#collei angst

[thatgenderfluidmonstrosity]

Memories (Collei Angst)

TW: Panic Attack (I also just posted this on Ao3, Author: SoManyPassions, the name of the fic is the same, go check it out there if you want!) ---- Khajeh of the Sumeru Akademiya tries to get Collei to convince Tighnari to join the Akademiya by promising her things that can't happen…and exploiting her weaknesses. ---- "Collei, I will be right over here if you need me, I'll just be talking to some youngsters who want join my class. If anything happens, I give you full permission to pull out your bow, and I will deal with any consequences." Faruzan said, letting out a small laugh.

Collei laughed a bit with her but didn't know if she was being fully serious or not.

"O-oh, alright!" She said, staying where she was.

After a bit, she got tired and decided to sit on a bench across the way.

She pulled out Culien-Anbar and held it for a bit before she heard footsteps nearing.

She looked up and three people that dressed as though they were staff within the Akademiya were standing in front of her.

"Oh, hello sirs! Do you need something?" She asked while standing and putting Culien-Anbar away.

"We do, we do. Sorry if we have disturbed you dear." The first man said, "I am Khajeh and these are my associates, Ghulam and Saheem. We were wondering…are you a mutual of Forest Watcher Tighnari? We have noticed by your outfit you very well may be a Forest Dweller."

"Oh! Yes, I am! Um, how do you know my Master?" She asked.

"We have spoken with him before as his Master is an important part of the Akademiya." Ghulam told her.

"Oh, alright! What can I help you with?" She asked, wondering if maybe Tighnari might've gotten in trouble with the Akademiya.

"Well, as you know, Tighnari is a very smart individual, learning from one of our best. We have asked before on his stance of joining the Akademiya and were wondering if we may have some of your assistance." Khajeh asked.

"My assistance? What can I do?" She wondered.

"Well, as you know, there are many places that are being affected by The Withering. We were thinking that maybe with his expertise in defending against it, we might be able to come up with a way to permanently stop it." Saheem explained.

"That…does sound good!" Collei said.

"Yes, yes, but there is something else." Khajeh said, crouching down to her level.

"Hm?" She questioned.

"Well, you know that you master has very interesting and diverse knowledge in the arts of medicine…" He started, and slowly reached for her hand.

She was scared, but didn't pull away.

"With his expansive knowledge of medical practices and having them combine with those in the Akademiya, we might be able to do…great things…"

As he said the last part, his hand brushed up her sleeve slightly, revealing her Eleazar.

As he did that, she pulled her arm away in fear.

She held it tightly with her other arm, as if it had been hurt.

"We will give you time to think of how to persuade him, but remember, many people can be helped if you do this. Even yourself. You can stop the spread of this horrible disease, stop The Withering. Stop him." He finished with a grin on his face as he walked away.

She stood there a moment longer before sitting back down on the bench.

She had been promised that before…but was it really worth it?

Old memories started to plague her mind again before they were stopped by a voice.

"Collei~!" She heard Madam Faruzan call for her.

She looked up and saw her walking towards her with a smile on her face.

"Whats um- whats got you so happy?" She asked, having a bit of trouble coming back to reality.

"I just got three more students to transfer to my classes!" She smiled.

"That's nice…" Collei said, but her voice was ever so slightly devoid of emotion.

"Is everything alright my dear?" Faruzan asked, crouching to her level.

"Y-yeah I'm alright…could we get going back to Gandharva Ville?" She asked.

"Of course." Faruzan smiled softly and led the way.

Once they had gotten to the City's edge, they said goodbye to each other and parted ways.

Collei made the long trek back to the village with millions of thoughts running though her head.

Should I tell him about it?

If so, then what am I going to do when he leaves?

I mean, hes left before on short expeditions of the forest…

But…the Forest Rangers can't work long without him.

And if not, then what about The Withering? And…my Eleazar?

I mean, the man said I had chance to save so many more people from it. And The Withering. And him.

So why shouldn't I?

But what if I'm just getting my hopes up about nothing? What is there truly is no hope?

That will just lead to…to more children getting taken…and…

She couldn't bring herself to think about it anymore.

Right on time though, as she then arrived back in Gandharva Ville.

She made her walk back to Tighnaris hut and met him right outside where he was making dinner.

"Ah, Collei, welcome back. How was your time with Faruzan today? Did you do anything interesting?" He asked.

"Hi Master Tighnari. Um- i-it was nice… I suppose.. I didn't really do anything interesting…" She said, her mind till muddled with memories.

"Are you alright?" He asked, looking back at her.

He then noticed how she was still holding her arm.

"Did something happen?" His voice sounded slightly more concerned than it was previously.

"Oh- Y-yeah I'm alright!" She said, smiling the best she could.

"Alright…well, if you have anything you want to talk about, I'm here to listen." He said, turning back to finish cooking.

Collei stood there a moment longer, then went in to Tighnaris hut and sat on his bed.

She continued to think of Khajehs proposal. It was such a big promise. But she couldn't just…not tell Tighnari…right? She could help save so many people…

She couldn't stop thinking about it. No matter what. And she didn't know what to do.

And the more she thought, the worse the memories got.

She heard his voice and felt like she was tied down again, as if another experiment was about to be conducted.

It was getting harder and harder for her to breathe-

why can't I breathe? Please- let me breathe-

It was all getting too much- she couldn't breathe, she felt like she was tied down, she swore she heard his voice somewhere in the mix.

Before she could process all of it, it was happening again.

What had Tighnari called these? Panic attacks?

"They usually happen when you are experiencing a relapse of memories of something traumatic. Well, that's your case specifically. Your heart will feel like its beating out of your chest and your breathing will get faster because your brain is convinced you aren't receiving enough air. You'll start shaking and in in your case, which it appears to be quite severe, you'll see visions or hallucinations, sometimes of people, but also the place around you might change. It's important that if you are experiencing one and I'm not around, to try to find something to divert your attention and start doing our breathing practices. If I am around, no matter what I'm doing, please come to me, and we can work it out together. You don't deserve to go though these things alone, albeit at all."

She remembered him telling her that the first time she had a panic attack in front of him. She didn't know what it was and was terrified. Since then, shes had plenty more and Tighnari was almost always there. Sometimes she was with Cyno who also helped her.

But what could she do now? She felt like the walls were closing in on her and she had no chance of escaping it.

She tried to steady her breathing, she knew she did. She had done it so many times before, but it wasn't working now.

Why isn't this helping!?

She felt the tears start to travel down her face alarmingly fast. When did she start crying?

It was all too much- way too much.

Her mind was filled with Khajehs proposal and all its pro's and con's, how she would bring it up to Tighnari, how to stop this panic attack and all the memories that were coming back.

She just wanted it all to stop- why wouldn't it stop?

She then saw what appeared to be a figure walking into where-…wherever she was.

She flinched and huddled backwards, feeling the need to get away.

"Collei?" The voice yelled, but it sounded far away.

"Collei! Hey, hey, hey, I'm right here, I'm right here- Collei?" It said, sounding scared.

Somehow, a face appeared in front of her blurred vision. They appeared to be saying more, but she didn't know what it was now.

"N-no no no- I- I can't let it happen anymore-" She muttered, thinking of all the other kids.

She couldn't remember any of their names, but she knew them. All the outcast children that would never receive the gods favor. All the children that didn't make it. All the kids who had died by their hands. By his hands. All the poor, poor children that got fates worse than death. Like herself.

She didn't want that to happen again. She never wanted that to happen in the first place. And she had a chance to stop it. Right?

"They didn't deserve that- I-I didn't deserve that-" She muttered more.

She saw the face in front of her change. It wasn't kind and warm anymore. It was cold and harsh.

He was angry. Why was he angry? What did you do this time?

He glared right through his mask.

Wait…mask?

Tighnari doesn't wear a mask.

no- no no no no- he isn't here- this isn't real- this cant be real.

"Collei, if you can hear me, I'm letting you know, I'm going to hold your hand."

His voice spoke through whatever things she was hearing now.

So, when she felt it, she didn't flinch.

"Good, good, you're doing good." He spoke again.

His face started to fade out, leaving her with her Masters worried eyes staring right at her.

She moved her mouth, trying to speak, but the words weren't there.

Her eyes darted all over.

She knew where she was now. She wasn't there. She was in Tighnaris hut. She was safe and far, far away from him.

"Can you tell me where you are?" He asked, his voice much clearer.

She tried to speak more, but it was still hard.

"H-hut…" She said.

"That's good. Very good. I want you to try to breath with me. Okay?" He said, still holding her hand.

"Mhm." She agreed.

They started to do the breathing practices and soon Collei was aware of her surroundings again.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, still holding her hand to let her know this was real.

"…Tired…honestly…" She said, her voice meek and quiet.

"That's understandable. Would you like to talk about what may have caused this?" He asked her.

She curled up again, bringing her knees to her chest.

"Y-yeah…" She whispered.

Tighnari pulled his chair from his desk over and sat in front of her, ready to listen. He even held her hand again for more comfort.

"When I was in the city today with Madam Faruzan, she started talking to some students of the Akademiya that wanted to join her course, so I sat over on a bench and waited for them to finish talking…" She started, taking slow, deep breaths.

"While I was waiting, these three men walked over…They were a-a part of the Akademiya…I think?…I think one of their names was Khajeh…but I might be misremembering…" She continued, only to see Tighnaris face grow colder…had something she said upset him?

He didn't say anything…maybe he wanted her to continue? So she did.

"They first asked if I knew you…and introduced themselves… They said they knew you were really smart and stuff…" She smiled a bit, making quick eye contact with him.

She was quiet, scared to say what had happened next.

"Khajeh…he told me that if I…if I could get you…to um….join the Akademiya…then…" She reached and felt her forearm with her unoccupied hand.

"M-maybe there could be a way to stop The Withering…o-or…the um…Eleazar…He told me that I had a chance to make it go away, to help stop it….t-to um…to help…stop him…" She said, now on the verge of tears again.

