d conveniently woken up from after a gratuitous amount of panicking on collie’s part and just in time for you to return with the rescue aid party. 

it was safe to say that was not the last occassion, and tighari had treated you both to several lunches to make up for the scares. 

but it wasn’t often that he was brought back to the village in a state. more often than not the ailments resolved in the time it took someone to find him or simply shaken off with no concern. 

it was enough to have you barreling unannounced through the head ranger’s door with apprehension. firm but fraying hands caught you as you stumbled through, righting your body before you could embarrass yourself. 

“don’t worry, tighnari is fine. it’s a harmless reaction to one of the fungi he consumed.”

umm brought her hands to a comfortable leisure behind her back as you peered over her shoulder. 

tighnari was lain out across his bed. it looked as though he had been tucked away intentionally, but the man had fought away the sheets in a fit. there was a light coat of perspiration doting his forehead and his skin had taken on a rosy flush. it hardly looked harmless. you’d never seen the lead forest watcher look so … unravelled. 

when was he going to learn to stop experimenting so freely?

umm gave a passing pat to your shoulder,“with a bit of rest he’ll be just fine.”

you had hoped as much but it eased some of your worries to see him at least home safe. though his predicament still tested your resolve. you would distract yourself for the time being concocting your own chiding speech. seriously, someone needed to hold him accountable. as it seemed, you were the only one daring enough to challenge the fox. 

heavily a relieved sigh, you turned to leave. collie would likely need a second dose of comfort now that you’d taken your own inventory of the indisposed ranger. umm, bless her soul, wasn’t a very convincing source of comfort. having collie help prepare your speech would do some good for her as well.

“wait, don’t go yet.”

you stiffed at the unexpected plea. the voice behind you sounded a bit stronger than it should be in this predicament, more like the fox you recognized. umm hadn’t left you with any instructions, but it was safe to assume he was meant to rest as not to rile up his heart rate anymore. something you were very good at doing.

you liked to think that the two of you were on agreeable terms thus far. you’d been a textbook ranger over the last few weeks. not testing the limits of your privileges or boundaries. it allowed for the two of you to have some nice conversations. though you doubted anything very articulate would come from his mouth right now. 

it was unfair, how adorable he looked with mussed hair, heavy eyes and creased clothes. umm had taken responsibility to rid him of the more decorative parts of his uniform, leaving him in a simple shirt and pants. the said shirt appeared to have been tugged open, revealing the lean muscles of his chest and abdomen. 

that was decidedly leaning away from cute, as you tore your gaze away and scolded yourself. 

“you should really lay back down, tighnari, i need you to be yourself when i deliver your scolding later.”

“tigh.”

“huh?”

you were shaken out of your stupor when he stood, concern triggering your fight reaction as you quickly huddled him back onto the bed before he fell. he allowed you to do so, however when he glanced up at you his olive eyes showed annoyance.

“i prefer when you refer to me as tigh.”

your mouth open and closed silently at the admission. you could never recall tighnari outright scolding you for the curtail of his name. you used it so sparingly, and only ever in the comfort of just yourselves or collei. 

he never really showed any emotion other than surprise the first time he’d realised what you said. you never assumed he’d catalogued the occurrences to feel any ownership over the name.

you fidgeted under the scrutinised of the fox, unsure of how to proceed from there. it was obvious that he was still mildly effective if the rose of his skin was anything to go by. but there was undeniable clarity cutting through the fog in his eyes. it was enough of a relief to have your shoulders sagging slightly. 

if it got him to comply and rest through the remainder of the effects, you could concede. 

“okay, … tigh. please stop eating flora so carelessly.”

it wasn’t your intention to start the chastising prematurely, but if he wanted you to talk, you’d do so. you weren’t sure what all of this he would recall, but you hoped the echoing nag of your voice would hover like a hangover next time he considered experimenting alone. you knew he only tested things with vague assumptions, just enough to ensure that he wouldn’t perish on sight. but it was still close enough calls for you to worry. 

you thought nothing of the way he snared your hands, too used to having them detained in pursuit of your goal. maybe another time you would be the one to catalogue just how frequently the two of you help hands. certainly enough to suffer from desensita-

your speech cut off with a choke as the fox brought one of your hands to the crown of his head. it was the closest you’d ever gotten to your prize, just a simple flex of your fingers and it would be yours. 

and he was just allowing it. 

