#also cynonari is so much better to me

[zhonglissummeroutfit]

[harmoniouseclipse]

Woe fankids be upon ye

Doing a little series where I took some ship requests on my instagram to make them fankids, this one is for me tho (jeanlisa to kick it off whoo 🙌🏻) The lineup so far is Cytham, Kavetham, Lionfish (aka Freminet x Gaming aged up probably idk how old they are canonically), Cynonari, Jealuc, and Beiguang, and feel free to send me some other pairings you wanna see (as long as they are legal pls otherwise I will ignore it 👎)

I'm gonna ramble about some headcanons and lore for them under the cut, continue with caution bc I'm insane

These two are my brainrot rn, don't even joke lad. And I wanna tell yall their name meanings too bc I like them a lot 🥹 Zephra's means "west wind" derived from Greek, and it's the feminine version of Zephyr. Tyrian was a type of purple dye used by the Ancient Phoenicians, huge huge HUGE thanks to my pookie bear @miothefish for helping me out with his name!!! Also he has Lisa's butterfly earring and you can't see bc of the angle but Zephra has the rose that went in her hair holding her ponytail <3

I'm also making a massive family tree for the characters as a go along, and just the jeanlisa tree is taking up half of the canvas bc of the KoF and Sumeru characters since Cyno is their uncle and the rest of the gang are their honorary uncles 😭 I'll be posting that once the series is done/all the requests are finished/I run out of ships and otps I enjoy

Here's an alternative version with some more info on most of the characters I wanted to briefly mention in their relation to them; Tyrian likes calling Eula his aunt too even though she was never really considered one for them so it's kind of like her unofficial title she pretends to dislike but she loves it and dotes on Tyrian 🤭 She and Diluc also helped train Zephra with a claymore and Diluc kind of became a parental figure to her in her teen years after Lisa's passing 🥺 She also feels like she's outshined by Jean and that she's not smart or powerful enough to follow in Lisa's footsteps (something that Lisa wouldn't want anyways bc it led her to her death 😔) rip zephra she's just like me fr

And yeah some Kaeya angst bc he's still going thru it I fear, and Jean is single mombossing but she's worried for zephra which me too dawg, im afraid to say she might be cooked 😦 Zephra is also kind of like a weird mix of Lisa when she was her age and Jean, where overall she's well-mannered and kind but she can be competitive and feel the need to push herself too much and pull a few strings to get what she wants from time to time. Tyrian is a ray of sunshine tho, he has not yet witnessed the horrors 💔 I do think that Jean is also a lot easier on him than her mom was with her so that also helps. He's very shy tho and wants to stick with Zephra or Razor most of the time, and they both have some nasty tan lines from going out with Razor and Klee and Fischl a lot 😔 Cyno also freaking loves them and dotes on them and Tyrian is getting a TCG addiction because of it smh, Cyno is also one of Zephra's favorite people and when she's in Sumeru she stays with him and Alhaitham (bc in my universe they are married ough I love cytham)

And (I think?) Klee physically and mentally ages slower than humans so I think she'd be technically 9 or 10, and Zephra is left with babysitting duty most of the time if she's home on break or smth 😭 Klee really looks up to her tho

Also, I wrote Tyrian's last bullet point like he was super young when Lisa died, but I think he was around 7 so he actually remembers Lisa better than I intended it to sound, he was just younger than Zephra (who was 11 at the time) and just didn't have as much time with her as Zeph did, but his most fond memory of Lisa was reading with her and she probably taught them some potion-making skills too.

I think there will be some abyss angst in here too at some point, since I hc Lisa to be probably an Abyss Lector/Harold (I forget which is which) um so thinking that Zeph and Tyrian experiencing some not normal things happening and Jean doesn't know what to do since Lisa also didn't really know what that dog in her was until it was too late 😔 That's what Kaeya's for tho since he's like the heir of the abyss???? Go off king. Also some touchy ragbros angst bc Kaeya is scared for Zeph knowing how close she is with Luc and he doesn't want him to push her away because of her being from the abyss or smth (they mostly made up but it's still a fear in Kaeya's mind both for him and Jean's kids)

I think that's all I wanted to touch on for now?? Mainly just thinking about domestic fluff and angst all the time now 🥺 Zeph not being able to be open with Jean bc she feels like a disappointment but Jean would literally actually die for her and shes proud of her no matter what ough im going to lose my freak dawg guess who my favorite fankid is it's super hard ik

Send me asks or dms or whatever for more ship requests!!! I'm having so much fun with this dawg 🫶🏻

[washymylifeaway]

hi rye how have you been spending your time LET ME TELL YOU.

kavetham? haikaveh? idk idc but them..

for starters i just want to put out there that if kavetham is my sakuatsu then cynonari is the sunaosa because i love them and if the bestie agenda isn't alive between at least one pair in the four i get so sad. anyways kavetham has taken over my ao3 and it's so bad LOL. this is mostly for me because i like having consolidated lists of fics i've read to go back to but i'll be kind and give the tumblrinas (?) a little taste too. anyways list under the cut also don't follow me for genshin i'm not a genshin girlie (famous last words)

pre warning, i think it goes without saying that there's like alcohol mentioned in like almost every single fic.. kaveh is (apparently but what would i know) not the healthiest when it comes to coping habits so .. forgive him..

check the warnings and the tags before you read!

truck, barter, and trade by Seungshi03 (T) 20.7k // when i tell you if you're going to read one fic on this list it should be this one. the humor. the plot. the kid. this needs to be framed and immortalized. they're so stupid they're so silly THEY'RE SO IN LOVE

rumors, fame, and reputation by rysarium (T) 27k // THIS. READ IT PLEASE. it's so so funny and very entertaining. you go from loving them to wanting to punch them so bad to loving them again. i will say i thought it was so unfair for kaveh to get the movie wrong because technically he heard it from source so what there was an interview 1034209384 years ago let al-haitham lie in peace (ALSO CYNO IM YOUR BIGGEST FAN YOURE SO FUNNY KING SPEAK YOUR TRUTH)

The Fall, the Rise, and Everything In-between by writingrosez (T) 22.9k // i really did dread the divorce arc in this one i knew it was coming but i really was hoping it wouldn't but it happened (when i say i verbally said NO so many times while reading this LMFAO embarrassing.. i'd do it again...) also poor lumine LMFAO

if i wake up and you're still here by alcyonenight (M) 8.4k // no because why did this fic literally have me punching my screen (completely real) while i was reading it. they both are so silly and dear to me (said in tears) but i love the hanahaki trope so bad and this was *chefs kiss*

burn up, burn out by alcyonenight (T) 8.6k AND pockets full of stones by alcyonenight (T) 11.6k // ELEAZAR AU!!! baby's first eleazar fic and it ruined her. miserably. i loved both of these so much, wonderful reads truly (they both made me so sad)

get on your nerves (to get your attention) by acynthe (M) 3.9k // what better way to get to know a character than by reading him pine over one person for way too long? right? anyways this fic really set me up into understanding that haikaveh = watching ice melt in the arctic during winter..

Work engagement by gwendee (G) 3.6k // silly little boys in their silly little parties with their silly little plans.. the line that stuck with me was bringing their love to new heights because cyno was right.. it was funny..

and yet by luminvies (G) 11.8k // this fic was so poetic and eloquent to me it was a wonderful read and kaveh is so silly girlie pop in it HAHA. but really, it was a wonderful read and i loved how fleshed out kaveh felt despite this being written before he was released LMFAO

In a Language He Understands by Maeyari (G) 13.2k // this was so funny and Kaveh becoming a homewrecker is so insane whaat (totally not fake and not clickbait) that aside, it was a very light hearted read and i enjoyed it very much

what are we by lionkeychain (T) 5.1k // if i had to re route you to Kaveh being the silliest dude alive it's this one right here. i would send you here. he is so . i am so . about him. AHHHHHHHHHH. anyways, he's just a dude with a lot of love ykwim?

inertia by smallghosts (T) 3.6k // i think it's funny how al-haitham plays fetch with Kaveh in like 85% of fics (this one included) anyways the summary was so funny i just had to read it and in context it's even funnier to me. Kaveh you're so funny ily king ('being in love with you is gross.' me: HELPDKLNLEEE?GLD>SD>? literal definition of boom roasted).

first love, worst love by caniculeo (M) 11.6k // babe wake up. the circus is back in town. babe go back to sleep. the girlies broke up.. again.. anyways. had to take a laugh break when al-haitham hit on nilou. literally put my device down and had to catch my breath. then when kaveh pointed behind al-haitham. oh god. ALSO highly recommend the second fic in the series with cynonari. cyno i love u my funny king.

Burgeon by gloomyparfait (T) 8.2k // another hanahaki fic rye? really? YES. please i love irrationality. they're so chewable in this fic i love them dearly. i need to blend them. mince them up like beef tartare.

okay this is not an extensive list (def missed some good ones i've read) and i have more i want to consume (!!!) but i haven't gotten around to some of the longer ones just cause my attention span is bad these days. i'm very excited for some of my future reads and so perhaps there will be a part two because i am down in the trenches right now. regardless, i hope you enjoyed this list and now it's time for me to disappear again. bye bye

also if you've written a fic on this list and you would prefer for it to not be on this list/on tumblr, just lmk and i'd be more than happy to remove you!

[dutifullyshamelessearthquake]

I find it interesting how I prioritise which characters to make the main focus of my fics, with very little rhyme and reason to it. (I've been stuck at work for hours with nothing to do but think so. bear with my random thoughts.)

Like when it comes to Kazugorou and Cynonari, both characters tend to get equal treatment! I've written a lot of sick Kazuha and caretaker Gorou, as well as a ton of sick Gorou with caretaker Kazuha. Similarly, I write a lot of sick Cyno, but I don't skimp on sick Tighnari. All in all kind of equal!

When it comes to the other two couples I write a lot about, it's somehow just worked out that. 90% of the time poor Aether is suffering. I have one sick Albedo fic and he's not even sick sick in that one! This is very unintentional and just something that's happened. I love Albedo just as much as I love Aether!