She was scared still. He hadn't said anything.

"Are you…mad at me?" She asked, as he let go of her hand.

"No, I'm not mad at you. At all." He said, taking a deep breath.

"I'm just…I'm so sorry that he said that to you. And that you had to deal with all of that pressure… I know its upsetting and that you want there to be a cure, but even the greatest alchemists of Teyvat haven't even come close. I wouldn't be able to do anything." He said solemnly.

"I know…" She muttered, "But…as long as its a thing…" She continued but was stopped.

"I know, I know…but you also know that a vile being like him will do everything it takes for him to continue his research. Curing Eleazar won't stop him." Tighnari admitted.

"…I know…I just wanted to feel…I don't know…like I might be doing something right in my life…" She muttered.

She hoped he hadn't heard her. But she knew he did.

"Saving people isn't your job, Collei. Your job is to live your life the way you want to. Well, within moral boundaries I suppose. But its not your job to save the world. You put so much pressure on yourself…I want you to know that its okay to want to focus on yourself. Because you are important. You have worth, and are worth it to me." He said, his voice soft.

The second round of tears had started as he spoke.

His words were warm and loving. He spoke like he cared because he does.

"I love you Tighnari…" She whispered.

"I love you too Collei." He said back.

After a while, Collei had started to drift off to sleep, and she heard as he stood up and his footsteps faded away.

Later that night, she awoke to the sound of two people talking.

Master Tighnari and Master Cyno?

"But she is alright now, correct?" Cyno asked.

"Yes, she fell asleep a while ago." Tighnari answered.

"And there is still something else you want to tell me, right?" He asked.

"You could tell? …Yes." Tighnari went on and explained the best he could about what happened.

"…That b-" Cyno was about to say, but Tighnari cut him off, shushing him.

Collei felt as though he might've pointed to her as he did.

"Yes, I agree. I'm planning on going into the City tomorrow to speak to them about their utterly foolish and despicable behavior. How they practically manipulated her by guilt? How they targeted her deep rooted trauma?!" He sighed, taking a deep voice.

Collei took a shaky breath. She had no idea he was this worked up. She should've assumed he was being soft with her as to not scare her.

"I can go with you. They'll be more likely to not mess with you or her again." Cyno said.

"I would try to talk you out of it, but that would be useless, wouldn't it?"He sighed. "Alright."

"Good. Amir will watch her?" Cyno asked.

"That is correct…" Tighnari answered.

Their voices then started to fade out as Collei drifted back to sleep. - With Cyno and Tighnari the next day -

The two men walked swiftly towards the Akademiya and made their way inside.

Cyno had requested a meeting with the three men earlier that morning and was glad they delivered.

As Tighnari got to the meeting room, just seeing the three men made him angry.

"Hello Sirs, what a pleasure to see you both!" Khajeh smiled.

"Take a seat, will you?" He said, his associates and himself already seated.

They obliged, meeting the eyes of Khajeh with much disdain.

"I'm glad you could make it Tighnari! Now-" He started to speak, his smile being wiped off his face as he was interrupted.

"Stop talking." Cyno commanded. "I was the one who called this meeting. Not you. Tighnari?" He said, turning the attention to him.

"I was informed by my daughter that you approached her yesterday. You tried to get her to get me to join the Akademiya because your own efforts were failing." He sneered.

Immediately, the mens' faces went white.

"O-oh no- no no no- That certainly wasn't our intention sir- we just-" Ghulam stuttered out some sort of response that might help them.

"Oh really? So you didn't try and guilt her with the effects of The Withering? Or her Eleazar? Oh and you most certainly didn't target her trauma with a mention of a certain Fatui Harbinger, right?" He said, his voice sharp and getting louder.

He had stood, towering over the three men as they seemingly sunk into their seats.

"S-sir we-" Saheem tried to speak but Tighnari wasn't done.

"I'm.not.done." Tighnari seemingly growled.

The men stayed quiet.

"You deliberately tried to use a child for your schemes because you felt you couldn't do it yourself. How disgusting do you think that sounds? Probably not that bad, right? Well how about the fact that you caused her to have a panic attack because you had guilted her to the point of a breakdown. Oh and using her own experiences against her!? I cant even begin to describe how truly awful you three are and I most certainly don't want to know what compelled you to think any of that was a good idea."

"So, I hope you thought it was worth it, because if you didn't ruin your chances of me joining previously, you have now. I have no interest for any work here, and if your pestering continues, I will make sure you are dealt with." He said, venom in his every word.

He took a deep breath and brushed back his raised hair.

"You will not be speaking to me or my daughter ever again. I trust that Cyno can serve as the boundary here, as he is also a part of the Akademiya?" Tighnari looked to him.

"Of course dear." He said, scowling at the men.

"O-of course! We are ever so sorry." Khajeh spoke, probably shaking in fear as he stuttered.

"Good. You should feel lucky that Cyno didn't leave this room the moment the meeting started." Tighnari spat, then taking his leave.

Cyno stayed in there a bit longer as Tighnari took his moment alone to calm down.

Soon, Cyno walked out and walked over to him.

"Are you doing alright?" Cyno asked, taking his husbands hand.

"I'm…fine…" He said, sighing. "I feel like I should've said more, or done more to defend her." He admitted.

"Its alright. I'm glad you stopped where you did because you might've actually hurt one of them if you hadn't." Cyno let out a small laugh.

"Alright…" Tighnari said, knowing he was probably right.

"Plus I took care of telling them what would happen to them in the Akademiya's point of view if anything else happened." Cyno said.

"Well thank you." Tighnari held his hand a bit tighter.

"Of course." Cyno said, doing the same.

"I should start heading back to Gandharva Ville now. Will you be joining?" Tighnari asked.

Cyno thought for a moment before replying, "Sure."

With that, they made their way back to Gandharva Ville together, reaching there just before sunset.

"Ah, Master Tighnari! Oh! Master Cyno!" Collei said, racing towards them.

"Hello Collei, it has been quite a bit, how are you?" Cyno asked as Tighnari went to speak with Amir.

"I'm doing great! I assume Master Tighnari told you?" Collei asked timidly, referring to last night.

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry that happened and I could not be here." He apologized. "But I think you'll be happy to know it was taken care of on my side." He told her.

"Oh, alright… Um, Amir made dinner, do you want some?" Collei asked, grabbing his hand and leading him towards where Tighnari and Amir were speaking.

"Sure." He smiled at her, happy to see that she was alright now.

That night was calm. The three of them spoke and ate together, and Collei felt so glad to have her dads there with her. ----

[ljaylmaoo]

Only Yours

hook x fem!reader

summary: you and hook have a relationship that everyone wishes they could experience and someone tries to break you two apart

genre: very angsty, also extremely fluffy

warnings: hook is really soft in this lol, hickeyss, arguments, there’s a kiss without consent in this, I think that’s it

a/n: hii! this is my FIRST post and one-shot that I wrote out of pure boredom lol. if there’s any typos sorry, I wrote this from 2 am to 7 am in one go lol. please let me know what you think after, AND PLEASE feel free to send requests! as I had a lot of fun writing this and would love to write more! hope you enjoy! thank you :)

word count: 3.6k

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To say you were nervous was an understatement.

At the moment, you were doing the final touches of your makeup in anticipation of Castlecoming. You weren’t very fond of wearing a dress. Sure you loved fashion, but dresses? Most certainly not. But you promised Bridget that if she got Ella to wear a dress, you would too. You also wanted to surprise your boyfriend James who would never expect you to actually wear a gown such as this one. So there you stood, admiring your figure in the gold, arched, full length mirror that sat in the corner of your dorm after brushing on some highlighter on the highest part of your cheekbones and tip of your nose. You cursed at yourself for liking the way the gown looked on you.

“Wow..”

The sudden low whisper like voice from the left of you made you jump a bit then relaxed when you recognized the comforting voice of your boyfriend which instantly washed away the nerves you previously had. You glanced over your shoulder, a radiant smile that couldn’t be hidden even if you tried crept up as you caught the sight of your breathtakingly beautiful lover carrying a bouquet of your favourite flowers in one hand and a box with a bow that held a corsage that luckily matched your dress perfectly.

He slowly made his way up to you, taking in every detail of the rare sight that lied in front of him. He gently set down the box on your vanity, “Art has no depiction that’s fitting of your description. Even the most ignorant would applaud and long for my loves radiance.”

A soft blush washed over your cheeks, “says you, my pretty boy.” You giggle taking the flowers he presented to you with a bow and placed your arms around his neck with him pulling your waist close to him. James has always been a romantic. Every compliment he gives makes Shakespeare’s poems seem dull. Everyone in the academy ached to have your kind of love. And the girls were envious of how James showed his love for you. Always showing you off every chance he gets. He was proud to call you his. He also could never keep his hands off of you, always had to be touching you someway twenty four seven.

Though you two were infatuated with love for one another, there would be the odd argument that would leave you not talking for a day or two which was usually due to his mean and sometimes cruel words that he really didn’t mean. He was still a VK after all.

“Doesn’t my darling look ravishing today?” Was something he would ask the VKs daily as he watched from afar with googoo eyes while smiling like an idiot as you were laughing and talking with your friends, not taking his eyes off you once. Even if you were in a fight and not talking that day.

“Aren’t you guys in a fight?”

“Doesn’t make her any less breathtaking and heavenly to look at.”

These days were torture for him. He tried to be tough and not show how much he was suffering without you, but it never lasted long. By the time he finally breaks he comes knocking on your door with a teddy and “I’m sorry” flowers with him apologizing profusely almost leaving him in tears begging you to take him back explaining how lonely his bed is and how he missed being tangled up with you in your bed every night having the ability to hold you close to him as you drifted off to sleep, and of course you can never stay mad at him. Especially when he’s making himself look like a fool in front of others as they passed by not caring if they judged him by how pathetic he looked, his mind only being set on getting you back.