“um, tigh…?”

you swallowed as his hold slid to your wrist, thumb caressing the inside. 

“it’s what you want, right?” unintentionally your finger flexed under the strain of resisting, just the casual brush against the ear causing the body to shudder. tighnari managed an even breath through his nose, but you suspected his heart was creating as much of a racket as yours was. “ i want you to. i don’t mind if it’s you.”

you sucked in a sharp breath at the omission.

it took strength that you didn't think you had, and stupidity you’d likely reflect on later that night as you regrettably pulled your hand away. firmly not thinking at all about the soft whine that left the fox’s lips at the action. 

your smile was wobbly, frail under the weight of emotions teetering at the edge. you gave his bicep a comforting squeeze before you urged him to lay back in bed. thankfully he didn’t put up much of a fight as you tucked him in. 

his lashes fluttered closed against the cool caress of his cheek.

“next time, promise.”

between one breath and the next, he fell asleep.

|+1|

tighnari woke to a low hanging sun and a heavy head. despite the warnings he opened his eyes, then immediately shut them. though blurry and out of sequence, the master ranger was able to piece together the majority of his last coherency. 

he’d been experimenting with the effects of the moonshade mushrooms. there had been reports of unaware travellers losing consciousness in the middle of the forest and waking in a fevered state. naturally, he’d taken it upon himself to test the outcome in order to properly assign warning labels in his next publication. 

the initial bout of slumber had been brief, broken by a wave of nausea and the sensation of his body overheating itself. he then recalled umm stripping away his uniform in order to help him cool down.

and then there was you.

he remembered the sound of your concern and the inkling of berating though he couldn't exactly call back the wording. he was sure to get an encore either way; well deserved. 

there was a gaping absence in his recollection, but the sensation of your hand settled between the space of his ears hadn’t escaped him. when had he gotten bold enough to daringly reach out like that? sure you’d done the same on multiple occasions but it had been in pursuit of a singular goal while he—

tighnari stared at the leaf drawn entrance of his chamber, face burning. 

but surely that could not have all occurred before noon. 

“oh good you’re awake. that mushroom managed to down even you for a full day. it's certainly something to be aware of.”

the elderly woman peered briefly through the cut of the door before granting herself entrance. tighnari sat obediently still as she flittered over his vital signs, ensuring his temperature and heart rate were within agreeable boundaries. 

she scribbled the notes like clockwork into the parchment on his desk. while his methods weren’t often agreed upon, umm saw the value in the repercussions. her diligence had help assist in multiple breakthroughs. tighnari would be sure to deliver a nice basket of her favourite tree sap candies once he was back in working order. 

amir would have certainly taken initiative to oversee assignments for the day. he would certainly owe collei a visit as well to assure her fears. he vaguely remembered her putting up a fuss when he’d been carried in, shortly before she’d been directed out leading to her alerting you. 

tighnari’s cheeks grew hot again. he refused to acknowledge the rising blush even as umm chuckled quietly while gathering up her kit. instead, he kept his eyes on the entrance as he pinned his sashes in place and equipped his vision. 

it wasn’t as if the two of you weren’t already rather close. it was safe to say he gave you more allowances than most. sure, your futile attempts to touch his ears could be frustrating at times, but more so because of the opportunities you took than the actual actions. 

despite popular belief, tighnari didn’t truly hold his ears in that high regard. it was more out of proprietary that he shied away from strangers acting out of curiosity. to be honest, he really wouldn’t mind too much if a ranger asked to pet them. but it seems as if their own misconceptions had fed into the unspoken rule that his fox-like features were out of the question. 