The same has happened with Lyneylumi, though I do understand it better there, because I'm generally just more comfortable writing the boys than the girls - so obviously I've yet to torment poor Lumine (It's coming though, I have one lined up for Novemetober!)

It kind of makes me want to play into it. Does Lumine and Albedo have insane luck, or just ridiculous immune systems? Albedo especially I can see being fun writing as a character who just. Doesn't get sick. So when he does get sick he's very clueless about what to expect.

It also makes me wonder if, when I start to write them, Haikaveh would fall into this pattern. Perhaps not since I'm aware of it now, but yeah.

Anyway, that concludes this session of Earthquake mindlessly rambling

[pocket-luv101]

Desert Expedition

Fandom: Genshin Impact Ship: CynoNari

Summary: Tighnari invites Cyno to go on an expedition with him and his father.

“Cyno, will you be busy two weeks from now?” Tighnari asked during their patrol through the rainforest. While Cyno had the afternoon free, Tighnari needed to complete his Forest Watcher duties. Cyno decided to join him so they could spend time together. It was rare that their schedules aligned so they needed to carve out time together. “I have a favour to ask you but you can say no. The Matra has been overworked ever since Nahida was rescued. My last request of you also led to a lot of trouble.”

Tighnari chuckled to hide the guilt he felt. When he asked Cyno to investigate the sages and find his old master, he didn’t expect the situation to become so dangerous. After the whole ordeal, he wished they could relax in his hut and share a meal. They were finally able to spend time together but it wasn’t enough for Tighnari. He wondered if he was being greedy to want so much of Cyno’s time.

“You can ask me anything.” Cyno agreed even before he heard Tighnari’s request. Someone as prideful and independent as Tighnari wouldn’t ask for help unless he felt that it was something he couldn’t accomplish himself. Even now, he could hear that Tighnari was reluctant to tell him. They trusted each other after spending years together but Cyno wished that he would lean on him more. He watched him in the corner of his eyes and thought of how he would do anything for him.

“My father is going to the desert and collecting scarabs for his research. The tension between the rainforest and desert is slowly being resolved but I’m still worried about him going on an expedition. He reassured me that he’ll hire mercenaries to escort him. I’ll feel better if the person helping him was someone I knew and trusted. The first person that came to mind was you.”

“Because I’m from the desert?”

“Because you’re my best friend.”

The trust in Tighnari’s voice made Cyno surprisingly happy and a rare smile appeared on his face. He told himself that he appreciated how Tighnari recognized him for more than his strength. Deep inside, he knew that there was another reason his words made him happy. Cyno was in love with Tighnari. He didn’t know how to confess to Tighnari when admitting those feelings to himself was difficult.

Tighnari continued. “Your strength isn’t the only reason you would be a good guide for him. You studied at the Akademiya and you’re familiar with scholars as the General Mahamatra so you can reason with my father. He can get carried away when researching insects and he’ll run blindly into a tomb. He can be a lot of trouble but I’ll make it up to you once you return.”

“Okay, I’ll take your father through the desert. My current investigation will be completed soon and I’ll tell Shohre to cover my next case.” Cyno would’ve agreed no matter his busy schedule. He knew how Tighnari adored his parents and he didn’t want anything to happen to him. If someone was important to him, Cyno would protect them. Tighnari offered him a reward but he only needed to see him smile.

“Thank you, Cyno. I know it’s difficult for you to take breaks from your job. Those sages give you the work of three people. Your job is important to you but you need to think of your health. If it becomes too much for you, tell me and I’ll speak with my old master to stop bothering you.” He told him. Cyno could easily imagine Tighnari lecturing the new sages and it made him chuckle.

Tighnari stopped walking and he lightly tapped the furrows between Cyno’s brows. “Are you listening to me, Cyno? You shouldn’t laugh when I’m voicing my worry. As punishment, you have to return to my hut and go to sleep at a reasonable time for once. I’ll make dinner and tell you about my father’s research. No matter who he meets, he will quiz them about insects. It’s his way of starting a conversation.”

He told Cyno stories of when his father would take him on expeditions through the rainforest to search for bugs. Despite the small complaints and sighs in Tighnari’s story, it was clear that they were a close family. He finished telling him about how he begged his father to take him to the desert and fainted. He expected Cyno to laugh but he was silent. While he was a man of few words, Tighnari could hear a deep sadness and regret in his voice.

Tighnari remembered that Cyno hadn’t been able to return to his family in the desert for the past few years. Even if the Matra gave him a vacation to visit his family, the journey was long and difficult. Cyno rarely talked about his life before the Akademiya but Tighnari knew that he must miss his family. Instead of poking his forehead again, he tenderly rubbed his thumb over his temple.

“My father likes Genius Invokation TCG. He’s terrible at the game so he might not be a challenge for you but it’s better than memorizing facts about bugs to talk with him. When he tries to quiz you about bugs, change the topic to card games.” Tighnari added to change the topic. “It’s getting late so we should return home before Collei starts to worry about us.”

“My beetle card! How could it be defeated in only one round?” Tighnari’s father, Malik, sorrowfully transferred the card from the field to the growing pile of defeated cards. Cyno had intended to use a weaker deck against Malik because Tighnari mentioned that he wasn’t a skilled TCG player like they were. To his surprise, his beginner deck was still able to sweep his opponent.

Cyno debated whether he should change his strategy for their next game. On one hand, he respected Malik and he wouldn’t purposely lose. Another part of Cyno worried that he might anger him and his father would tell Tighnari. His concerns were similar to meeting a lover’s father-in-law for the first time. He and Tighnari were only friends so he shouldn’t be as nervous as he was.

“When does a joke become a dad joke? When it becomes apparent.” Cyno said but Malik gave him the same confused expression most did.

“Tighnari wrote about you in our letters but I thought he was exaggerating how dry your puns are. I was waiting for you to explain it.” Malik smiled politely. “He insisted that I allow you to join our expedition. You would think it’s the old man who worries about their child, not the other way around. I agreed because he said you needed an excuse to take a break from work.”

Cyno’s hand paused over his deck. When Tighnari asked him to join the expedition, it was for his father’s sake. Malik appeared to believe the opposite. Tighnari wasn’t the type to lie without a reason so Cyno silently nodded in agreement and played along. A part of him was curious about the reasons behind the lie though. He drew another card and said, “I can give you a few tips and strategies for your deck.”

“I would be a master at this game if my colleagues weren’t so closed minded and played cards with me. How can I test my deck without an opponent?” Malik said loud enough for the scholars studying a few feet from them to hear. The expedition party quickly avoided his gaze and it was clear that they were intimidated by him.

“Now we know where Tighnari gets his feral traits.” Someone among the crowd muttered. Cyno’s eyes narrowed at the insult and he started to stand. Unexpectedly, Malik was the one to stop him and silently gestured for him to return to their card game. The older man had fennec traits and he must’ve heard the person as well.

“Ignore them. They’re lucky that my wife wasn’t here or else she would drag them back to Gandharva Ville to apologize to Tighnari directly. He inherited his fearless spirit from her.” He spoke of his family with pride and love. “I miss them when I have to leave the rainforest but researching scarabs is best done in their natural environment.”

Cyno understood the conflicting feelings Malik had with his job. The Matra required him to leave on long investigations and leave behind the person he loved. A peaceful life with Tighnari could only be a dream until Sumeru was safe from the reckless pursuit of Forbidden Knowledge.

“In Tighnari’s last letter, he asked for advice to help you on your journey. He doesn’t want you to be lonely on your adventures. I haven’t had the chance to write him back but I can give you advice directly now. You should carry a picture with you.” They were friends but Cyno hadn’t expected Tighnari to tell his father about him. Did Malik already have a bad opinion on him because of his bad jokes and dangerous job?

“You don’t have to worry about Tighnari when you’re on an expedition. I will protect him.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized that he was once again speaking to him as if he were his father-in-law.

“He told me that too. After seeing you fight, I’m more confident Tighnari was being truthful and not lying just so I won’t worry.” Malik took out his notebook where he had a photo of his wife and Tighnari pinned to the cover. “This is when Tighnari was six. Isn’t he adorable? He was a good natured kid but he got into trouble. He tried to fight this older kid for bullying his friend.”

Cyno wondered how he would react if he told him that Tighnari hadn’t changed. He only became braver throughout the years. Afterall, he faced a Fatui Harbinger. Malik continued to tell him stories from Tighnari’s childhood as they played.

The game was interrupted when they heard someone call. “Dad! Cyno!”

Cyno recognized the voice immediately but he thought he was mistaken at first. In the horizon, Tighnari ran towards their camp with Layla and Faruzan following him. He rose to his feet to greet him even though he was still trying to make sense of how he could be in the desert. Due to his fur, the desert heat was difficult for him.

Tighnari was out of breath when he reached them and he placed his hand on Cyno’s arm for balance. He saw the confusion on both of their faces and smirked. He held up his wrist to show them the square bracelets he wore.

“This is the device made by the Kshahrewar Darshan. It was designed to regulate one’s body but Faruzan and Layla helped mortify it to make a cold aura around me. With this, I can join your expedition through the desert. It’s not a perfect solution since I still need to wear thinner clothes underneath.” Tighnari said and lifted his black cloak. Cyno pulled himself out of his shock and realized that he was wearing his old cape from when he was a student.

“Welcome to our expedition party!” Malik patted his shoulder.

In contrast to how hot the desert was during the day, the nights were frigid. Tighnari wished that he had packed an extra set of clothes to wear after the sun set. He wrapped himself in Cyno’s old cloak but it barely provided him with warmth. He opened his eyes and saw Cyno sitting across the firepit from him. The thought of asking him to sleep beside him to share body heat crossed his mind.

“Are you having trouble sleeping?” Cyno asked and opened his eyes. He wasn’t surprised to see that he was still awake considering his personality. He rarely allowed himself to sleep deeply due to the fear that someone could attack them at night. His spear stood next to him where he could easily wield it if needed. The few times he was able to fully relax was when he stayed in Tighnari’s hut.