He was also very protective and possessive of you. If anyone was mean to you or dared try to lay a hand on you flirtatiously, he wasn’t afraid to handle them himself or he would aggressively yet still carefully grab your waist, sometimes with his hook, and kiss you in front of them before smirking at them and watched with satisfaction as they rolled their eyes and walked off. He’d also sometimes give you a few hickeys, making sure that they were as visible as possible. you both wore a necklace with each other’s initials engraved and a diamond heart.

He had also gifted you a beautiful promise ring for your one year anniversary and you’ve worn it ever since.

His favourite pastime was gazing at you while you did your schoolwork or as you slept in his arms. “My heart is so full of you, I can hardly call it my own.” Is just one of the many examples he would say whenever you got insecure and were in denial. He always made sure you knew his devotion to you was for eternity.

You were soulmates without a doubt. Twin flames.

He kissed you passionately, hungrily placing his soft plump lips on yours. You melted into his touch, smiling at his desperation to get as physically close to you as possible in anyway he could. You tried to pull away to catch your breath but he wouldn’t let you, “James” you laughed with his lips still attached to yours, lightly pushing him away at his chest.

He finally pulled away, “yes, love?” He smiled still staring at your lips, lovingly

“I could barely breathe” you laughed again, “I’m sorry darling, I just can’t ever get enough of you.” He shamelessly admitted. You both stayed close admiring each other’s features, leaving no room in between. His hands still firm on your lower back as you stroked his hair. His hair was probably your favourite feature of his. It was soft and always the perfect length, swept back.

“I love you so much.” you whispered looking into his eyes while fixing his collar and necklaces after messing it up a bit from the kiss

“Not as much as I do you, sweetheart.”

“I don’t think so” you replied knowing you always lose the ‘I love you more’ arguments. He laughed, “oh darling, we both know that’s not possible. My love for you will remain as infinite as the stars.” He said while caressing your cheek. You placed your hand on top of his and smiled shyly. He grabbed the box off of the vanity and took the corsage out, he gently took your hand and slid it onto your wrist then kissed your hand softly. “There you are my love.” He said while looking up at you. You had your hand on your chest, “oh my goodness! Thank you, it’s beautiful.” You said while looking at it in awe. He smiled, “of course darling.” He gave you a quick kiss and lead you to the door and opened it, “after you, gorgeous.”

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You and James entered the ballroom together with your arm wrapped around his and hands intertwined looking around the huge decorated room. It was everything you’d imagined it would be. Everyone dressed up in breathtakingly beautiful suits and gowns scattered around the room mingling with their friends or dancing with their loved ones as music played in the background. James watched you in adoration, the amazement in your eyes made them sparkle along with the light glistening from the chandeliers above. The two of you got some glances from your peers of course as you were named ‘Best Couple’ in the yearbook and everyone adored your relationship for the most part. Among the people who were jealous, there was one girl in particular that absolutely despised your relationship. That girl goes by the name of Aria. (if your name is Aria I’M SORRY LMAO) She hated how happy you guys were especially of how loving James was towards you and hated how much people adored your relationship.

She was also James’ ex girlfriend.

They were together for eight months and broke up just five months before you both officially started dating. During those eight dreadful months, they were extremely toxic. They would get into pointless heated arguments on a daily basis at school, some even resulting in James earning a slap to the face, but then would be seen back together by the end of the day making out by the lockers or something. You knew of James beforehand because he was part of Uliana’s crew and also because you had to pass his locker almost everyday in order to get to class and that was usually where they would have their fights. He never paid any attention to you at first, but when Uliana began tormenting Bridget, you caught his eye. He’d constantly try to flirt with you and you would often find him to be staring at you whenever you weren’t looking. One thing led to another and after four months of his many attempts to try and get to you, you finally gave in and decided to give him a chance and a month later, it was made official. You don’t know what changed in him for him to treat you the complete opposite of how he treated Aria and she hated you for it though she couldn’t do anything about it because she knew what he and the VK’s would do if she did. So she always judged from afar, only doing as much as giving you a glare everytime you made eye contact. She wanted to try and sabotage your relationship the night of Castlecoming and break the two of you up, so she came with a plan.

Aria was with her friends when one of them spoke up, “woah, they look grossly fabulous tonight..” she turned and her jaw dropped instantly when she saw the two of you on the other side of the room talking to Uliana and the rest of the group, James spinning you around to show off your gown. She boiled with rage and turned back to her friends, “yeah, we are definitely going to break them up tonight.”

As James was talking with Morgie, you spotted your friends Bridget and Ella so you lightly tapped his shoulder and leaned in to whisper making sure Uliana didn’t notice as she was currently talking with Maleficent beside you, “I’m going to go say hi to Bridget and Ella, okay?” He looked down at you and kissed gave you a quick kiss, “okay, love.” You gave one more kiss on the cheek before heading off towards your friends.

Bridget squealed with excitement as she saw you approaching them, “oh my gosh! Y/n?! You look amazing!” She came up and pulled you into a hug, squeezing tightly to express how proud she was. “I know, I know” you jokingly said after she let go while blushing a bit. You smiled and hugged Ella, “wow I didn’t actually think I’d see you in a dress, like ever.” Ella gave a small smile and laughed, “I could say the same to you.” You scoffed, “well of course I did. We wouldn’t wanna disappoint our girl here now, would we?” You said while patting Bridget on the shoulder who was bursting with excitement jumping up and down while clapping her hands, “okay we need! To take pictures, come on!” She insisted before pulling you both over to the Photo Booth.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

It was later into the night and you were dancing with James, Ella had to go home due to her strict curfew her stepmother gave her, and Bridget went back to her dorm to let you and James have some time together. Aria and her friends watched you with rage as you were gazing into each other’s eyes lovingly, waiting for the perfect moment to begin her plan. He spun you around as the song ended and kissed your hand before leading you off the dance floor, “could I get you another drink, my love?” He questioned, “yeah, sure. I’ll be over there I just have to go to the bathroom quick.” He nodded and the two of you went your separate ways.

Aria smirked at her friends as the first part of her plan had come. She slyly walked off to the fruit punch table and stood in front of it waiting for James to walk up. ��Hi James.” She said suspiciously sweet, he only rolled his eyes and scoffed, “what do you want? Can you move, please?” Aria gave a fake pout, “what? All I did was say hi.” She said innocently, “oh did you want some punch? I’ll get them for you.” She turned and grabbed two cups, “two right? One for you and one for your little girlfriend?” James had his arms crossed and stood impatiently, looking away from her, “yup.” Aria giggled and poured the first one, “here’s yours” she smiled before turning to pour the other. James took a sip of the drink while he waited.

A few moments later, you finished touching up your make up after washing your hands in the bathroom and walked out towards the punch table but you stopped in your tracks. There, in front of the punch table was Aria who had forcefully pulled James into an unexpected kiss. Your heart shattered at the sight. You made eye contact with James who had a shocked and angry expression that you couldn’t see. Your eyes welled up with tears before you ran out of the ballroom. James pushed Aria off him, “get off of me! What the hell, Aria?” He scolded before shoving the punch into her hands and ran after you. She watched him run after you with a smirk taking a sip in satisfaction.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

You came bursting into your room as you cried, slipping off your heels and taking the accessories out of your hair and throwing them onto the vanity followed by your earrings and necklace. You ripped the corsage off your wrist and threw it into the trash can beside you. You studied yourself in the mirror, hating yourself for deciding to wear a gown only to surprise the one you thought loved you most only for them to humiliate you and look like a fool. You went and sat down on your bed as you cried into your hands. James came into the dorm in a panic causing you to jump, “Love, I can explain!” You furrowed your eyebrows in anger while looking at him in disgust, “no! I don’t want to hear it, James!”

“No, no, no, really darling! It wasn’t what it looked-“ you got up from the bed, “Oh yeah? Cause it looked like my boyfriend was kissing his ex girlfriend by the punch table!”

“Well yes but-“

“Do you still have feelings for her, James?” You yelled as you walked closer, “were you only using me to get back at her? Did you even love me?!” He was stuttering as he tried to answer every question you threw at him, “what? No! Of course I do!” He tried but you continued to yell at him, causing him to get angry and the screaming match began. It never ever got this bad before. If the dance wasn’t still going on, everyone would for sure be able to hear every insulting and harsh words you were throwing at each other. There were hot tears streaming down your faces as you continued. But as bad as it was, and as much as you wanted to, neither of you had the willpower to officially call the relationship off. You loved each other too much to do so and you both knew that.

You took the flowers he gave you earlier off your desk and harshly shoved them into his chest, “Get out! I don’t want you here! Leave!” You pushed him out the door and slammed it in his face. You took a deep breath and turned around, and started towards your bed. You didn’t know what to think or how to feel. You knew what he was saying made sense and knew he loved you far too much to ever do something to hurt you. But you don’t know why you kept going at him.

You sat down and stared down at the floor, your mind so lost in deep thought that you didn’t even realize you had changed out of your dress and into your pyjamas. You looked down at the shirt you’d just finished putting on and sighed, it was his shirt. You shut your lamp off and lied down on your bed and stared up at the ceiling as the thoughts in your head continued to flow. Why was he with Aria in the first place for that to happen? He shouldn’t have let that happen. But after a while you felt really bad for what you had said to him and the names you called him. But was he mad at you now too? You heard something that was slid under the crack of your door, you sat up and looked at the little piece of paper that was on the floor. You turned your lamp back on and slowly walked over and picked it up. You opened the paper, “My Beautiful Darling Y/n, no matter how much we fight, the love I have for you will never fade. You will never be unloved by me for you are far too well tangled in my soul. The only feeling stronger than my love for you is the ache that comes with missing you. I’m so very sorry I let this happen, My Love.” You wiped a tear from your cheek as you finished reading. You set the note down on your nightstand and lied back down on your bed.

You tried to fall asleep but you just couldn’t. You missed the feeling of being secured and safe in his arms while he whispered sweet nothings as you drifted off to sleep. Your bed felt cold. Lonely.