except for you. 

over time, the two of you managed to lapse into a comfortable game of cat and mouse. tighnari knew if he’d shown any true signs of anger you would have backed away from the start. but his tolerance had permitted you to try again and again. 

so what if the occasional punishments he placed on you deterred the others, it never snuffed your fire and that was all that mattered to him. 

it was only natural that over time constant exposure would ignite his own interest. he could recall with vivid memory the way it felt to have you pressed against his back that time in the forest when you attempted to claim your prize in the middle of his lecture. he’d made you wait there while he finished the lesson, all the while relishing in the heat permitted his back. 

had it been just the two of you, he would have let you. 

yet when he finally caved and gave you the permission you'd been seeking all this time, you’d backed out. 

‘next time’ you’d promised. 

“if you’re done laminating, once you've finished eating you can go find them. i  believe i saw them returning not long before i came here.”

umm didn’t wait for a response as she saw herself out, her amusement audible even as she descended the ramp to her own domain. 

tighnari didn’t rush the act as he finished his meal and the provided water. once he finished, his lips turned at the dimming sunlight. his schedule was all but thrown out the window for the day, though he doubted anyone expected him to contribute much. still it stung his consciousness as a leader to leave his subordinates hanging , even if they were all self-sufficient adults. at least the headache had disappeared with proper nourishment. there would be time to salvage his routine later.

the sun was positioned late in the afternoon, but the dim light still irritated his eyes. he blinked through the sting as he welcomed the sight of the quaint village operating adequately in his absence. 

he returned any passing waves and gave brief responses to their questions. for the most part everyone seemed confident that he’d make a full recovery, though he still harboured the guilt of worrying them. 

brow pinched, he waved nasrin closer. “have you seen collei?”

the purse of her mouth didn’t spell anything good. tighnari hoped her illness had not acted up in his absence. “she had trouble sleeping last night so someone swapped patrols with her. she just set off not too long ago.”

the girl sometimes had trouble sleeping when plagued with anxiousness. tighnari settled that he would confront her upon her return, for now he had one more stop. he had a feeling he knew who offered to adjust their schedule to accommodate the girl.

he found your bungalow with practised ease, delivering a single knock before you offered entrance. he found you seated at your desk, no doubt detailing the report of your finding before submission. it was a relief to see that you took a break from your typical mischievousness to conduct a seemingly uniform patrol while he was indisposed. 

“i don't suppose you came across any new interesting flora on your patrols?”

tighnari watched as your shoulders stiffened at the unexpected sound of his voice. your head whipped around, eyes assessing him carefully before you gave a timid, relieved smile. 

“i think we can all agree that you’ve had enough adventures for one week,” you noted with light scolding. 

grinning, tighnari cared little if his fangs showed, knowing you wouldn't find them threatening. your gaze followed him as he secured the leaves behind him before approaching your desk. he leaned comfortably against the wooden structure as he browsed the report. it had been routine indeed, not a single withering sighting. 

“are you sure you’re alright? you had me worried for a bit.”

tighnari’s brow rose,” only a bit?”

scoffing, you rolled your eyes,” it’s not the worst thing you’ve eaten but seeing you down for so long was concerning. collei will be relieved to see you back on your feet.”

tighnari braceed his palm against the dest and leaned into the posture,“and you?”

“i owe you a scolding. you always get onto me about being aware and careful of my surroundings. yet here you go testing unknown fungi alone in the forest. at least bring it back before you test it out so we can be there if you need us.”

tighnari waited for you to finish, eyes shining with thinly veiled amusement. you seemed to recognize it as well, huffing as you realised your scolding didn't have as much weight as the seasoned scholar. 

unable to resist, the fox reached out to run is fingers along the side of your face before letting them rest against your shoulder. he watched as your chest expanded to take in the small gasp of surprise. it was a rare moment for him to initiate contact like this, especially given the recent occurrence only yesterday. while his recollection was misty, yours was clear as day. 