“I’m just a little cold.” Without a word, Cyno patted the ground beside him and signalled for him to share body heat. He crossed the fireplace so they were sitting next to each other. As he settled himself into a comfortable position, Cyno moved his spear so it wouldn’t accidentally stab him. Tighnari leaned against his arm and sighed contently.

“Warm?”

“Very.”

Cyno looked down at Tighnari and he was tempted to brush the green locks from his face. He clutched the black fabric in his hand to stop himself from moving. Tighnari felt the fabric move and he assumed that he was cold. He adjusted the cloak so that it blanketed both of them. “Thank you for agreeing to come on this expedition, Cyno. Did my father tell you any strange stories about my childhood.”

“Maybe one or two.” He teased and Tighnari lightly slapped his leg in retaliation. He didn’t mind and he only chuckled. Cyno glanced at his father and then leaned down to whisper into Tighnari’s ear. “There is one thing that I wanted to ask you about. Your father said you wanted me to go on this expedition because I need a vacation. You told me that it was for your father’s safety.”

“Honestly, it was for both reasons. You’ll be able to rest more with an easy escort mission and my father will be protected. I didn’t ask you to go as a trick.” Tighnari told him. “Are you angry that it ended up like that?”

“There’s nothing to be upset about when you have good intentions. It’s better than how you’ll lecture the Adventurers for their own good.” He said and Tighnari smiled. He began to respond to Cyno but a yawn interrupted him. The device on his wrist allowed him to travel to the desert but he wasn’t familiar with hiking over the rolling hills of sand. He was exhausted after the journey.

“When I was setting up camp with my father, he told me about your card game. He likes you, even if he wasn’t able to take a single card from you. He said I should invite you to dinner the next time everyone in our family is free. What do you think, Cyno?”

“It would be interesting.” He whispered. Cyno looked down and found that sleep had settled over Tighnari. In their position, he knew that his arm would be numb once they woke but he didn’t move Tighnari or risk waking him. “Goodnight.”

[cyaniiiide]

[Genshin] Thoughts on "Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises"

I stayed up til 2 am to finish this quest and I loved it! ❤

Staying up til 2 am on version release dates is just a tradition at this point... I will not be spoilered. This is a difficult endeavor, seeing as how spoilers even come out before the version's story is officially released, but I try. ;o;

(At least I'm no longer on east coast time!! Staying up til 4 am was fun in college, it is not fun now. T___T)

// 3.2 ARCHON QUEST SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED //

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One of the first things that happens in this quest is Alhaitham saying he's not like the other girls. In fact, he's in the top 1% of girls. This man has such a superiority complex (though if I'm being honest, it's not completely unfounded...)

Initially, I didn't really like his character because of this (among other things), but it's grown on me after seeing his interactions with Kaveh. He's just so... needlessly antagonistic. xD

Throughout the archon quest, Alhaitham has played the role of the cold, logical brain of the team. He's almost like a robot in that sense, so seeing him take what a robot would deem "unnecessary actions" to torment poor Kaveh is hilarious. (It seems like Kaveh might do his fair share of the tormenting as well though LMAO)

Alhaitham: happiness is an emotion alien to the sages smh

Alhaitham: y'know who else won't experience happiness today

Alhaitham: my roommate bc I took both keys while leaving the house today heheheh

I can't wait to see more of their interactions in the future.

(Also, Kaveh's hair?? Hello???

I wonder if the "IXIX" pins mean anything... nine-nine?)

Another character that grew on me a bit this archon quest is Dehya!! Miss Anime-Hair-Vents-Girl. She got to shine the most the previous chapter, but she has her moments here too. Protecting the traveler as their bodyguard, wanting a "smile" as payment... big sister vibes.

She's a big ol' tsundere in some regards though. She doesn't have any big ambitions, and she admits herself to only wanting to enjoy the days with good food and drink, and only working when she has to.

And yet, despite this... she's trekked halfway across Sumeru and back with the gang, even though she could just leave?? at any point she wanted to. Dehya's very individualistic, and doesn't compromise on her own ideals or interests. But in the end, she'll always have your back, both physically and emotionally.

I already had a high opinion of Tighnari before this archon quest so not much changed here. He's sensible and rational without being cold. It was nice seeing how protective he was towards Haypasia as his patient.

He's the perfect person to watch over the sages who went to the Avidya Forest at the end, too. Even if they deserve it, I can't see Tighnari being needlessly cruel to any of them. He'll definitely keep them under a watchful eye, though...

And of course, I can't talk about Tighnari without talking about Cyno! I'm not a Cynonari shipper myself, but there was sooo much food this chapter -- from Cyno asking who was behind Tighnari's injury, to Tighnari trusting Dehya and the Traveler as soon as they brought up Cyno's name, to Tighnari's affirmation that he and Cyno have been working together behind the scenes from the very beginning.

I wasn't really a fan of certain parts of Cyno's story quest, but for better or worse, the writers are sticking to their guns in portraying Cyno's personal brand of justice. Everything played out really nicely in his scenes. My personal favorite is when he ordered Azar to "plead guilty in front of the archon herself."

Another thing I wanted to mention was how well done the Scaramouche scene at Pardis Dhyai was. I legitimately got spooked when I saw him pop up. He too says he's not like the other girls and then a bunch of other stuff about rejecting his past.

The traveler notes that "he's become milder but somehow even more deranged" lollllll

One thing I didn't expect from him was to actually be concerned about Haypasia and to treat her as his "first follower." I guess all gods need followers though, so it wasn't real concern so much as it was just his own superiority complex.

Also, I did not expect him to crash head first into a concrete floor at the end of the archon quest LMAO

One of the first things I saw today though was (3.3 leaks) his signature dish, where he orders the traveler to wash the dishes. 😭 Honestly, I have to admire his sheer tenacity... he becomes god, gets his ass beat, suffers what I assume has to be terminal brain damage, and STILL has apparently done zero self-reflection LOL. Whatever happens in the 3.3 interlude quest, he's evidently still the vertically-challenged gremlin we know (and maybe love I haven't decided yet)

Nilou was an unexpected appearance in this quest. I really enjoyed all the different perspectives this quest had to offer, including the segment where we played as Nilou. It's a good way of showcasing things that the traveler wouldn't personally be there to experience.

Speaking of Nilou... I absolutely love her. She's a little clumsy and forgetful, but her story quest really showed that she's willing and able to fight for what she loves. She's not a revolutionary (this is the exception, as the opportunity basically landed in her lap!), but in her own way, she's been fighting for change all this time.

Nilou's story quest also touched me for a different reason, too... Recently, a server for a game I really like and was a member of the community for shut down. I wish we could have come together to extend its lifespan the way Nilou and the people at the bazaar did for their dance troupe, even though it would have been impossible in our case.

That's a rabbit hole I'll go down some other time, though!

(The OST when Nilou was dancing was also fantastic. And when the Performance Prohibition Act text was overlaid with the fake order to arrest Kusanali? Chills. ❤❤)

...Speaking of that fake order, I couldn't let this go by without mentioning Isak, that kid who literally dressed as Kusanali to lead the guards away. 😭 Of all the things I expected in this chapter, this was not one of them.

I also chose to hide in the field instead of behind the house when it came to the first decision b/c I thought he might be able to camouflage himself among the vegetables and I WAS RIGHT LMAO (unless hiding behind the house led to the same result. then idk lol)

Last but not least, I need to talk with everyone about Nahida. She's my pfp (at the time of writing this, anyway) and just. Look at her. LOOK AT HER. I loved her ever since her design was first leaked (yes I'm gatekeeping don't @ me /s) and I'm so glad her story has played out so beautifully.

One thing I really liked is that Nahida was never infantilized this chapter -- even though literally all of us were willing to go to war for her and to coddle the radish after her teaser, Nahida really held her own. The first scene we get of her in this quest is of her doing self-reflection. She wallows in doubt for a bit, then comes to the realization of what her true emotions are. Not what she "should" be feeling or thinking as an archon, but what she is feeling.

(I'm also a bit confused here, after re-reading her wiki entry -- could Nahida have escaped the Sanctuary beforehand? The archon quest implies she couldn't, as it gives an explanation as to how the Sanctuary could contain a god. Nahida's own voicelines also talk about being in a birdcage. Yet, the wiki says that she (was essentially gaslit, first of all) took a step back on her own and let the sages run things.)

Anyways, the self-reflection was a scene that I hadn't realized I needed -- Nahida getting past her own mental block, and taking strides forward to act as Sumeru's archon. Not trying to gather information or help out behind the scenes -- nope, the radish is out for blood this time.

Fun fact: I tried to challenge Scaramouche's domain with just the Nahida and Lumine in my party! (I also did the same earlier, playing through most of the archon quest with Cyno/Lumine/Nilou/Nahida. I would've used Tighnari in place of Nahida if I had him...)

Not-so-fun fact: I failed miserably and got Nahida killed in the very first fight (I forgot how hard electro skirmishers can hit...) and had to bring Zhongli along too for his shield.

Nahida really shined during the fight with Scaramouche -- forcing him to go through 168 samsara cycles; poetic justice at its finest. It's also quite fitting that Nahida drew upon the people's wisdom using the Akasha to help the traveler. Honestly, I'm not too sure how that worked (would regular people even know how to beat a giant mecha god robot...?) but Nahida's always been an archon for the people, and it's nice to see that theme being carried through. It's even in her kit! The most powerful part of her kit (Tri-Karma Purification) doesn't activate unless a reaction with dendro is triggered.

My heart definitely sunk though when I first saw Scaramouche try to take Nahida's Gnosis (the way he picked her up too???? 😭). Another thing this quest did well was hide information from the player. Initially, I thought the whole strategy session at the beginning of the quest was kind of odd, given that it we just skipped through the actual meeting. Everything was revealed in due time though. ❤

(And this way, Paimon got to be useful too! Instead of repeating information that we just heard, she got to be the "person who wasn't listening during the meeting" to catch the players up to speed, haha.)

The third-to-last segment with Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was also incredibly beautiful. Nahida's self-realization that she is the Dendro Archon, and essentially has been all along was affirmed.

The second-to-last segment was less beautiful. After all our hard work! Dottore shows up to snatch the two Gnoses. I don't feel like Nahida got a good deal with Raiden's Gnosis, to be honest... I guess it had less value to her as a Gnosis from a foreign land, though.