After a few more minutes of attempting to force yourself to sleep, you got up and crept out of your room and down the stairs and proceeded down another long hallway before stopping in front of an all too familiar door. You stared at it, contemplating whether or not it was a good idea. But before you could make a decision, you were already making your way inside the dark room. You quietly walked towards the bed, softly and carefully getting under the covers making sure not to wake him. The warmth and familiarity of his body heat made you feel at ease. You looked over at his sleeping figure who was facing towards you and traced his features with your eyes, admiring everything about him and couldn’t help but smile. You really did love this boy with all your heart.

You turned away from him and sighed before closing your eyes to sleep, but just as you were drifting off, you felt an arm snake around your figure, pulling you close. You smiled and melted into his body as you felt the warmth of him engulf your backside, placing your hand on top of his that was placed above your stomach under your shirt. Well, his shirt. He pulled you closer and you felt him softly stroking your hair. Though it has only been a few hours since you’ve felt his touch, it felt like forever. You turned in his arms to face him and wrapped your arms around him scrunching the fabric of his shirt tightly in your hands while burying your face deep into his chest, he had managed to somehow pull you closer though it was physically impossible already.

“I’m sorry.” He heard your soft voice cry, muffled from being buried in his chest. He shook his head and stroked your head, “shh, no, no, no. Don’t apologize. You did nothing wrong, my love.” You let out a quiet sob which was terribly agonizing for him to hear. He looked down and placed his hand on your cheek, bringing your gaze up to his. You looked into his eyes with a pitiful gaze, he saw how broken you looked. The moonlight that seeped in through the window above his bed glistening off your tearful eyes. “Don’t cry, love..” he tried but you rambled on, spilling everything your heart was feeling at that moment causing the pieces of his already broken heart shatter into a million more pieces. He stared at you not knowing what to say after you were done, only pulling you into a deep kiss, more passionate than ever letting his body do the talking without saying any words, pulling your waist close to his. He left sloppy kisses down to your neck, lightly gracing the sensitive skin with his teeth making you gasp in pleasure and gently pull at his hair before he continued to leave his mark with a smile while telling you how beautiful you were and how much he loved you.

This continued until both your neck and chest were covered with love bites. He trailed kisses back up and kissed you once more. He broke the kiss, breathing heavily while looking into your lustful, heavy lidded eyes that were threatening to shut and noticed as your breathing slowed. He pulled you back in and you cuddled back into his chest, “I love you.” You whispered, trailing off as you began to fall into a deep, well needed slumber.

“I love you too, Darling.” He whispered, leaving a delicate kiss on your forehead and rested his head on yours as you both drifted off to sleep.

[erabu-san]

Fremillei is like an extrememy slowburn romance k-drama when the romance is full of innocence, wholesome, but also a big angst and they have to grow up to be able understand each other and they officially dating in the final season, when they are not teenager anymore

[tabbiwritesgenshin]

failing light | various

synopsis: how would they act when you die

genre: angst

word count: 1,119

a/n: I don't have anything interesting to say but can I add how baffling it is the support my previous post got? like damn, i went from 20 notes to 253. tysm y'all omg

Collei wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, to yell, her whole world had crumbled in only a few glances, yet she couldn’t. She was struck with both fear and shock, you were her most beloved person in the entirety of Teyvat, you were the only person who had shown her any love in a long while and now..you were just..dead. She could only stare at your body for what felt like hours until she eventually lost consciousness.

Eula clutched your body with all she had, she had to make sure your last moments were ones of peace. She tried her best to contain herself, to ignore her tears, to do everything she could to look strong for you, yet, she couldn’t. She was left as a crying mess as the concept of losing the only person who loved her dawned on her mind. 

Again she had lost, again Ei had weeped, again was someone else taken from her, again, she felt hopeless, like she had lost everything she held dear. She wanted to move on, she wished to maintain strong, that’s what you desired, that’s what she promised to you..yet she couldn’t. The pain was too much, the grief overtook her. Again would she retire to her Plane of Euthymia, again would she abandon everyone, again would she despise herself.

Ganyu was afraid, she was scared, terrified of the idea of losing you. She tried everything she could yet nothing worked. The half-Qilin tried every bit of knowledge she had on medicine to try to save you, even those used only by the Adepti, if she could, she’d even give out her life for you. Perhaps it was due to the panic of losing someone again, but during her numerous attempts to extend your life, she hadn’t accepted the fact that you were truly gone.

Kujou Sara was unfortunately experienced in the concept of loss and death so when you approached her with heavy battle wounds, she knew better than to panic. Her pain and grief were incomparable to whatever suffering she had seen before in her life, yet, she kept strong. She didn’t want you to pass in fear or sadness. The moment you died it shattered whatever facade was left in her. She collapsed onto the floor, still clutching your cold body. The mighty Tengu general of the Shogunate was lost..truly destroyed.

The skies were split and thunder roared as The Raiden Shogun weeped to your lifeless body. All semblance of hope..all happiness which she had ever felt in her life vanished as her eyes gazed at the ones which had given her so much with so little in return. No longer would the Shogun hold back against humanity, she would make all who dared harm her beloved pay, none shall be spared. All will suffer for the sake of eternity so no one she held dear would fear again.

Rosaria always acted like she didn’t care, Rosaria always acted like nothing mattered to her, even when she had someone to love, someone who loved her, she still acted with this cold exterior, yet, when she was faced with the news that the most significant person in her life had died every facade she had, every coldness in her heart, they were crushed as a sense of hopelessness would crush her like a boulder. Never again would that be a facade, after you had died, after she was left alone once more, that coldness overtook her heart and no amount of warmth could heat it ever again.

The Anemo Archon Venti would hold you on his lap as you slowly passed away, even in your last moments, his love was there to comfort you. Even after you were gone, he would not leave this position, even when you were buried, even when everyone thought you had died alone, even when everyone thought you two hadn’t even spoken to eachother, he would always be present in the place of your passing. Every night, every month, every year, he would sit there for hours at a time, drinking away as he talked to himself in only praises of yourself.

The Wanderer felt different, he was the creation of a god, mortals were below him, none were equal to him, he was above every single one of those worms, yet, there was one of those so called “worms” that for a single moment, for a brief second, could make him believe he was only a human, that he could feel happy, he could feel everything those he called below him could feel. There was only one person who could make him happy, only one person who could help him forget about his betrayals yet even them suffered, even them were hunted down due to his past, even them suffered because of him. Some would say, that the Wanderer, after so long, would return to who he was, even for a single minute, would enjoy murder once more.

He knew it would happen, a karmic debt was placed on Xiao a long time ago, he knew it, he knew that those around him would suffer because of it, but even then, the mighty conqueror of demons could also fall prey to the enticing and intoxicating love he used to think he was undeserving of. His more rational side was prepared for such an occurrence, of losing his most loved one yet deep down, he knew he wasn’t, he knew the moment you were at the brink of death, he would sacrifice his own to keep you safe..but he was too late, you were dead before he could heal you, before he could save you. Never before had the Yaksha felt such deep hatred, such unfeeling rage, so much was it that when he was done with his vengeance, when he had bathed in blood in the name of love, he felt nothing but a consuming sense of hollowness.

Zhongli grasped your hand with all the softness and grace he could have. He had a rather long talk with you, reminiscing about the fond times you two had, the love you shared, the pain and the happiness you had shared. He knew it would come to this, he knew that this would happen eventually. You were a mortal, a mere human, he was an archon, a god. Once you were gone, once time finally caught up with you, he couldn’t help but to shed a tear. Once again, none who would share his memories, once again, another loved one had been hit with time. Some could say that from that day, the enigmatic consultant of the Wangsheng funeral parlor seemed more distant, more cold, even.

[stellar-skyy]

♡ - free as a bird. platonic collei & reader !

☆ — if you're craving a drink, make sure to stop by the teashop!

i. SUMMARY: Collei and her fellow test-subject escape, but find themselves cornered. ii. CWS & NOTES: mentions of canon-typical human experimentation, self-sacrifice, mild violence. PLATONIC collei & gn!reader. angst. ?k words. iii. A/N: ordered by @umgatochamadopercyval! i accidentally deleted the ask, but here it is anyway!

Under the scorching heat falling across the forest, between winding trees that surrounded their vision and over countless roots and vines on the ground, two figures trudged slowly: hands linked, and bodies weary. Birdsong chimed from above the treetops, singing a pleasant tune to drown out the aches in their bones. It might have eased one of the traveller’s pain—or at least, it served as a soothing distraction from the bruises still stinging on their arms, and feet raw from walking—but their younger companion was less easily placated.

“H-How—” Collei gasped out, clutching at her chest. “How much longer?”

“We have to get to Mondstadt.” [Name] said stiffly, tugging on her hand to pull her along. She made an unhappy noise, but dutifully stumbled into step beside them. The young girl looked so small standing next to them, with limbs far too thin and bony for a child her age, and almost every inch of skin wrapped in layers of bandages. A petulant scowl crossed her face, one that had hardly left since the moment they had met her. It had been years, but the memory would never escape their mind; when Collei was still a sickly bird locked in a cage with a monster holding the key, back when their wings were freshly clipped, and they had no fight left in them.

Collei had been shoved in the same dingy room, kicking and screaming at the doctor as he brought her in. Every movement was sluggish, and yet filled with more aggression than they had ever seen a young girl behave with before. She clawed her nails down his jacket until her fingers were red and raw, but none of the viciousness fazed the man. He simply picked her up by her scarf, like a mother cat holding her kittens by the scruff, and tossed her harshly onto the empty twin bed.

The girl stumbled to her feet and lunged at the man, right as he closed the door behind him.

“Let me go!” She cried out as she slammed both fists on the door, her voice reaching no one who could help her. Her screams soon mellowed out to wretched sobs, wracking her small frame.

It was apparent that either her eyes had glossed over the second presence in the room, or she determined them unimportant in that moment. No matter the reason, the young girl was far too consumed in her misery to pay any attention to the other person sitting cross-legged on their bed. Her distraught, pitiful howls echoed painfully throughout the room, searing into walls that had heard little more than stifled sobs for years.