“i think you owe me something else too.”

tighnari watched your reactions carefully, from the flutter of your lashes to the rapid thrum of your heart beat against the pulse under your jaw. he never shied away from a discovery the promise of a satisfying understanding driving him from one revelation to the next. 

admittedly, you’d been a gradual observation. the question at the tip of the scale all this time while he’d unknowingly researched you thoroughly with each new interaction. day and day again, you prompted him with new variables both under his control and not. it was only today that he managed to form a working hypothesis. a hesitant theory that he knew would shift everything.

tighnari watched with growing fascination as the initial shock meddling into purposefulness as your hand came into view. impatient, he couldn't resist ducking his hand to meet you halfway. the first careful touch was equally inquisitive and hesitant. each time in the past, your hand had darted out with such certainty. yet now with it all willing at your fingertips, you allowed yourself the time to explore.

he hadn’t realised his head had come to rest against your collar bone until he felt the rumbled of your laughter. you didn’t simply just touch his ears, you caressed the length form the widest part to the tip. your fingertips tickled the tufts of fluff at the base. and the light scratched you delivered against the firm cartilage had him all but melting into your hold. the burst of new stimuli tickled his nerves and left pleasant sensations.

later he would analyse the data but he was already certain about his conclusion. 

your words mussed the top of his head as you spoke, humour bleeding into your intrigue. “can’t believe it took you a year to crack, tigh.”

tighnari sagged further at the uttering of the name. you flinched, not expecting the words of response to be mumbled into your skin. gratefully, it didn't cause you to pause.

“what was that?”

your touch slid from his ears to the curve of his jaw as his head rose to meet your gaze. 

“i actually had two hypotheses I wanted to test.”

though he didn't speak more than that, he could tell you were well aware of the implications. your lips parted to respond, but no words could pass the lump in your throat. tighnari tested the waters, leaning closer enough to brush the tup of his nose against yours. when you didn't pull away, he leaned down and pressed your lips together, firmly but briefly. as he breathed in deeply,  the smell of lush forestry, sweet flora and you invaded his scenes. the scent of familiarity minding with the aroma of what he called home was intoxicating. 

your eyes shone bright with mischief as tighnari pulled away, no doubt observing the rosy hue spreading across his face. 

“i think we need to experiment a little more before we can come to a confident conclusion.”

tighnari leaned back in and nuzzled you affectionately. 

“i agree.’’

tagging upon request: @lott-the-otter @uhohitsemmy

Yandere Profile - Tighnari

We have three canine boys now (Razor counts in spirit, it’s what he would want) and I love them so much. I love otherwise sweet boys unable to fully control themselves due to instincts and hormones overriding their rationality, I love boys obsessed with their mate, I love boys who have little quirks due to animal aspects of their character. I cannot stress this enough.

//yandere/noncon, breeding/impreg (and consequentially implied fem darling for some of the nsfw sections), drugging, homicide, knotting

 ————-

Severity Scale

Intelligence/Perceptiveness: 7.5

Brutality: 4

Physical capability: 5

Mental/emotional instability: 2

Restrictiveness: 7

Sexual sadism: 3

Stubbornness: 6

What are they generally like? Lucid, aware? Obsessive? How do they behave?

When it comes to obsessiveness, his is a very quiet form of it. He doesn’t show a lot of outward signs of it, isn’t particularly pushy and obnoxious or even talkative. As a result, you won’t really notice anything “off,” at first. He addresses you the same way he does everyone, treats you the same, albeit perhaps a bit less harsh when chastising you or correcting you over your mistakes. If you’re particularly perceptive, you may notice his eyes linger on you a bit too long, or that you sometimes have the sensation of being watched when you think you’re alone, but it’s easy to dismiss as nothing.

That being said, you are being watched. He is the stalker type, although he doesn’t really think of it that way, not at first. He just thinks of it as concern for your safety. His mind immediately comes up with reasons – you drop things a lot, you’re clumsy, forgetful, you haven’t fully been trained yet, so on and so on, he can immediately come up with a reason as to why said stalking is justified.