As for her own Gnosis... I really want to know what information she got in exchange for it!!! D:

I guess Nahida did the best she could though. She was at a huge disadvantage in the situation.

And the last, but certainly not least segment of our heroes celebrating? *chef kiss*

An epilogue like this was exactly what we needed to tie up the archon quest. It would have been too weird just asking some questions to Nahida at the end of everything, and not seeing everyone again and see how things were going.

The huge upheaval at the Akademiya, the fates of the sages, Dunyarzard!!!, were all discussed. The Sumeru Archon quest had also addressed the huge inequality between the citizens of the desert and the rainforest, and I'm so happy to see Cyno spearheading the efforts to revitalize Aaru Village. Even Setaria showed up!

One thing I will definitely take away from Sumeru is the persistent theme of how everyone coming together can solve seemingly insurmountable problems. It's a rather obvious thing to take away (the power of teamwork, yay!) but it was really hammered in throughout the archon quest. Every part of Alhaitham's plan relied on its individual members, and the use of the Akasha to save Sumeru not only once, but twice was a result of using the knowledge gathered from its citizens' combined experiences. Sumeru is the land of wisdom, and a part of wisdom is cooperation and knowing when and how to rely on others.

There's plenty of room to expand Sumeru's story from here, and I'm excited to see where the story takes us next.

(And of course, the lore bombs at the end... I can't wait to find out the answers to those questions!!)

P.S. As of right now this is unedited and might remain unedited bc it's 12:30 am, I wrote this all in one shot, and I wanna chill now lmao

I should have probably also added pictures to break up the wall of text so that I actually might want to reread this at some point like which was the main point of writing this 😭

[isnt-it-pretty]

20 questions for writers

I was tagged by @comfort-questing! Thank you, this was fun.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Currently 55

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

576,498! That's over six years of posting

3. What fandoms do you write for?

I've written for many! Currently I have active WIPs for Genshin Impact, Tamora Pierce, Persona 5, and Demon Slayer. (I also have a couple unposted for Mistborn)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

By Only a Flicker (FMA)

Into Darkness and Howling (Genshin)

Maelstrom (Demon Slayer)

Pray to Blades of Grass (Genshin)

Fingernails the Colour of Rust (Genshin)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to! Sometimes I miss some but in general I try to. It encourages involvement, which I love. Fandom as a community is really important to me.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hmmm okay so. I'm going to list a few because I can't decide because they're all very specific.

Fragile Things isn't really an angsty ending, per se, but it isn't happy. You know that long term it isn't going to get any better. Xiao is still chronically ill; Collei is still terminally ill. They have each other but that doesn't change the circumstances.

A Dream of a Memory (Genshin Impact) is Hurt No Comfort because it's a prequel so idk if that counts

Still Too Similar (Tamora Pierce) is a modern take on a canon death, which I'm also not sure counts because it's based off canon.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

It's probably between The Sea That's Painted Black and Pray to Blades of Grass

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Nope! I don't think I ever have but I wouldn't really be bothered if I did. I'd just delete the comment.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Once! It was kinda angsty, kinda sweet. I write smut like a wealthy Edwardian woman who would die if somebody so much as said an annotomically correct word.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

No I haven't but I've seen some great ones.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Sort of? There is a person who was inspired by my work and wrote theirs without credit (which is whatever, it's all fic) but they paraphrase plagarized my first chapter, which was devistated. It made me stop writing for a couple weeks because it just killed my desire.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah! Several into Russian, and then a couple other languages.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

None currently posted but I did with @currentlylurking when we were younger! And I've helped my friends as a sounding board for fics for years. I just don't have time to co-write, sadly.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

I don't really have an all time favourite. Currently I write a lot of cynonari/tighcyno from Genshin Impact, which I love, but I think my oldest ships are Alex/Thom and Numair/Thom from Tamora Pierce? So that might count more.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

*Sigh* at this point? Probably Into Darkness and Howling. I love the fic and the concept, but the general discourse around the character ruined any writing of him for me. Everybody gets so mad about characterization and localization that even if the fic never got any complaints I'm just not comfortable attempting. Also the popularity of it really scary even if the character wasn't contentious. There's too many expectations of it now.

16. What are your writing strengths?

My ideas are amazing. I come up with great canon divergent AUs.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Sometimes it feels like everything lol. Spelling is definitely my worst, you just can't tell since I use a beta reader and spellcheck. Characterization and making my characters unique in thoughts and dialogue can also be a struggle.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I haven't done it but I like it when it's done well! I think you have to intersperse it with the original languague of the fic and make sure it contextually makes sense without needing a translation.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Technically Tamora Pierce in an old notebook but officially my first works were Soul Eater. (They were really really bad)

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

I like a lot of them but Fragile Things is held close to my heart.

I'm tagging @faelynny @currentlylurking @marcellebelle @lavenders-writing @clementinecoastline no pressure to do it though!

[welcometoteyvat]

love your thoughts on character’s ages. looking forward to fontaine & sumeru :) i think you described it really well. ages for my are like… they exist but they don’t at the same time.

edit: OH MY GOD TUMBLRS EDITOR FORMATTING SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!! if you see random parts of words bolded PLEASE ignore i dont know why it keeps happening

if you're the same anon as the og ask i am so so so sorry about the delay T_T T_T i was drafting my answer and then boom life happened ..... anyways. thank you for enjoying my thoughts wah <3333333 "they exist but they don't" SAME SAME frfr. like the most on-point (internet) discussion I've read on ages is that the stage of life you're in is often the only factor that matters, and that can vary a lot based on like your past experiences and stuff. and from my own perspective this holds true—similarly, in genshin where all the playable characters have jobs it's hard to kind of quantify them into really distinct age ranges tbh. sometimes it's just vibes (unfortunately vibes often includes height bc it's a game w not very diverse model types). anyways! character hcs:

sumeru (sans scaramouche): collei, cyno, tighnari, faruzan, layla, nilou

i think collei has an actual canon age right? unless I'm tripping and fanon has solidified so much in everyone's minds. I still haven't read the manhua <3 but iirc people think she's 12-13 there right. maybe she's like 17 rn, i can see anywhere from 14-16 though. idk anything abt her timeline so these are quite literally guesstimates from vibes and they're likely to be wrong. Layla is such a college girlie, she's like 19-20 and sleep deprived (same fr); begging for her to catch a break on behalf of uni students everywhere. I don't have a set age for Faruzan, I can see her anywhere from 30-40, 26 years old minimum (the redesigns people give her where she looks visibly older are so cool <3). Given she was a pretty well known researcher back in her day and since academia is a long and arduous career choice, I think it makes sense; also if she's like way older than Kaveh appearance wise (≥ 10 years) , even if she hadn't gotten trapped for a century, that would be sick af (their dynamic is impeccable and I think a larger age difference makes it better, sweeter, and funnier). Nilou also feels 19-20 years old to me; no real explanation, she just has a young adult vibe, like someone just out of her teenage years but quite capable at managing her life, although still testing out responsibility for major decisions and stuff like that (age solidarity w yun jin)

iirc cyno was already mahamatra or something WHILE tighnari was still in school; thus this makes cynonari EXTREMELY funny if you're a moral purist who ships it and thinks they fell in love in their akademiya days LOL. jkjk it's also a reasonable interpretation that Cyno became mahamatra at an insanely young age, since uhhh fucked up temple of silence background smth smth and honestly it feels in character for him to go buck wild at a young age like that (person most suited for young collei fr). HOWEVER. personally I think being mahamatra at like 19 is insane—thus I think tighnari's probably 23, cyno might be 27? I don't know if that makes it """""""better""""""" from an age gap standpoint but I also don't really care. Cyno being older but more joking around friends, while Tighnari is the younger kohai but serious and no-nonsense is pretty funny to me and when they're both serious you know you're fucked

fontaine: lyney, lynette, freminet (are those the only medium youth models so far lol. damn)

anyways lyney and lynette are confirmed to be at least 10 from Lyney's story quest. such helpful information I know lol. I'd think they're probably around 19-20? 18 minimum—I personally wouldn't watch 18 year olds do gravity defying magic tricks at the nation's biggest opera house—being like 1 year older doesn't make it any better ofc lol, but I think they're above the teenage threshold bc of that. Kinda fucked up to think about the timeline and house of hearth stuff though with this in mind

Freminet I'd say is around 16; 14 minimum. No thoughts for this just vibes. mmmmm idk when he was adopted into the house, if he's around 4-5 years younger than L+L, and let's say they entered the House when they were maybe 6-9 (my headcanons, is it now possible to piece together an accurate timeline of this from in-game lore??), and that was maybe 3-4 years after freminet entered, he probably was like 5-7 when he entered... wah frem............. poor child I'm giving him a hug (knowing that he's also a killing machine)

[reveriecorridor]

[takes a deep breath] [suddenly completely blanks on ships to ask you about] uhhhh [swinging blindly] haivan.and elsword. I remember them. alsoooooooo pick your favorite genshin gay people i know theres a few

OH BOY ELSHAI. I LIKE THEM ALOT. also picking cynonari for the genshin gay ppl bc theyre ping pong'ing in my brain lately.

girl help. cynonaris normal. literally in no timeline would i ever check "better in fanon" bc we all know how genshin fans act. We All Know. BUT LIKE GIRL THEYRE NORMAL AND THAT MAKES ME GO CRAZY FOR THEM MORE HILARIOUSLY ENOUGH. theyre fucking completely polar opposites personality wise, cynos the serious aloof one, tighnari- i realize this makes it seem like hes not serious. he IS but definitely a lot more warmer and approachable than cyno at first. but then u get to cyno being the type of loser to crack horrible jokes and be into tcg and it just completes itself. they both unconditionally trush the other, and Would without a doubt go through hell and back to secure the safety of the other.

bold of tighnari to have a close relationship with that loser btw.

what do you need close relationships with men for. to kiss them?

ok. god. Elshai. they are NOT fucking normal and you know this bc youve been exposed to my elboy ramblings but LORD.

jesus. they have everything wrong with them.

self-sacrificial characters with some sort of inferiority complex that pushes them to Be A Hero at the cost of their selves, just so it means their family will be safe. fucking idiots who were willing to give up their literal identities and senses of selves just so their family wouldnt. i think they can kiss and work through their problems.

also its funny to think about the implications using the other job paths lore (ie, genesis having literally No Emotions or sense of identity other than "protect elrios and the el" which could make for some interesting enemies to lovers imo) other funny implications are to think abt elesis holding a grudge against haivan cuz like, fair of her to, and just flipping out when she learns her little baby brother has a crush on haivan of all people.

discourse crossed out bc Some People Out There, not naming names but u know <3 probably think its weird bc haivans got no Confirmed Age even though he goes out of his way to say hes not much younger than add (who is 21 at that point in story.) hes not a kid. dont be weird abt it.