They stood up, taking small steps towards the crying child. Their experience in comfort was scarce; ever since they were brought into the lab, ‘comfort’ came in the form of a reprimand or a slap to get them to shut their mouth and stop crying. They were even less capable of giving it to others, after years of isolation from all other souls but the monsters that poked and prodded at them.

Even despite that, they couldn’t help but lay a gentle hand on the girl’s shoulder in what they hoped was a soothing gesture.

“Hey…” They started, their voice husky and tender from disuse. They swallowed dryly, clearing their throat with a wince. “Hey… it’s okay.”

“How can you say that!?” the girl hissed, wrenching her shoulder from their hand. Her eyes were wild, puffy and red. “Nothing is okay!”

A chuckle left their lips, and she glared even harder at them. “Yeah… poor choice of words. I’m [Name]. What’s your name?”

“…Collei.” She said stiffly, curling up against the door with her knees pressed against her chest.

“That’s a lovely name, Collei.” They said, forcing a smile. It was a Sumerian name. She mustn’t be far from home. “How old are you?”

She hesitated. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know how old you are?”

“Um. I… I don’t remember. I have a birthday, I have to. But they never let me celebrate it, so I lost track of the years.” Collei paused, lost in thought. Absentmindedly, she began to count on her fingers, murmuring numbers under her breath. “Seven… eight… oh, that was years ago… so—eleven! Or maybe twelve. Around that number.”

They swallowed back the wave of anger that bubbled up at Collei’s casual admittance. It was said with far too uncaring of a tone, like missing so many birthdays one forgot how old they were was a common childhood experience.

“How did you end up here?” The softness they’d taken with their earlier questions barely masked the shaking anger in their voice.

Collei scrunched up her face. “Um. I was in another facility ever since I was little. Lots of experiments. They moved me here to… they wanted… they—”

Her eyes grew watery again, and she burst into tears. They startled at her sudden outburst, crouching awkwardly beside her as she rocked back and forth.

“I just want this to end,” She wailed. “It’s not fair! It’s not fair, it’s not fair!”

The sight looked far too familiar for comfort. It would only take a squint of their eyes and a tilt of their head to see their younger self, screaming about the injustice of it all. They were the same: two caged birds, crying out for their chance to fly again.

The experiments had stolen every last scrap of resolve [Name] once had, leaving them a husk of their former self; missing the willpower to escape their situation, cursed with the longing to do so anyway. Give it a few years, and Collei would be the same, singing mournful songs through the bars of her cage.

They couldn’t let another one suffer their fate, not a young girl already so scarred from this world.

They had given up on their freedom a long time ago, but they would lose it all over again if it meant freeing an innocent like her. And as if the kindling inside them never burned out, a flame flickered to life in their chest, warming up a heart long-frozen over. For the first time in years, they felt something like a purpose spark in their mind; an urge to protect overriding their only desire to survive.

Their lips moved before their mind did, blurting out something they never thought they’d say. “Don’t worry. We’ll get out of here.”  

Collei sniffed loudly, looking up at them. “That’s what they told me last time. But no one ever gets out.”

“But we will,” They clasped her smaller hands in their own, giving them a squeeze. “We’re gonna get out of here, okay? I already had a plan for myself before you showed up.”

They were lying through their teeth, but Collei’s eyes widened. “R-Really?”

“Of course.”

“P-Promise! Promise me!” Collei shoved her hand in their face, her pinkie extended.

Gently, they linked her finger with theirs. The spark burned in their chest, warming them from head to toe. “I promise.”

Promises were another rarity in that forsaken place for a reason, but this was one they swore to keep. And they did, months later—around the time Collei had mulled it over for a while and concluded that she had to be thirteen by then. The moment the opportunity presented itself, they fled; escaping into the night with a handful of other test subjects and a dozen Fatui agents on their trail.

From there, the two never looked back.

“Please…” Collei choked out, her pained wheezes pulling them sharply into the present. “It hurts. Can we—can we take a break?”

Their face softened, and so did their words. “It shouldn’t be too much further; we’re already almost at the border of Sumeru. There should be a village not far from here.”

“How far?” She said doubtfully.

“About...” they paused, thinking. “Half-an-hour.”

“Can we get food?” Collei asked, brightening up slightly.

“Of course.” They promised, giving her hand a squeeze.

She beamed at them, through her fractured breathing. “I think I can push on a little bit longer then.”

They smiled down at her, and the two lapsed into silence. The quiet only lasted several moments, as Collei paused to look around herself with a dull confusion.

“The birds have stopped singing,” she mused. Their attention flickered back to the sounds of the forest around them, long enough to notice that the birdsong had in fact gone silent.

“They have, haven't they...?” they said absently, still straining to hear something, anything. “I wonder why.”

“It’s quiet.” She said. Too quiet went unspoken, but it was on both of their lips. The silence felt entirely too thick, pressing on the pair from all sides.

The lab was never silent. It was hushed at times, but if they strained their hearing and pressed an ear to the door of their room, they would be able to hear distant screams or sobs from other test subjects. Quiet only came in the times between, when the doctor had finished with one subject and was moving to the next. They had learned to fear the lapses in noise, knowing any moment his hand might turn the doorhandle.

“[Name]…” Collei pulled her scarf further up on her face, eyes darting between the trees. “I think something is—”

A shadow appeared in the corner of their vision and they instinctively shoved Collei behind them, in time for a knife to lodge in the trunk of a tree, inches away from where her head had been moments prior. She fell to her feet coughing and spluttering, as the shadow took a familiar shape.

A Fatui Agent, stalking through the spaces between the trees. A glint of steel appeared in his hands, and their heart stopped.

“Run!” They yelled, pulling Collei to her feet and forcing her into a sprint. The two stumbled through the uneven undergrowth, running wildly in a desperate attempt to dodge the hurling knives.

Behind them, the sound of boots slamming against the ground grew louder.

“I can't—” Collei’s voice was strangled. “I can’t run!”

“Just a little further!” They gasped.

They were close to the village that they had seen on the map of Sumeru in their pocket, but at the pace they were being pursued, their throats would be slit before they could even glimpse it. If they ran fast enough, they might be able to reach the outskirts and yell for help, but doing so would take something to slow down their pursuer. A distraction, an obstacle… a sacrifice.

In their mind, it finally clicked.

The chance of the both of them living to see the sunset was slim. One of them would live to fly another day, if their cards were played right, but not both. And in the moment between leaping through the grove and making eye contact with their companion beside them, they reached a decision.

They slowed to a halt, letting go of Collei’s hand. She turned to look at them incredulously.

“What are you doing?” She cried.

“Keep going!” They yelled back, pushing her forward. She stumbled, eyes darting wildly around her. The Agent had vanished into a shadow again, but they didn’t cower. They stood resolutely, waiting for him to reappear. “Come out, you coward!”

“[Name], no!”

“Just go! Find Mondstadt, go—” Their plea was ended with a wheeze, as the Agent appeared and shoved them harshly to the ground. Collei screamed, as agonised as the day they met.

“There’s no escape,” the Agent hissed, holding them against the dirt. “You can’t run from debt.”

“You say that—” They coughed, struggling to breathe through the grip on their chest. “—And yet I made it this far. Seems like you’re not very good at this ‘debt-collector’ thing.”

“Insolent brat.” He growled. Their gaze swept past him to Collei, who was still frozen at the tree-line. They jerked their head harshly, signalling for her to leave, and she staggered back a few steps.

“I’m going to enjoy collecting my dues,” The Agent said with a low laugh, oblivious to where their attention was focused.

Collei met their eyes one final time, waves of tears streaming down her face. They curved their lips upward in a desperate grin, manic and fleeting. “Go,” they whispered, knowing she couldn’t hear them. The Fatui Agent held his dagger above his head, glinting a harsh silver in the sunlight.

“Go!” they screamed in a strangled voice. Collei turned her back sharply and took off, soaring through as the agent’s knife made a graceful arc downwards—falling onto them like an executioner’s blade.

They closed their eyes, and dreamed of flying.

reblogs are appreciated! ♡

[carrotcouple]

"the first to betray me was a god, my mother"

[strxnged]

TIGHNARI: # deliver me.

word count. 3k. genre. adventure, pining.

overview. news of your patrol squad's brutal defeat by eremites reaches tighnari's ears. he wastes no time searching for you to save you—but in the end, who will be saving who?

warnings. blood, action sequences, tighnari & y/n both being badass AND down bad for each other. read at your own discretion.

Tighnari shifted his weight to his other leg, trying to focus himself on his work at hand. A dark cloud had been looming over his mind all day. It had obscured his path to understanding the recent outbreak of withering zones all across the forest; he seemed to have hit a roadblock in what to anticipate in coming weeks. Some information from forest logs pointed to the archon’s situation, and other clues pointed to misconduct of both Akedemiya researchers and bands of Eremites. Still others seemed to lead him somewhere deeper, somewhere within the very Ley Lines of Teyvat. But there was more that was bothering him today which he could not lay his finger on.

“General Watchleader, sir!” 

He looked up to see a Forest Watcher at his doorway. 

“Come quick,” she said. “Something’s happened to this morning’s patrol squad.”

Tighnari wasted no time following her to the infirmary hut, where but one Forest Watcher was lying wounded on one of the beds. It was indeed one of the Rangers that had been sent out this morning, along with you and two others, who he did not see now.

“Kamran, what happened?”

The poor man clutched his bleeding side, which was dressed mildly with a makeshift bandage from his scarf. Tighnari gently removed this to treat the Ranger’s wound, listening to his tale.

“Eremites, General Watchleader. We were ambushed, and they—they had no mercy. The two others died, sir, and our patrol chief told me to get out of there. I made it out by the hair on my neck. Or rather, my side—yahhh!” Kamran yelped as Tighnari applied an ointment along the edge of the wound.