In terms of delusion versus lucidity, he’s somewhere in the middle, and his state of mind in regards to that can be fluid and changing with time. For the most part, he’s essentially in a sort of blissful lack of awareness until something causes him to come to a sudden realization.

He knows he has strong feelings, and is maybe a bit concerned that he’s growing too attached, but he doesn’t sense the gradual decline itself, he’s just a bit short of being in-tune with his self-awareness enough to realize he’s reaching a point where it’s abnormal. 

He only realizes it once he does something out of character for himself, once his feelings cause him to act out in a way that shocks even him, such as harming someone over a matter regarding you or being caught in his stalking you. At that point, he realizes something is wrong with himself, and begins to grow concerned… but he’s uncertain of how to “fix” himself, and doesn’t know what else to do. But he hates burdening others with his problems, and thus, well, it only gets worse.

He tries his best to reason with himself, and he now realizes it’s getting worse, but he finds himself giving into the urges. Following you around even though he told himself he has to stop doing so. Watching you through your window even though a part of him knows he shouldn’t. It’s just too hard to resist. Thus, even though he tries not to, he succumbs to his urges and impulses, only now he has a sense of guilt and concern the entire time, which only gets worse in the aftermath, once he’s reflecting on his earlier actions. 

However, his biggest mistake is that, initially at least, he thinks he has a better control over himself than he actually does. He thinks that while yes, his actions are a bit obsessive, and yes, it’s getting progressively more so, that he will be able to stop when he needs to. He thinks he’ll be able to recognize once he reaches the point that he needs to really do something about it, surely.

He also does take a while to understand the nature of his feelings, he’s just not used to it. He starts finding himself drifting off into certain types of daydream fantasies, however, and upon snapping out of them (and getting over the embarrassment that brings), he doesn’t try to convince himself otherwise. That’s just natural, is it not? Most living creatures have the capacity for such emotions. He doesn’t have a very difficult time accepting it, doesn’t lie to himself that he feels otherwise. That being said, although he tries to ignore it, there is of course a natural, somewhat embarrassing sense of fear and vulnerability, as he has no way of knowing how you feel about him. He feels childish for having such a worry, for spending what has now become extensive amounts of time fretting over the matter, gauging every little action you take and everything you say to him and all your facial expressions by the likelihood that they indicate positive feelings towards him. He sighs often, burying his face in his hands when he thinks about the matter.

He’s incredibly protective by nature, too. He’s always looking out for others, particularly those he cares for. Which is why he’s highly likely to fall for someone that he sees as vulnerable, at risk. One scenario in particular would be someone unfamiliar with the local area.

Of course, it’s not your fault you were tasked with coming here, for whatever reason or another. You can’t be expected to know how to get around, or what kind of dangers there are, no one warned you… nonetheless, as it turns out, you were severely underprepared. You didn’t realize that traversing the rainforest would mean a significant delay, and extended traveling time, thus running out of food and water quickly, becoming exhausted and dehydrated, and more importantly, lost. You end up getting hurt, too, injuring yourself by tripping and falling due to the uneven ground, rendering you unable to move very far, collapsing instead at a safe spot at the base of a tree.

And you were just starting to really panic, ask yourself what you’re going to do, when suddenly it’s no longer an issue. So nice of this country to have people dedicated to helping people in predicaments such as this, isn’t it?

You’re embarrassed and sheepish about the whole thing, but he seems genuinely concerned and helpful. You almost feel guilty for the fact that he’s taking the time to help you like this. Of course, you can sense a bit of irritation from him as he lectures you on how foolish you were being, but you can tell he’s a caring, good person. He offers to take you to go get treated, even.