[alchery]

Let’s do a recap

I’m back bitches.

Here is what has changed:

If you are under 18, do NOT follow me. Do not interact with me. I am not your friend. I will never be your friend. You will be blocked. End of story.

I’m cleaning the fuck out of my drafts since there were near 1000 ( Not a joke. I about shat a brick at what past me did. ) They are being queued up or deleted as I slowly go through them. So expect some old ass posts to suddenly cross your dash.

Yes, I do still ship klance. But you won’t see it as much as you used to - aside from a majority that is currently queued since I am cleaning my drafts.

That being said, no, I do not give a shit about Voltron anymore. I’d rather stay out of it as much as possible. There are only a few people I follow who I still love to follow who are still into vld that I actively interact with.

I mostly am into danmai ( MXTX, Meatbun, ect. ) and Genshin Impact now. I’m also down bad for vtubers.

My mains for GI are KaeLuc/LucKae, ZhongChi, AyaThoma/Thomato and Cynonari. Anything else are just side ships, but my ships none the less.

I do not give a shit about what you think of the ships I ship - just as much as I don’t give a shit about what ships you ship. If I ship your notp, you better be using the filter system correctly and muting tags. I will not cater my blog to your tastes and not ship my ships for your comfort. I’m not doing that shit anymore. Don’t like it? Unfollow or block me for it. SImple as that. If you have a ship I do not like, chances are I already have them muted. So we Gucci.

As for my writings and my art, I don’t do much of that anymore due to a medical condition. It makes typing and drawing very arduous for me to do now. I can barely write a paragraph with a pen or pencil before my hands starts to hurt. What writings I do are no longer edited. You get them as they are and they’re usually short. If they’re long, it’s because it takes me days to finish it. Chapter stories are looking less likely as time goes on, so any chapter stories I have on my AO3 are on indefinite hiatus until my condition is fixed.

Also my ipad that I was doing my art on is bent down the middle. It’s literally just cracked enough to make it hard to make a straight fucking like.

If I think of anything else, I’ll just reblog this with added info. My hand is almost numb anyways.

[aelita-kitsune]

I need you (Cynonari) part 1

******************************************************

so all this happens after when they all rescued lesser lord kusanali and when nilou already arranged the party for succeeding the plan and cyno somehow got drunk in a competition between him and alhaitham, and since candace didn't want to carry a drunk mahamatra she called tighnari (pretend that phones exist in their world pls) to come and get him. Although tighnari already knew of it thanks to his ears, he decided to take care of cyno anyways since the general mahamatra has to be in top shape while preforming his duties.

Onto the story

***************************************************

Tighnari's POV

why did i agree to take care of him again, because not only is the general mahamatra heavy he also makes the double of terrible jokes then he usually does , ugh how can't I wait for him to get better so then he can leave and then i can never hear his jokes again " what did the sushi say to the bee ........... wasabi ( was up bee ) " Cyno bursted out laughing at his own joke again, I swear to lesser lord kusunali I can't take any more of his jokes because they're terrible no preposterous.

" nari " Cyno called me " what is it Cyno? " " can I touch your tail " I was completely baffled on what he just asked me " no, you cannot touch my tail " " pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease " " no " great now his whining just about wanting to touch my tail, archon pls help me from him " ugh fine but you can touch my ears not my tail and be gentle " " yay " ugh what a child is this how the general mahamatra acts when his drunk and finally I reached gandarvaville and so I quickly went to my cabin ignoring Cyno who is squeezing my ears although I told him to be gentle, I laid him on my couch " stop squeezing my ears Cyno " I said sternly slapping his hand away from my ear to relieve it from it's pain " but nari " Cyno whined again but I paid no attention to and just got some water and gave it to Cyno to drink, thankfully he drank it at least it will lessen the smell of alcohol that reaks from him, thank archon that I caught the cup before it fell and broke and then he sleeps leaving me in peace for the rest of the night.

I quickly got a blanket and pillow, since Cyno is going to be staying for a while so better make him comfortable and once I finish with that I'm going to grab some medicine for Cyno since when he wakes up his going to have a painful headache which is a pain in the ass which I'm sure of, at least the medicine will lessen that headache at least that'll teach him not to do challenges like this with alhaitham. when i finished doing all of that i went to my room and began doing some work since i couldn't sleep, thanks to my ears that can hear the whole entire sumeru forest ugh.

timeskip morning

Cyno's POV

ugh my heads in pain "oh i see your awake" i quickly jolted up and was about to grab my polearm, when i noticed that it was just tighnari " phew it's just you nari" " yeah yeah now here take" i see him holding some pills, it must be the medicine to calm my headache down, i quickly took the pill in one big gulp and my head felt so much better already " thanks nari, sorry for bothering you, know i need to attend to my duties "not so fast cyno, your still not in top shape"  " WHAT? WHY? " "I still need to make sure you're okay, don't worry at the end of the day you can leave after i check on your mental and physical state" " alright " jeez why does nari always have to be so worrisome of me I'm fine.

That's when i noticed, there are eyesbags under nari's eyes and his ears are down that must be of the outcome of my shouting but nari must've ben working all night again since i know his ears will not allow him to sleep no matter how hard he tries to cancel out the noise and his still doing his forest ranger duties *sigh* how reckless of nari and he dares to call me the reckless one, hmph as far as I know from our times in the akademia together, nari is the one that pushes himself far in exhaustion, i think it's because of his ears i mean since the fact still stands that he is a fennec fox/valuka shuna it must be a pain all the time being able to hear everything, so i decided that i will help nari today to lessen the work load burden on him because i don't want him to die of exhaustion and i must've thought for to long because tighnari was already dressed in his forest ranger attire and was about to head out "hey nari, mind if i come with you" "no i don't cyno but you can come along if you want, that is" and when nari said that i grabbed my polearm and followed him.

third person POV

the two boys went out to meet a familiar green haired girl "master tighnari good morning and to you to master cyno" "good morning to you as well collei" the girls name was collei a trainee forest ranger, that was brought from mondstadt to sumeru and who was brought to tighnari from cyno so she became tighnari's student shortly after, collei and tighnari began discussing the tasks that needed to be handed out while cyno was being ignored deliberately by them, so he starts to think of ways he can help tighnari, which includes to not make jokes because cyno knows that tighnari hates his jokes "hey cyno, cynooooooo, world to cyno" he was brought to reality by tighnari and that's when cyno notice on how close tighnari is to him, which made cyno turn into a bright shade of red "HUH??!! cyno why are you turning red? do you have a fever?" tighnari quickly asked worriedly, while placing his hand on cynos forehead checking his temperature, while cyno was completely fazed as if he was in a paralysis state. until cyno quickly snapped out of it and replied "i-i-i'm okay nari and n-no i'm not sick" "are you sure, your face is still red" said tighnari knowing cyno is lying to him "yeah of course I'm sure" "if you say so, but still for precautions you should stay here for a few days just incase" cyno internally hit himself because of how stupid he is because tighnari knows when his lying now rather than staying one day he will have to a few more "ugh how great" cyno thought to himself but he got caught off again when tighnari began dragging cyno with him to do his patrols, but that just gave cyno a thought ...........................

IS HE GAY???!!!

##################################

Before I forget cyno’s taller than tighnari because I found out during the archon quest cyno was shorter than most other characters so yeah

cyno: 6,3                                                                              tighnari: 5,1 (it may change)

[ultraviolentmind17]

HII! i saw u reblog my cynonari post and took my time reading the tags. And i hope u feel better soon ^^. ALSO UR RLLY LUCKY AND I HOPE THAT YOU'LL GET CYNO IN THE FUTURE!! :DD Lots of love /p

-Hannah/Kim

omg hiii ^^ ur too sweet thank u for your concern. that post of yours was so funny im sorry i reblogged it with my dumb problems 😅. i actually do feel much better now thank goodness. and yeah idk what genshin gods blessed me that day but i was indeed very lucky lol. thanx again and i hope u get whoever u wish for in the future as well!!!!!! :D

[dutifullyshamelessearthquake]

I’m excited you’re back cuz I’m just about exploding with sick Cyno and general cynari thoughts and it’s going to destroy me if I don’t share soon- but also like no pressure at all take your time I’m happy your back IN GENERAL not just because I’m slowly passing away due to brain rot I swear I can be normal-

OHH by all means, share the brainrot, I'm all ears 🤭 I'm very much in a cynonari mood, so I will eat up any ramblings- It might even get the brain gears turning for the next Cynonari fic I'm gonna start writing as soon as I'm through the editing of this one 👀

I do unfortunately announce that I have not played Cyno's new quest, so anything related to that will have to wait 😭 I did not want to play it while I was in a bad headspace, since I want my memory of playing the quest to be a happy one. But! Since I'm feeling better, if things continue this way, I'm definitely picking it up on my next day off! (Help I'm scared)

But any other general Cynonari thoughts and sick cyno thoughts and all that goodness, VERY WELCOME 👀

[pocket-luv101]

Desert Roses // Chapter 4

Fandom: Genshin Impact Ship: CynoNari

Summary: Cyno and Tighnari have an arranged marriage to end the conflict between the desert and rainforest. Later, Tighnari discovers a box that could hold the truth behind the disappearance of the Scarlet King and the Goddess of Flowers.