“Sit still, Kamran.” Tighanari tried to steady his hands. He’d elected you chief of this patrol—and so, it was his fault if you were dead. He might not ever forgive himself for this. He should have sent stronger defense along. He should have seen this coming. 

Damn, he might have lost you, now, and might never get the chance to tell you what you meant to him.

He tightened a liquid bandage over Kamran’s wound. “Tell me, Ranger: where did this occur?”

<*+`,.>

Tighnari’s boots were laden with mud by the time he and two others had reached the reported location. Rain was falling hard, emphasizing his growing dread and causing his ears to fold back. Finding nothing initially, one of the other Forest Rangers suggested they split up.

“Hold that thought, Ranger,” he said, kneeling at the sign of discolored mud. On closer inspection, he realized: “Blood.”

None of them could locate directional footprints near this point, but there was a clear indication of a fight, one that ended quickly. The three swept the riverbank for more clues with no luck. But upon a tree Tighnari noted a fresh gash around half of its trunk. It looked like one your knives might have made it, though it was higher than you would have naturally reached.

Perhaps you had been carried. Perhaps they kept you alive.

“We go West,” Tighnari declared. “Iraj, take the Southernmost route! Shirin, you take the Northernmost one!”

“Sir,” they nodded, gathering in front of him.

“Don’t stand there. Lives still may be saved today!”

And off they ran, all three praying he would be right.

Tighnari was relieved when he found another fresh cut in a tree several paces West, indicative of your survival past the ambush. He later found the ground to be firmer, and the marks of several footprints created a reliable trail. Now he had a feeling he was drawing closer—but at the same time, a feeling he might still be too late.

The discovery of one of your blades in the dirt a bit further along concurred.

It had occurred to him quite soon after Kamran’s arrival that this may be a trap for Tighnari. The Forest Rangers of Gandharva Ville had had a rocky relationship with Eremites, and being known as the leader placed a target on his back. However, he feared more the blood of the Rangers on his hands than any of the enemies of the forest he may face. He had no doubt now that it was a trap, but knowing it served him very little. He’d sent the others further away so that they might not have to get involved; he only hoped they hadn’t come near enough to locate the camp. 

Only then did he hear distant chatter. It sounded like Eremites, no doubt, and additionally, the whining tone of Treasure Hoarders. As he approached the camp, he quieted his paces and kept to the shadows, eyes peeled to the men and women around the wet firepit with their weapons at the ready. 

Tighnari crept around the outskirts of the camp, far enough away that any rustle in the trees would be indistinguishable from the storm. He spied you, soon enough, sitting in a crude wooden cage similar to ones he’d seen at other Treasure Hoarder camps before. Guilt sank his heart to his stomach. He would get you out of this mess, no matter what.

Tighnari aimed his bow at the back of the Eremite guarding your cage, considering. If he alerted the camp of his presence, he would have to face all of them at once. If he lured some away, however…

He pointed and shot his arrow to the trees near the path, and watched a few shout and scramble over in that direction. He snickered to himself. Knuckleheads.

Back at the camp, he could just make out you standing in your cage, peering over in that same direction. He refocused, noticing how muddy your face and back were.

There would be no easy way to save you, he knew. But hesitating would make things harder, and so he crept closer to the camp. The mud was slippery and thick here, gathering a slight stream downhill. If he had sprinted for you, he would have wiped out and given himself away. 

Ah. That would work.

Tighnari at last sent an arrow at the Eremite leaning on your cage, and she staggered to her feet, whirling around. “He’s there!” she shouted shrilly, and soon, a larger portion of the camp was racing towards him. He simply jogged a few steps away, turned, and readied his weapon.

Sure enough, each Treasure Hoarder and Eremite that ran close enough slid on their heel and landed on their ass. Defeating them with a few well aimed shots was no problem. A cryo-thrower tossed a solution from further away, and Tighnari just managed to dive out of the way. Gathering his elemental energy, he sent three shots at the foe and made a dash for the camp.

“Welcome, Tree-Hugger. Eat this.” A kick from an undetected Eremite struck him clean across the face and he stumbled backwards.

“My,” he said, simply. “No need to play dirty.”

“You don’t know when to drop the act, do you?” the Eremite said. She slashed her dual hydro-blades at her, and just barely missed his chest as he dodged. “You’re dead.”

He dodged another attack. He wouldn’t be able to defeat her from this close a range. He’d been hoping to emancipate you before dealing with the rest, but it seemed he had no choice.

Or, at least, that’s what he was thinking, until the Clearwater grunted and froze in place, before crumbling to her knees.

He noticed the handle of a blade stuck deep into her shoulder. Not just any blade. Your blade.

“C’mon, ‘Nari, get me out of here before I scream. They’re awfully loud bastards.”

He chuckled, noticing you watching him from the cage. Truly an ineffective sport and ineffective piece of technology, trapping someone without taking away their weapons in such a wide-barred, single-person cage. He wondered if you might have shimmied out between the wood had you not been surrounded by Treasure Hoarders.

“Alright, alright. Be patient, Patrol Chief.”

You groaned as he went to make work of the lock. “You can’t be serious. You don’t even have the key.”

“I can pick locks,” he said matter of factly, “you know.”

You chuckled. “Yeah, well, I can do this—” He halted as you wrapped your hands around two parallel wooden beams and pulled them apart, successfully snapping them and opening yourself your own doorway out. You tossed the splintered beams to the ground and dusted off your hands. 

“You could have done that before I got here and saved me the trouble,” Tighnari quipped, watching you step out. “Now, then, I do apologize you landed in this mess all because—”

“It’s not your fault, Tighnari. I can be responsible for my own ass sometimes.”

Tighnari curled his lips unashamedly.

“Don’t respond to that,” you said, trudging over to the female Eremite to draw your knife out of her shoulder. You wiped the blood off with the inner elbow of your sleeve, peering into the sky. “So, how’d you find out what happened?”

Tighnari followed you, checking you over for injuries. “Kamran stumbled into camp and I was alerted,” he said, and then deemed you to be in one shape and acquiesced to your resistance.

“That coward.” You huffed and shook your head. “I don’t know what he told you, but he ran off almost immediately. And he was supposed to be our combat support. Our analyst didn’t make it.”

“Not your fault.”

“It ain’t yours either, ‘Nari. Eremites can just be ruthless. I knew they wanted you, but I was hoping Kamran wouldn’t be able to find the way back so that I could handle it myself.”

“Patrol Chief, you were still in your cage when I made it here,” he said. “I don’t think it was going as well as you claim it was.”

The Clearwater Eremite groaned, writhing on the ground. Tighnari gave her a good kick in the side. You raised your eyebrows at him. “I was just waiting for the sun to come out. It seemed awfully inconvenient to deal with the situation in the pouring rain.” You pointed into the sky. “A bit of sun’s coming out now. I would have gotten out by now with or without your help.”

“No ‘thank you’?”

You shook your head. “Nope. Not when you put yourself in danger like that.”

Tighnari shook his ears with a resigned sigh. “Well, at least it’s all over now.”

“Not yet it ain’t,” a voice boomed. The two of you whirled around to see a burly Eremite clomping into the camp. Tighnari did not recognize him from the ones he dealt with earlier. He was larger, more handsomely clothed, and angrier. “I’ve been waiting for this day.”

“Of course you have,” Tighnari muttered.

“You should be more afraid, tree hugger,” demanded the Eremite.

“No need,” he replied, readying his bow unwaveringly.

The Eremite laughed heartily and drew a long, narrow blade, eyeing both of you with evident bloodlust. You clasped the hilt of your dagger in your belt, but Tighnari raised an arm in front of you.

“Fight me all you want, but leave them out of this.” At this you started to protest but a severe look from Tighnari silenced you at once.

“Someone’s protective of his pet,” the Eremite responded. He stepped closer, dragging the tip of his blade in the mud. “Seems we were right.”

Tighnari’s face was dark. You were grateful not to be on the receiving end of that look. “You Eremites wish you had any kind of sense. Luring me here was a mistake.” 

He fired an arrow at the man’s chest, knocking him back and angering him further. You stepped out of the way as Tighnari had instructed you, watching him dive towards the edge of the camp to avoid a swipe of the Eremite’s blade. You wanted to help, but you didn’t want to complicate things.

Tighnari shouted, tossing a Dendro bomb at the Eremite’s feet. He stumbled back—only to charge at Tighnari with greater force. You could just barely hear him swearing under the thundering rain, dodging the blade again. It went on for several minutes; you watched with great interest, only bothered by the fact that you weren’t part of it. It seemed that the General Watchleader was attempting to exhaust the roaring Eremite, but it was taking a while. Both Tighnari and the Eremite’s movements were becoming sloppier. The Eremite showed no sign of letting up, however; he looked like he’d been waiting for this his whole life.

In a moment that seemed to last several seconds, you saw Tighnari’s foot slip a little in the grass, causing him to stumble a little. You did not hesitate to reach your arm back and fling your dagger at the Eremite. 

It sunk into his back a moment too late—the Eremite had landed a deadly strike on Tighnari.

Tighnari fell to his knees as the Eremite crumpled into the grass, groaning.

“Damn it, Tighnari!” you ran over to your leader, kneeling next to him.

“My love…” He fought to keep his eyes open. “I apologize. I thought I could—” He cut himself off, holding one hand to his mouth to cough hard. His other hand was clutching his chest. Blood came from both locations.

“‘Nari,” you whispered.

Neither of you had the time to process the use of such a term between you. You could feel his shoulders in your hands, tremble and falter. Your heart stopped as he fell forward into your arms. Your thoughts blurred as you ripped the Eremite’s scarf from his neck and tied it around his chest, trying to hold enough pressure to his collarbone to stop the bleeding. Once you were satisfied with the tautness, you took a full, deep breath, dragged him to a standing position by his armpits, and pulled him onto your back.

“Shit. You’re heavy, asshole,” you breathed. It was going to be a long walk back to Gandharva Ville. And you were not going to think about him calling you his “love.”