Oh, you’re eventually headed in the complete opposite direction? Then, it wouldn’t be good to put you even further away and leave you to find your way back through more forest that you would’ve eventually been through… hmm. Well, you only have a few scrapes and a sprained ankle. He can extend you some kindness, let you stay with him. It’ll only take a few days before you’re back to normal. How generous, right? Well, he doesn’t think much of it, he’s just doing what feels right. And that’s just as much of a fault on his part as it is a charitable act, seeing as how it will turn out once he’s attached…

Keep reading

giggles. . . tighnari likes being close to u when he fucks you and he subconsciously wraps his tail around u to keep u close. he's also 100% down with outdoors sex in the middle of the rainforest. generally a v soft man

*twirls around* he's adorable ty for indulging me de <3

warnings: f! reader, outdoor sex, soft tiggy, creampie; 0.5k wc.

He reeks of desperation in the way he tugs you closer to himself, “you're so warm.” he breathes, lips chasing yours as you try to sneak in a lungful of oxygen.

It's true, your skin feels like it's on fire and it only spreads like gasoline with each touch of his. The added thrill of being out in the rainforest like this just sets all your nerves alight, “so are you.”

smiling at your giggle, he wraps his tail around your waist, the soft green fur of it a welcoming gesture against your bare skin, “what if someone catches us like this?”

Tighnari slants his hips into yours and your mouth falls open in a breathless moan, “hm, then they'll know that you're mine.”

he says it so casually that you're hitting his shoulder playfully, “kidding!” a laugh falls from his lips, “who would ever come to the middle of a rainforest?”

He doesn't allow you a moment to ponder though, cock pushing past your tight walls and rendering your brain numb, “s'tight— ah, you're...”

he's stumbling upon his words as his cock throbs inside your clenching pussy, “you're gonna make me cum too soon if you keep squeezing me like that,”

his hand weaves into yours, fingers intertwined as he whispers against your lips, “relax baby.” and he hears you gasp for air as you try to follow his suggestion.

But as soon as he thrusts into you, your cunt is clamping down on his throbbing cock with both your groans filling the air around,

“you close?” you're nodding at his question, perhaps too eagerly, “yeah,”

“good,” and his voice is shaky now, his ears twitching as he heaves above you, hips rutting into yours in a frenzy— like he couldn't get enough of you, “gonna cum for me, darling?”

“yes, tighnari— fuck,” your voice breaks off into a loud moan as you gush around his cock. Tighnari follows close, teeth sinking in your neck as he fills you up with his cum seeping down your trembling thighs,

“for research purposes,” he chuckles, out of breath from the intensity of the orgasm, “we should do this more often.”

© munsonsins. do not steal / copy / translate / recommend on tiktok or any other platforms.

ur on to smth 👀

please consider; tighnari having nesting behaviour. he cannot help but want to be somewhere … comfortable. safe. somewhere that smells good. consider, too, this behaviour getting even worse as his rut approaches - because of course he needs to have somewhere exceedingly soft and private to pin you beneath him and breed you and get out all of that needy energy–

but also consider: you and he are not yet in a relationship, and though he can feel the grip of his ‘sensible’ nature loosening, he is above all a Nice Young Man. as much as he may want to, he can’t simply drag you away for the duration of his rut and have his way with you. 

now. his ears are sensitive; so is his nose. and the smell of you, the scent of you wafting over towards him when you lean in to give him a report of your patrol or shyly sit beside him or ask him a question … it’s almost enough to push him over the edge. so what if he kept the cardigan you’d once shrugged off, complaining it was too hot (and then complaining you could never find it again). so what if he kept a towel you used to dry off after accidentally falling into the ravine when searching for lunar lotus for him - the laundry haven’t noticed it’s gone missing. it’s just one towel, rangers go through so many of them …

and so what, too, if one day whilst you’re out he slips into your little tent. so what if he reaches into your laundry basket and takes a few … mementos. buries his face into them, tail swishing from side to side in pleasure, ears twitching. you’ll be too embarrassed to mention it–

and it’s fine, too, if he spends his rut with one pressed against his face and the other wrapped around his cock whilst he imagines he’s fucking into you instead of his own fist, face flushed, eyes squeezed closed, his high-pitched whining caught by the fabric that still smells like you. nobody has to know.