Ch.1 // Ch.2 // Ch.3 // (Ch.4) // Ch.5 // Ch.6 //

Cyno never realized how small his room could feel until he had to share it with Tighnari. The king provided them with an extravagant room because he was the General Mahamatra. The corner of his room could now be mistaken for a rainforest with the vines growing up the wall. For his research, Tighnari cultivated different plants and recorded their growth. Tighnari stood in front of a glass tank and drew a diagram of the roots that grew inside.

“The modification to the fertilizer should promote root health and help the tree grow larger. It should also be able to bear more fruits. I should send these to Mama so the rainforest can test this on a larger scale.” Tighnari muttered his findings out loud. He looked over his shoulder to Cyno on the other side of the room. He drew his attention away from the report he was reading. “Can I ask you something, Cyno?”

Tighnari walked to his side with a book. “I found a few books about the plants that grow in the desert but there is only so much I can learn from them. I have a few questions for you? Botany isn’t your expertise but can you tell me if there are agricultural problems in the desert. I can research solutions. My current project is almost complete and I want to start a new one. Though, I’ll need to set up a new conservatory in our room to test my theories.”

“I was going to give you this tomorrow but now might be a better time.” Cyno took out a key from his desk and held it out to Tighnari. “I asked Kaveh to give you permission to use the greenhouse for your work. Our bedroom won’t be able to fit more research equipment. He agreed on the condition that you provide flowers that he can use to decorate the palace. I told him I would talk to you about it.”

“A greenhouse? That’s certainly a larger research facility for me to use. Will there be plants from both the rainforest and the desert? This is the best opportunity to study them.” Tighnari’s tail swayed quickly in his excitement. He wrapped his hand around Cyno but he didn’t take the key immediately. Hesitation briefly passed over his face. “Did you ask Kaveh to give me a key because my work is cluttering our room?”

“No. When I found you asleep next to the oasis, I thought it was better if you had a safe place to research plants. You can’t fall asleep outside, it’s dangerous. Beyond the night being cold, someone could’ve attacked you.” Cyno didn’t voice the second reason he asked Kaveh to give Tighnari access to the greenhouse. He saw how much he loved botany.

Tighnari was glad that his work wouldn’t affect their marriage. As important as their relationship was to the desert and rainforest, he didn’t want to give up botany. He slipped the key from Cyno’s hand and laughed nervously. “This might sound selfish but I’d like to continue growing a few flowers here. I hope you don’t mind.”

“There’s more than enough space for us and your plants.” Cyno had to admit that his room felt more like a home after Tighnari filled it with plants and incense. Since he travelled often as a military leader, he was more accustomed to sleeping outside than in a bed.

“My mother told me that marriages are full of compromise so I’ll only keep the smaller plants here.” Tighnari said. He took Cyno’s hand and lightly tugged him to his feet. “Can you take me to the greenhouse? I want to see the plants there. I can also make plans for which plant to move there. Collei will also benefit if I hold my classes there.”

Cyno found himself swept away by Tighnari and he followed him out of their room. Tighnari wore a serious expression during his experiments but his current smile made it clear that he loved flowers. “Candace is the guardian of Aaru Village and she’ll be able to explain their agriculture better than I can. Though, I’ll need to speak with King Humayun for permission to leave my post and take you there.”

Tighnari recalled meeting Candace at the banquet. She was kind and he could see himself becoming friends with her. His life in the desert was better than he expected when he agreed to a political marriage. He was worried he wouldn’t have the freedom to pursue his work but Cyno offered to take him to a greenhouse and Aaru village.

“You’ve done a lot for me, Cyno. Is there anything I can do to repay you?”

“We’re married and I want you to be happy here in the desert. That’s the foundation of our treaty.”

“Welcome to my masterpiece! I’ve outdone myself with the greenhouse’s design. No expense was spared to create this botanical garden and I requested Dori to import flowers from around the world.” As an architect, Kaveh was all too happy to proudly show people the greenhouse. He oversaw the building’s creation from simple lines on a page to the planting of each flower. He expected Tighnari to appreciate the layout of the flowers since he was a botanist.

However, Tighnari stood silently in the doorway. Cyno was also confused by his lack of reaction considering his lonely expression in the oasis. His stomach felt uneasy and he hoped that he hadn’t misjudged the situation. Did the greenhouse worsen Tighnari’s homesickness? As the question passed his mind, Cyno realized how important Tighnari’s feelings were becoming to him.

Tighnari walked through the glass archway and followed the path to the Pristine Vessel that stood as the centerpiece of the garden. The white flowers towered over him and he needed to tilt his head back to see the tip of the petals. Usually, he would list facts about the plant and the best environment to grow them. At that moment, he only wanted to breathe in the subtle scent. He was home among the trees once more.

He reached up the Pristine Vessel responded to his dendro vision by bowing its head. Golden dust fell from the petals and landed in Tighnari’s dark hair. He felt someone’s fingers in his hair and he turned to find Cyno brushing the pollen from his ear. Their gaze met and Cyno counted the different colours in Tighnari’s eyes. They reflected the rainforest around them.

Tighnari smiled up at him. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s truly stunning.”

He walked deeper into the botanic garden to explore the building further. As he took in the familiar environment of thick trees and colourful flowers, his expression slowly relaxed. A nostalgic smile spread across his lips. Tighnari had already decided to make a new home in the desert but being able to see the rainforest again was a comfort.

His ears twitched when he heard the leaves rustle. Sound echoed easily in the building but he could determine its direction with his sharp hearing. Neither Cyno nor Kaveh were the source of the footsteps. Tighnari scanned the greenhouse for what could’ve caused the sound but they appeared to be alone. He brushed off the strange sound.

“There’s a large space in the back that’s unused and I can set up a desk and conservatory here. I would like to have a bookcase to hold my notes but it’ll block the light from entering the greenhouse.” Tighnari listed things he would need to create a study in the greenhouse. “For now, we can start with the tables. My equipment is heavy so I will bring them down tomorrow.”

“I can arrange the furniture so it doesn’t clash with the layout of the greenhouse. Who better to do so than the person who designed this building?” Kaveh’s offer wasn’t merely out of kindness. He took pride in his work and his effort would be wasted if Tighnari’s study didn’t match his vision for the building. “Just give me a day to draw the blueprints. Go and admire the flowers until I’m done.”

“If you insist.” Tighnari was eager to see the rest of the greenhouse so he relented to Kaveh’s request. Then, a thought made him pause. “Kaveh, may I ask you something. You’re an architect and you mentioned the temple buried beneath the palace. Is there a way to access the temple? If it’s not possible, I would like to see records of the temple.”

“That temple was built before the Scarlet King’s death so I doubt there are many blueprints or records of its construction.” Kaveh told him. Even though Tighnari already reasoned it would be difficult to learn more about the temple, he was still disappointed by his answer. “Is there something you wish to know about it? I am friends with a few scholars who might have answers.”

“I can hear the water flooding the underground temple at night.” His ears twitched as he answered him. The brief journey through the halls left Tighnari with questions. Could desert roses have survived in that temple despite centuries passing? Did the box send them back to a time before they were extinct? He could answer if he saw the temple again but that was seemingly impossible.

“Tighnari, what are these flowers called?” Cyno’s question pulled Tighnari out of his shoulders. He held up a yellow flower that often grew on cactuses. Since Cyno didn’t show much interest in plants, Tighnari knew that he intended to distract him with the flower. The thoughtfulness touched his heart and he took the flower from him. “Do you know when it’s impossible to plant seeds? When you haven’t botany.”

“Botany like ‘bought any’ seeds? Your puns won’t become funny just because it’s about a subject that I enjoy.” The joke wasn’t funny to Tighnari yet a small chuckle escaped him. He slipped the flower behind his ear. Tighnari’s clothes were accented with colourful accessories like the yellow flower and Cyno thought they suited him well. “Let’s explore the greenhouse. The building is large enough that it can be considered a forest.”

Cyno entered the council room that King Humayun reserved for strategizing war and defense. He had hoped he wouldn’t need to stand within those four walls now that the desert and rainforest had a peace treaty. The king requested a meeting with him and Cyno wondered what it could be for. His concern only grew when he found Rahman waiting inside with King Humayun. The mercenary never made it a secret that he didn’t trust Tighnari or the rainforest.

“King Humayun, I have received your summons.” Cyno greeted the king with a respectful bow. He watched Rahman in the corner of his eyes and tried to analyze his intent from his posture. Rahman stood with a guarded stance and his mouth was pressed into a firm frown. Neither of them trusted the other but they couldn’t voice that in front of their king.

“I wish to discuss your marriage to the Valuka Shuna so you are clear on its purpose. The war has ended on paper but it is naïve to let down our guard. It’s your duty to watch for signs that he or the rainforest will betray us. Your mate may have agreed to the terms of our peace treaty but that doesn’t make him entirely trustworthy.” King Humayun reminded him.

Cyno bit his tongue to stop himself from correcting the king that he should refer to Tighnari by his name. He became the General Mahamatra to protect the people of the desert. He vowed to serve the king but he would argue with him if his order went against his principles. However, that became more complicated since he agreed to marry Tighnari. He needed to be more careful with his words or else it could affect their treaty.

“The General Mahamatra has been too lax with the fox.” Rahman said. “He allowed him to have a key to the greenhouse. It’s dangerous to give a botanist access to those plants. There’s a chance he could make poison. He has seduced the caravan to take him on the next expedition to Aaru village. I overheard them discussing the trip in the greenhouse.”

“Tighnari isn’t the type to manipulate people.” Cyno didn’t raise his voice but his anger resonated in his tone. “I was the one to suggest we travel to Aaru Village. He wants to study botany and his experiments can help our crops. It’s beneficial for everyone.”

“He may be collecting information with the intent to betray us. Why else would he ask Kaveh for the palace’s blueprints? The rainforest will be able to attack us easier if they knew the layout of our defenses.” Rahman argued and Cyno’s eyes narrowed at his words. He doubted that Kaveh told him about their conversation so he must’ve been watching Tighnari since the banquet.