<*+`,.>

Tighnari came to in a very comfortable bed with a very uncomfortable pain in his chest. He could barely breathe. It was like he’d been stabbed in the lungs.

Oh. He had been. The events of the Eremite camp sharpened in his memory. He’d been trying to lead the Eremite far enough from you that you could escape. But he didn’t remember anything after being stabbed. Where were you?

His vision was peppered with dots but he forced them to focus. He was in the infirmary, no doubt. But whoever had treated his injury had done an egregious job, and he did not attempt any movement. His mouth tasted like iron. Like blood.

Tighnari heard a fuss across the room and footsteps ran into his direction. You leaned over him with evident worry. And red eyes.

“You’re awake,” you said with a tense sigh.

“No shit.”

You stared at him. Your face, previously clouded in misgiving, reconfigured to a relieved smile. “You’re quite awake,” you said.

“Haven’t you got,” he said, taking short breaths between words, “anything else to say?”

“Yeah. You’re awake thanks to me.”

He opened his mouth to voice a retort, but his throat clenched and he turned his head to cough. “I should have given you… lessons… on how to treat a chest wound.”

“I figured it out myself.”

He tilted his face back to look you in the eyes. “Barely.”

“I’m sorry, ‘Nari,” you said. “But at the same time, you could have been dead. You could have been dead because you didn’t let me help.” Tighnari noticed a tear escape your eye, which you wiped away immediately with the heel of your palm. “Asshole,” you added as an affable afterthought.

Tighnari studied your face, feeling emotions threaten his own expression. He wiggled his fingers, testing the pain. Satisfied that it was bearable, he reached up to your collar and pulled you towards him. 

“Thank you,” he whispered into your ear, “for saving me. You did well.” 

You seemed to hesitate. Then, ever-so-gently, you rested your head next to his and placed a careful hand on his shoulder. You were warm, and he didn’t know you were capable of such tender affection.

As you stood up straight again, you flicked his forehead with all your might.

He gasped, and then howled as his hand involuntary jerking up to his head caused his chest to strain and ache. “Ow! That was unnecessary!”

“You’re welcome, Tighnari,” you announced with your back to him. He did not fail to notice the redness of your ears.

He clicked his tongue. “You used the wrong ointment on my wound, Patrol Chief.” He took a deep breath, wincing again. “Is this Padisarah itching cream?”

You scoffed. “You can treat your wounds yourself from now on.” With that, you marched through the door of the hut, leaving Tighnari quite immobile on the bed.

He allowed himself a small smile. Alas, neither of you were dead. And something told him he would get the chance to tell you what you meant to him.

author's note. thanks for reading. if you enjoyed, a reblog would mean the world!

[genshin-silliness]

I just had a Sumeru family au idea

So in the original game, Cyno hands Collei over to Tighnari for him to educate her, but what if instead of that Cyno attempted to educate her and care for her himself?? And instead of training to become a forest watcher, she was trying to become a Matra? Possibly even the next General Mahamatra. Imagine how different her design would be....and her personality. Maybe her cold and somewhat bratty demeanor would end up sticking with her, after all being a Matra is no light task.

It's a cool idea me thinks

[thatgenderfluidmonstrosity]

When The Rain Comes (Collei Angst)

TW: Mentions of needles and injections, Implied kidnapping, Comatose state

(I also just posted this on Ao3, Author: SoManyPassions, the name of the fic is the same, go check it out there if you want!)

----

The moment Dottore made himself publicly known in Sumeru City, the news of the previously banned student of the Akademiyas' return spread like wildfire.

Soon enough, it reached Gandharva Ville. And Tighnari.

----

It had really started to down pour when Amir, a Forest Ranger, showed up at Tighnari’s home, Collei being there as well.

“Tighnari! You are needed in the Main House.” He said, his eyes quickly shooting over to Collei for a second, then back to Tighnari.

“Is everything alright?” He asked, setting down his clipboard, glancing over to the Trainee as well.

“We just- we need to talk. Come on.” He said, making his way over to the Main House, Tighnari following closely.

“Tighnari?” Collei called out, running after.

“Um-“ He was about to say something, looking back at Amir.

He shook his head.

“Just stay here, I’m sure everything is okay.” He said, lightning striking behind them in the distance.

She had a scared look on her face, but ran back to the house.

Amir and Tighnari quickly made their way to the Main House and as they entered, the talking ceased.

What’s going on? Is the Withering getting worse? Why couldn’t Collei come? He had so many questions but filed them backwards as the upper rank Forest Rangers and himself took their seats at their meeting table.

“So?” He asked.

The rangers looked at each other, silently deciding who would break the news.

“…Dottore was spotted in Sumeru City.” Someone said, getting the words out.

He felt his chest tighten and breath hitch.

“Th-that’s why we couldn’t have Collei here, despite her being your pupil. She-“ Amir started.

“I- I understand…” He said, staring intensely at the table below him, fingers intertwined as he got lost in thought.

“I can’t stay here. I leave for Pardis Dhyai in the morning…Cyno can’t be here either.” He muttered to himself.

“I need to entrust my-…entrust Collei’s safety with you all.” He said, his tail swaying slightly.

He wasn't going to say his daughter! Of course not!… But these situations where she could be in danger really made it tempting to say so.

“Of course Tighnari sir! We will do whatever it takes.” A ranger stood, making herself known.

“Good, because if he’s here, then it’s for more than one reason.” He said, his eyes growing dark.

He recalled Collei’s first nights here. How she would have mumbling nightmares, sometimes even getting bad enough to where she would awake with a small scream.

As he got to know her more, it hurt him more to see her like that.

He only hoped that the information would not reach her, and even more so, he would not reach her.

They continued and discussed more of a plan of protection for when Tighnari would be absent. Soon, as the rain settled, and the meeting ended, Tighnari returned to his hut and started packing to leave.

“Master Tighnari? What was all that about last night? What happened? Is it bad?” The girl persisted with her questions despite no time arising for answers.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. It’s just…The Withering in the surrounding areas is getting worse. They are not only multiplying but their radius’s have only expanded.” He told her.

Of course these were only lies (hopefully), but it was to keep her suspicions low to none.

“Oh… I suppose that means I am bound to the Village for now?” She asked.

“You would presume correctly Collei. But not to worry. I have gathered some helpful Vision Bearing Mercenaries to hopefully take care of it, being instructed by some higher ranking Rangers of course.” He said.

Soon, he had finished packing and said his farewells.

“Keep her safe.” He told Amir.

“Of course.” He said.

“I just wish I didn’t have to leave… But Hapasiya needs my attention, and I know Dottores first stop will be there. If only I could bring Collei, but that would only lead to more trouble.” He thought out loud.

Soon, he was off.

And only a day had passed before more news spread.

Dottore was…gone? He had left Sumeru already? How?

As Tighnari and Cyno heard the news, they felt more at ease, and of course Collei was none the wiser.

But of course, the false rise was only a worthy breeding ground for trouble and disappointment.

There were small rumors here and there, some believing of The Doctors departing, and others saying they heard differently.

Some had recent pictures of him on his boat, others had even more recent ones of him traversing the forest.

The only thing that was for sure was; Collei still needed protection.

“Aha! Amir!” The girl raced towards the close associate of her master.

“Collei, is everything alright?” He asked.

“Yes, yes, but I have a question! Would you like to try my new Pita Pocket recipe?” She asked, her eyes sparkling just a bit.

“Oh, sure! Just let me finish writing this report, and I’ll be right over!” He smiled at the kid as she ran back to Tighnaris hut.

She had been staying there since his absence, and it was sure that it was to help her not feel so lonely.

Shortly afterwards, he finished the report and met with her in the hut.

She showed him the Pita Pocket, giving him one and taking the other for herself.

“Mm, this is delicious Collei, good job!” He smiled, having finished the food.

“Hehe, thank you! I’m glad you like it! Do you think Tighnari will like it?” She asked.

“I’m sure he’ll love it.” He said.

“…Do you know when he’ll be back?” She asked, getting a bit sad for a moment.

“I’m sure it will be soon.” He said.

He reached upwards for a moment before speaking again.

“May I?” He asked.

“Hehe sure.” Collei giggled.

He rustled her hair a bit and smiled.

“I’ll see you later!” He said, taking his leave.

Collei sat back on her bed with Culien-Anbar in her arms.

She thought of everything that had happened since she arrived in Gandharva Ville. When she first met Tighnari, when she started to speak more with the Forest Rangers and eventually everyone else in the Village.

They had all started to develop a soft spot for the kid. She was helpful and kind and tried her best. But of course Tighnari was her main caregiver. He had the biggest soft spot but eventually had to compete for that place with Cyno.

She smiled to herself, thinking about all the support she had here.

It almost made her forget about her past. Almost.

It rained again that night, the pattering eventually getting loud enough to drown out the sound of footsteps walking along the bridges. Or the darkness of the night being able to hide stalking bodies from being seen. Or even the lack of light behind a curtain of leaves making a figure be unable to be seen behind them.

But the most of all, the lulling sound of the storm putting someone into such a deep sleep, even a nearby presence won’t wake them.

But a voice will.

“Hm, seems as though I have found you after all my dearest subject.”

His voice didn’t ring in her head. It stabbed her like millions of needles.

Her eyes shot open as she sat up and looked around. There was nothing there. But this wasn’t a dream. It couldn’t be. The people of Sumeru don’t dream. Well, she did. But that was besides the point. She knew what she heard. And what she heard was a monster, slowly creeping his way back into her mind.

She stood from her bed, grabbing her bow and staring at the curtain of leaves in front of her. Her only exit. His only entrance.

She nocked an arrow, trying to stop herself from shaking.

“You know it will be hard to shoot if you are so terrified. Correct?”

He was real. This was real.

Again, the endless sensation of needles pricking her skin took over.

She couldn’t even speak.

Even when he walked in, she could not yell for help.

“You know it was foolish to run…don’t you? But don’t worry dear, I-“ He said, but was interrupted by an arrow flying narrowly passed his chest.