“We have their Valuka Shuna as a political hostage so the rainforest cannot attack us directly without retribution. However, Rahman is right to be wary. I will command the guards to monitor him and restrict his access to the greenhouse.” King Humayun said and stood from his desk. “If you two have more concerns about this alliance, please give them to my advisor.”

The smile Tighnari wore as he walked through the greenhouse appeared in Cyno’s mind. Before he could think better of arguing with a king, he said: “Tighnari will not betray us so you can trust him. Treating him like a prisoner will only push him back to the rainforest. He only asked about the blueprints because he thinks desert roses are growing underneath the palace.”

“An obvious lie.” Rahman rolled his eyes. “Those roses have been extinct for years and a botanist should know that.”

Cyno thought over how he should tell the two of the golden box and the temple beneath the palace. They were wary of Tighnari and they would restrict him further if they knew that the box allowed him to leave the palace. Even though the box’s abilities were still a mystery to them, the king would see it as a threat.

“Tighnari believes they may still exist.” He started carefully. “His interest in desert flowers is a sign that he intends to live here and honour the alliance.”

“That’s a reasonable approach to maintaining our alliance.” King Humayun hummed thoughtfully. Behind him, Rahman grunted with disapproval but he quickly feigned a cough to disguise his true feelings. He couldn’t openly argue with their ruler without being disrespectful and risk losing his position. Then, the king continued: “But you cannot give him so much sway over you, Cyno. Your loyalty is to our kingdom and not a political marriage.”

“I will do what is best to maintain the peace between our land.” He nodded.

“Tighnari can continue to use the greenhouse for his research but I want a guard posted outside so he can’t smuggle dangerous plants into the palace. You are forbidden to take him outside of the walls, let alone Aaru Village.” The compromise was more than Cyno in such a complicated situation. He didn’t bow his head before he turned to leave the room.

Rahman followed him out of the room. They didn’t stop to speak with each other but, as they passed each other, he said: “Remind that fox of the reason desert roses are extinct. His god killed the Scarlet King.”

Tighnari locked the door to the greenhouse as he left. There were species in the garden that he couldn’t find in the rainforest and their unique characteristics fascinated him. He almost lost track of time studying the plants in the greenhouse. He would’ve fallen asleep researching again but then he thought of Cyno. When Cyno told him about the greenhouse that morning, he mentioned that he found him in the garden. He carried him back to their room. He didn’t want to worry him by sleeping in the greenhouse.

As he walked closer to the training area, Tighnari heard the sound of fighting. He wondered who could be awake at such a late hour. The lamps were lit and he could see Cyno sparing with a wooden post. Tighnari watched him fight and the fluid swing of his spear. He had to admit that he found Cyno handsome. Beyond his attractiveness and strength, their time in the temple showed him that Cyno was intelligent with bad jokes. Would they become friends if they met under different circumstances?

Tighnari leaned against the short wall and called out to Cyno. “It’s late. I’m in no position to lecture you because I’m also staying up late for work too but I want to remind you that it’s bad for your health. Let’s head back to our room and retire for the night. Or, would you like to spar with me instead of a post? I’m not trained to fight like the Matra but I’m better practise than a wooden dummy.”

“I saw you teach Collei how to use a bow. That’s more suited to long distance combat and sparring hand-to-hand is different.” Cyno lowered his spear and walked to where Tighnari stood. “I warned you that the desert is dangerous but you don’t need to worry about training. I will protect you.”

He said the vow so easily and it made Tighnari blush. He reminded himself that Cyno was the General Mahamatra and it was his duty to protect everyone within the palace. “I appreciate that but it’s unrealistic for you to stay by my side just to protect me. When I was in the Forest Watch, I was no stranger to fighting so you shouldn’t underestimate me. I offered to spar with you so we can both practise.”

“Okay, shall we spar?” Cyno was curious to see how strong Tighnari was in a fight. He held out his hand to help Tighnari over the fence and into the training area. When he placed his hand in his, his slender hand appeared delicate. However, he could feel the callous that formed from wielding a bow. Tighnari was like a rose with thorns, beautiful and resilient.

[pocket-luv101]

Forget Me Not // Chapter 3

Fandom: Genshin Impact Ship: CynoNari

Summary: After Cyno broke their engagement, Tighnari left Gandharva Ville. He returned years later so Collei could attend school there. Collei could see the unspoken feelings between Cyno and Tighnari and decided to help them get back together. Cyno couldn’t explain to Collei that he left Tighnari to protect him. (Modern AU)

Ch.1 // Ch.2 // (Ch.3) //

“Tighnari, can a friend come to our house tomorrow? We started a study group.” Collei’s request surprised Tighnari. He didn’t expect her to find a new friend who she felt comfortable enough to invite them to their home. Considering how reserved she was, she would wait a few weeks before she decided whether she could trust someone. He didn’t judge her for her approach because he knew how complicate her past was. That was also why he was happy that she made a friend so quickly.

“Of course. The house is still a mess, but I should be able to clear the living room for your study group if I stay up to unpack everything tonight. You can focus on your homework and sleep early tonight, Collei. Most of these boxes are mine since I bought a lot of books and research papers.” Tighnari looked over the boxes cluttering the house. He liked to keep their house organized but they had been busy since they moved to Gandharva Ville. They barely had the time to settle into their new home.

He picked up a box and moved it to the couch. Collei didn’t return to her room immediately and she lingered in the doorway. She started to speak a few times but then she would trail off. He raised her and he could easily sense that she wanted to ask him something. Tighnari couldn’t think of anything she would hesitate to tell him.

“Do you need help with your homework, Collei? You know you can talk to me about anything.” While he was a blunt person, Tighnari didn’t want to directly question her before she was ready. It was his responsibility as her father to protect and help her.

“I overheard your conversation with Madame Faruzan.” She admitted. “You never told me that you were engaged once. At the time, you said that seeing him again didn’t bother you but is that true? Gandharva Ville has a good school but maybe it would’ve been better if we stayed in Sumeru City. The Akademiya has a good reputation as well.”

“Are you bringing this up because you miss our old home or because you’re worried about me? If it’s the latter, I assure you that there’s no need. Cyno and I broke up long ago and I want to focus on family right now. On the other hand, if you’re homesick, we can visit grandma on our next long weekend.” With the compromise, he expected the conversation to be settled. He turned his attention back to the boxes and cut the tape. “Do you want to keep the photo albums in the cupboard or your room?”

Collei couldn’t remember seeing Tighnari go on a date with someone so she was curious about his fiancé. “I only heard Madame Faruzan mention his name but I don’t think I met him before. What kind of person is he?”

“Cyno is currently the head of the ethics committee. Despite everything that happened in the past, I have to admit he’s the best person for the job. He’s convicted to his morals so much that it’s almost a hindrance to him. I can’t count the number of times I had to treat his wounds after he got in over his head. Since he always won the fight in the end, he wouldn’t listen.”

Tighnari intended his words to be a rant yet he found himself chuckling slightly. He quickly covered his mouth to stifle the laugh and corrected himself. “I don’t have time to date anyone and least of all someone who works at the university. It’s unprofessional. You can go to him in the event you must report academic corruption or anything else. He’ll help you. I’m taking this box back to my room and I’ll unpack the rest later. Goodnight, Collei.”

Collei watched him leave and thought over the plan she made with Nahida. She tentatively agreed that they would arrange a scenario where their fathers could spend time together again. However, Collei had her own condition for the plan. She needed to know that Tighnari was open to a relationship with Cyno. She didn’t want to see him hurt. The way Tighnari spoke of Cyno was different from how he addressed others. There was a tenderness in his voice.

“Nahida, be careful. You’re going to trip over the steps.” Cyno warned her. When she didn’t slow down, he held his hand over her backpack so he could catch her in case she fell. She felt excited to study with her new friend but he had his reservation. He wanted to meet the family. Rukkhadevata disappeared under suspicious circumstances and he worried someone would target her daughter.

They climbed up the handful of steps to the patio and knocked on the door. The last person he expected opened the door and, from Tighnari’s expression, he was also surprised. For a few moments, they only stared at each other in confusion. Cyno tried to greet him yet he was left speechless by the situation. It was easier to remain professional and forget their past relationship while they were on campus. Seeing Tighnari in casual clothes and glasses reminded him of the weekends they would spend together.

“I’m here to study with Collei!” Nahida’s words pulled them out of their daze. She didn’t wait for Tighnari to invite her into the house before she skipped past him. She spotted Collei sitting in the living room and quickened her steps to join her. Standing on her toes, she whispered. “Our plan will work! I read this scenario in a book. They’ll have breakfast together and fall in love.”

“We shouldn’t be too confident that we’ve succeeded yet. We should wait and see how things go.” Collei whispered back to her. She prayed that Tighnari couldn’t hear them with his tall ears. Since he appeared distracted by Cyno, she reasoned that he hadn’t overheard them. “Love isn’t that simple, Nahida. We need to give them time.”

Cyno smiled sheepishly and apologized for her rudeness. “Sorry about Nahida. She was excited to talk to someone in Faruzan’s class.”

“It’s okay, she’s a child. Though, you have a responsibility to teach her proper manners.” Tighnari stepped back and gestured for Cyno to follow him. “Collei didn’t tell me that her classmate was Nahida. This shouldn’t be a problem for either of us because we agreed to not let our past relationship affect our current work. You don’t need to have such a worried expression, Cyno.”

Most people wouldn’t be able to see the subtle changes in Cyno’s face because he would hide his emotions. Tighnari was the only one who could see through him. If only Cyno could see Tighnari’s face in the moment. He had turned away from him. The only hint he had to how he felt was his downcast ears and limp tail.

“This is unexpected but it might be helpful. I haven’t finished opening all the boxes yet. Cyno, can you watch over Collei and Nahida and help them with their homework while I unpack? I’ll cook lunch for you as payment for babysitting.” He offered.

“Cyno should help you unpack!” Collei said and peaked her head out from the living room. From her tone, it was more of an order than a suggestion. Tighnari wasn’t able to disagree before Collei continued: “I’m old enough to study with my classmates without my dad watching me. Cyno will be more helpful to you since he can carry the heavy boxes.”

“Papa said honourable heroes will help those in need.” Nahida added. The two girls had an innocent smile yet Tighnari had a growing suspicion on their intention. He didn’t know what their goal could be though. Collei asked him about his past relationship with Cyno but he doubted she intended to play matchmaker for him. He told her that he didn’t plan to date Cyno again.

In the end, Tighnari decided to set aside his doubt. He swung his tail into his hands and petted his tail. “As long as Cyno doesn’t have anywhere he needs to go, I don’t mind. Don’t feel like you have to stay and help, Cyno. I can unpack everything on my own and you probably have your own work to do. Collei, I’ll be upstairs if you need anything.”

Tighnari fully expected Cyno to turn and leave. When he broke their engagement, it was clear that he cared for his work more than their relationship. He climbed the stairs and listened for the sound of the closing with Cyno’s departure. To his surprise, he heard his footsteps behind him. Cyno fell into step beside him and said, “Just tell me where you want me to put the boxes.”

“It’s rare for the General Mahamatra to take orders from others.” Tighnari used the nickname that their friends would often call Cyno. “Imagine how your co-workers would react if they knew this.”

“Not even the General Mahamatra can say no to the General Forest Watcher.” He retorted. They both chuckled at the joke from their past.

They ascended the stairs to the second floor that was cluttered with boxes and cases. Tighnari picked up a box labelled for his study. “Most of the boxes have been moved to their proper place and the only ones left are my books.”

Tighnari shifted the large box into one arm and struggled to keep it balanced as he reached for the doorknob. Then, Cyno’s arm circled him and opened the door for him. His chest was pressed against his back and Tighnari felt heat rise up his cheek. He quickly stepped out of his embrace and into the room. He told himself that Cyno only stood close to him because he wanted to open the door. Between the narrow hallway and the pile of boxes, there was barely enough room for them to walk next to each other.

“Thank you, Cyno.” He said and set the box on the table. He couldn’t meet Cyno’s eyes at that moment. No matter how many times he told himself he shouldn’t be with Cyno, a part of him still missed him. To keep his mind distracted from their past relationship, he occupied himself by unpacking. The furniture was already placed in the room but he needed to build the plant nursery for his office. “Can you place my books on the shelf while I put this together?”

Cyno nodded and carried a box labelled ‘books’ to the bookcase. He organized the books on the shelf based on their subject and plant family like he knew Tighnari preferred. While Tighnari worked on the other side of the room with his back to him, Cyno was distinctly aware of his presence. The silence of the room was strange to him.

He opened a second cardboard box but he didn’t find textbooks inside like he expected. Instead, photo albums and framed pictures sat in the case. “I think this box of books belongs to Collei. Should we bring it downstairs for her?”

Tighnari moved to his side to look inside the box. On top of the pile was a Collei holding a trophy and grinning into the camera. His face softened into a fond smile as soon as he recalled that day. He picked up the picture and then set it on his desk. “That’s my box. I wanted to have a few family pictures in my office. You can set that aside for now.”

While Cyno could appear cold and serious, he understood his sentimental feelings. He kept an old photograph of Tighnari in his desk and he would draw reassurance from it whenever he felt overwhelmed with work. “Was the trophy for a sport or school?”

“It was just a toy trophy that she won at a carnival. There was an archery game and she managed to knock over all of the targets. You should’ve seen how happy she was. The trophy might as well have been made of gold.” Tighnari grinned proudly as he told him of that night. Then, his smile became sad. “She was looking forward to going to a summer festival with her friends but that will be difficult now.”

“The popup carnival should be in town next week. It’s not as big as the one in Sumeru City but Collei might still have fun there.” Cyno suggested.

“It’s not just the festival. Collei was looking forward to going with Amber and her friends. She’s a great kid so I’m sure she’ll make new friends but that’ll take time. I was happy for her when she said she wanted to hold a study group at our house.”

“You weren’t expecting me, were you? I’m sorry.” He said and he placed the lid over the box of photos and memories. Tighnari reached across the box and placed his hand over his. Cyno looked into his green eyes but he wasn’t able to read his expression or his thoughts like he could in the past.

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for, Cyno. Let’s finish unpacking and then I can make that lunch that I promised you and Nahida.”

Cyno sat at his desk and stared at the clock clicking by. An hour had passed yet he barely made progress on the project he needed to review. His mind was distracted by Tighnari. He loved him and those feelings hadn’t changed with time or distance. He couldn’t ask him for a second chance though. Tighnari would be endangered by the people he investigated. Moreover, he broke Tighnari’s heart and he might hurt him again. He needed to protect him.

“What am I going to do?” Cyno groaned and ran his hand through his hair. He leaned back in his chair until he could stare up at the ceiling. The university staff would call him cold and heartless whenever he investigated their projects for malpractice. His life would be simpler if that were true. He could be professional during his work but, at the end of the day, he was human.

The selfish part of his heart wished he could be with Tighnari again. He opened the drawer of his desk and searched for the photo he kept of him and Tighnari. Cyno rarely allowed himself to reminisce on their relationship but he would look at the picture whenever he felt uncertain about his work. He shifted through the files and his heart slowly sank.

He couldn’t find the picture.

Cyno’s mind raced as he thought where it could be. Only a few people had access to his study and less knew about the photograph of Tighnari. He would’ve noticed if someone entered his study. Nothing was out of place on his desk. If someone was able to break into the room, why would they take the photo instead of the valuable papers in the safe?

As he went through the list of people who could’ve entered his office, one name made his heart sink. He left the study and walked down the hall. Cyno knocked on Nahida’s door and waited for her to answer. Since it was well past her bedtime, it took her a few moments to open the door. He knelt down so they were eye level. “Nahida, do you remember the photo I kept in my desk? Did you take it?”

She tilted her head. There was a haze of sleep in her eyes and Cyno knew it would be difficult to speak with her while she was half awake. Nahida hummed a few times before her eyes widened. In contrast to her cheery answer, Cyno’s heart sank further. “The one of Professor Tighnari? I wanted to show it to Collei so I brought it to our study session and… Oh, no. I think I forgot it at Collei’s house.”

Cyno found himself in front of Tighnari’s door without a plan. His only thought was that he needed to retrieve the photo before Tighnari could discover it. Someone as observant and intelligent as Tighnari would question why he kept the photo even after he broke their engagement. He drove back to his house with Nahida sleeping in the backseat.

After he rang his doorbell, he thought of an excuse for his sudden visit. The curtains were closed but light filtered through the thin fabric told him that Tighnari was awake. He only needed to wait a few seconds before the door opened. Cyno quickly said, “I’m sorry but Nahida forgot her book here. Can I come inside and find it? I’ll only take a few minutes because Nahida is sleeping in the car. I didn’t want to leave her home alone so I bought her with me.”

“Did she forget this?” Tighnari slipped a familiar photograph from his pocket. Cyno looked between the picture to Tighnari’s face—both were motionless. He dreaded Tighnari discovering the photo and the questions that would follow but he didn’t say a word to him. Cyno reached out to take the photograph but then he noticed his fingers tense around the paper.

“Were you staying awake for work? It’s not good for your health to do that.” He reached past the photograph to cup his hand around Tighnari’s.

“I was waiting for you. I knew you would come once you realized that Nahida stole our picture and hid it here.” His words made Cyno’s heart swell in his chest. Did he stay up for him? Then, Tighnari closed the door behind him and leaned against the door. His amber-green eyes were a mix of hesitant emotions. “We talked about our relationship but it looks like it’s not going to be simple just being colleagues. Our daughters might be trying to play matchmaker with us.”

“Do you think so? Nahida is just a kid so she isn’t thinking of things like romance yet. She just wanted to show her friend a picture. She probably thought that it was cool that their dads knew each other.” Cyno stood next to Tighnari. He watched the car where Nahida slept so no one could attack her. “She never talked to me about this.”

“Nahida is too young for a romantic relationship.” He agreed. “She’s probably trying to set us up because she’s looking for a family unit like the ones she reads about in books and fairy tales. When I first adopted Collei, my mother insisted I find a mother for her. I’m a single dad but that’s not a bad thing as long as she’s happy. People would joke that I mother Collei enough on my own.”

“I’m hopeless as a father if I can’t see through Nahida’s trick like you did.” Cyno let out a heavy breath. A fluffy tail wrapped around his waist and he thought of how Tighnari would comfort him with the gesture in the past. Did he do it again out of habit?

“Raising kids can be difficult. I adopted Collei years ago and it’s still a struggle for me sometimes. You’re doing fine with Nahida. She’s happy and very bright.” Tighnari reassured him. “Though, you should talk to her and dissuade her from trying something like this again. I’ll discuss this with Collei too. I’m sure our daughters aren’t malicious but I don’t want them to cause trouble for your job.”

Cyno started to tell him that he never considered Tighnari or Nahida a burden but then he bit his tongue against the words. He struggled with the reverse, where his job could hurt the people who he loved. Any relationship with him would be difficult and Tighnari deserved a normal life—especially since he had a daughter now.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Cyno asked before he could stop himself. He quickly added: “Your mother suggested dating someone for Collei’s sake.”

“You should know that I’m not the type to date someone just because it would help my image of if it’s expected for me to be married by this age. I’ll only date someone I can spend my life with. Unfortunately, I don’t have the best track record in relationships.” The mention of their broken engagement stung Cyno. “I’m not dating anyone. Between raising Collei and the Amurta project, I don’t have time for that.”

“I’m sorry, I kept you up this late over a photo when you’re busy. I’ll be more mindful. Goodnight, Tighnari.” His apologetic voice held remorse for far more than that night. Cyno walked down the porch to his car. To his surprise, Tighnari followed him.

He took his hand and said, “One more thing, Cyno. Our relationship didn’t work out but I’m glad you work at the university. It’s reassuring that Collei has one more person looking out for her. There’s one warning I’ll give you. Collei might begin to look to you as a father figure. Please, be careful of that. She has been through enough and I don’t want you to get her hopes up. It’ll hurt her if your work makes you leave again.”

The last sentence was a reminder to himself. Tighnari dropped his hand from Cyno’s and returned to his home.