She nocked another one.

“Oh stop it,-“ he took a step closer, scowling, when the next flew passed his head.

“Stay back.” Her voice was meek and quivering.

To say that she was just afraid would be the biggest understatement in all of Teyvat.

She was absolutely terrified.

She was so focused on keeping her arms from shaking to get an accurate hit, she failed to realize just how close he had gotten, his chest just barley in front of her shaking arrow.

“You’ve grown into disobedience. How annoying.” He slapped the bow and arrow out of her hands, them then clanging against the floor.

“But not to worry, we can get you back into shape. I must say, I’ll be glad to continue what Pantalone called a failed experiment.” He grinned still.

“You aren’t taking me back there.” She said, her voice still quiet.

“You don’t sound so sure.” He smirked.

She could not move back any further even if she wanted to. She could only stay trapped in front of him.

She was frozen in fear till his hand grabbed her wrist.

“And still Collei, I don’t understand why you found it fit to run. You could’ve stayed and continued to be a staple of my research, but of course you find it useful to make yourself a nuisance.” He stared at her, savoring the fear in her eyes.

And she still hadn’t said many words.

But when she did, they were not cries for help.

They were only commands he would not follow.

“Have you gone mute child or are you just that scared?” He asked, trying to get a rise out of her.

She then took a single breath and whistled the best she could. She happened to be good at whistling loud enough to where she had even gained the attention of a Rishboland Tiger from deep in the woods once.

Surely someone must have heard…right?

It didn’t matter.

Whether they did or didn't simply didn't matter right now.

She shoved into him, hoping to catch him off guard just enough to escape.

But of course it didn’t work.

He grabbed her arm and yanked her back before her hand could even brush the leaves that led to her exit.

“Tsk, always another problem with you child. No worries. I presumed you would have some resistance.” He smiled wildly, retrieving a syringe from his small carry-on pocket.

“No!” Her first cry for help escaped her lips as the syringe came into view.

She thrashed but he was able to get a small about of the liquid in before being tackled to the ground.

The medicines on Tighnaris work table tipped and shook.

Multiple Rangers had come to the scene, two coming in and taking the, now unconscious, Collei to another medical residence and Amir and another trying their best to take down The Doctor.

Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful and he made his escape.

As they had realized they lost him, Amir rushed back to where Collei was being kept.

“Is she alright?” He asked, brushing her hair slightly with his hand, scared to startle or harm her.

“Yes, fortunately it seems so. She appears to have been injected with a small amount of high caliber liquidized sleeping pills. If injected with the full amount, she would be asleep for weeks, and her psyche would not be unaffected. I’m glad we got to her when we could. From my data, she will hopefully only be unconscious for a few hours. But..” The nurse stopped taking for a moment.

“She won’t be okay.” Amir finished.

The pouring rain only seemed to grow harsher as they stood around the sweet, innocent child.

Amir stayed awake at her side all till morning, when eventually Tighnari and Cyno had gotten back.

Amir got someone else to keep an eye on her as he went to break the news.

“Ah, Amir. How is Collei, is she doing alright?” Tighnari asked.

He was silent for a moment, and in that moment, a million things went through the two boys heads.

“She wasn’t-“ Cyno started, but Amir cut him off.

“No, she wasn’t taken, but…last night…”

Moments after their discussion, Tighnari and Cyno were at her side.

It was a few hours till she woke up, but the two of them never left her side during that time.

She had been safely moved back to Tighnaris hut so that she could have a bit of privacy first.

Soon, they watched her eyes flutter open.

As soon as she could, she shot up in the bed and looked around, terrified.

You haven’t been taken- th-this is Tighnaris hut- you are safe-

But no matter how many times she told herself that, the uneasiness stayed.

“Hey, hey, hey hey, Collei, it’s alright, you’re okay.” Cyno said, going to grab her hand.

It had been months since they had seen each other and it hurt him when he realized that when he looked into her eyes, they were not filled with excitement for his return, but with terror for what she had gone through in his absence.

She tried to stop her erratic breathing, but whatever methods she tried didn’t work.

In enough time, she started crying again.

“C-Collei, breathe. Please.” Tighnari said.

They couldn’t help her with comforting touch, but they could try with comforting words.

“It’s gonna be okay, I promise, but first you need to breathe.” He continued.

She tried again, slowing the amount of air she took in.

But it just felt like she wasn’t getting enough air. Why wasn’t she getting enough air!? It was as if she was there again, his hand on her throat as she thrashed.

"You really aren't making this easy dearest." he muttered in disappointment.

"I-I'm sorry Im sorry-" She sobbed, trying to stop her tears.

"Please don't apologize, you don't need to apologize." Cyno said, sounding so distraught.

"No I am! I am! I'm sorry I'm a nuisance, I'm sorry I made it all worse!" She cried.

"You made nothing worse." Tighnari said. "It was him who did that. He made everything worse. None of that is your fault." He continued.

Soon enough, after gentle words, Cyno was eventually able to hold her hand and rub it softly to comfort her.

Tighnari took the time to clean up, horrible images washing up upon his brain as he looked around, wondering what had happened.

Two arrows had been shot, one sticking into the wood floor and the other into the wall next to the entrance. Collei’s bow and a supposedly nocked arrow were on the ground. And finally, some of his medical equipment and supplies had been knocked over.

He could only imagine what happened to her.

After he had cleaned up, he sat at her side once more. She was calmer now thanks to Cyno. She was breathing evenly and had stopped crying for the most part.

They talked a bit more, small words being spoken from her here and there.

Eventually, Collei remembered something.

“Would you two um…l-like to…um…try a new P-Pita Pocket recipe I came up with?” She asked quietly.

They smiled.

“Of course.” Tighnari said.

Of course she had only made a small request, and it would take her some time to be able to experience a full recovery, but this was progress. And for her, any progress is good.

[an-emovision]

𝓡𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓹 𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓬𝓪𝓷𝓷𝓸𝓷𝓼 - 𝓣𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓷𝓪𝓻𝓲

A/N: I love him an unhealthy amount. Warning(s): Angst, breakup ——————•°•✿•°•——————••——————•°•✿•°•—————— ❀- Oh boy ❀- Busy. Very very busy. ❀- He cant always make time for you, theres things that he just has to do like post the patrol routes every morning and give Collei her tasks and heal the idiot adventurers that for some reason lack any kind of common sense ❀- Hes basically the Avidiya forest version of Kokomi, except hes more sassy then sweet ❀- Its not like you arent busy as well, you are the hero of Teyvat after all and you just arrived in sumeru not long ago. Theres still many things to do and explore, not to mention all the people you have to help to and all of your daily commissions ❀- Really you two could go weeks without seeing or hearing from each other, it worried you and rightfully so. ❀- You loved Tighnari and the two of you had a beautiful relationship. ❀- But you wanted to be with someone you could actually.. well, be with ❀- So one day you were returning to Gandarva Ville with one solid goal in mind, you didnt want to do this but part of you knew it would be better for both of you ❀- You found him sitting in his house, working on whatever he had in those viles, some sort of murky green liquid that you'd rather not know about ❀- He didnt even have to look at you to know it was you who stepped in, his ears do pick up everything after all. ❀- "So you return, i'd thought for sure that you'd met your end to some kind of wild animal or mushroom by now" He joked, turning to meet your eyes only to see the solemn look across your once gentle features ❀- He raised an eyebrow at your expression, surely his jokes weren't so terrible that you looked genuinely sad about them ❀- How were you supposed to do this? Surely theres an easier way to tell him without outright saying it. You racked your brain trying to come up with an easier solution, only to find nothing. ❀- A deep sigh brushed past your lips which only raised your beloved forest watchers concern ❀- "Love?" He called to you, moving to step forward and maybe wrap his arms around you. It'd been a while since you two had seen each other so naturally he'd been missing being close to you. ❀- Before he could get any closer you took a step back, this caused a pit in his stomach to form and an almost hurt expression to overtake the smile his lips held just a moment ago

❀- "Did.. something happen?" Arms dropping to his sides he had a feeling about what you were going to say, but his eyes were franticly searching your features. Looking for any hint of a smile, any indication that this might be a joke ❀- And then you said it, voice cracking as you fought back your already brewing tears. He'd hoped that he heard you wrong, vision blurring as he thought of ways he could convince you to stay. ❀- As you stood there, staring at the floor, convincing yourself that your decision was final you had hoped he would say something anything to try and get you to stay with him ❀- That never came ❀- A gentle "Okay" passed his lips as he refused to allow his tears to flood past his waterline. Tighnari didn't ask for an explanation, he wasn't naive, already knowing that you and him hardly ever saw each other. ❀- "All i ask is that you take care of yourself, if not for me then for yourself" his words no louder then a whisper, knowing well that if he spoke any louder his voice would crack ❀- You'd nod and turn to leave, fighting back your tears as you briskly left the vile. All while ignoring the greetings of its inhabitants. ❀- You wouldn't see Tighnari again for a long while after that. ——————•°•✿•°•——————••——————•°•✿•°•—————— 𝐹𝑒𝑒𝓁 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓇𝑒𝓆𝓊𝑒𝓈𝓉!

[starrysimps]

Let The Wind Guide Us [Venti x (f)Pregnant Reader

A/N: A little bit of angst, not too much. I loved this plot too much to not write this. Let me know what you think and if I should do more next. Anyways, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy it. Also C/n stands for child’s name. Also this isn’t proofread yet I’ll do it later today or tomorrow.

Word Count: 1.09k

Pairing: Venti x Fem!PregnantReader

Warnings: Drinking I guess

  “Venti, we’ve talked about this already. You can’t keep coming home at two in the morning because you want to drink all night.” You said to a drunk Venti. “Ehe~” Was the only response you received. Getting even more frustrated with Venti, you snapped. “You know what, I’m done with this! I’m done with you Venti!” You yelled, and left your shared apartment.

1st POV 

     I knocked on Rosaria’s door, hoping she would answer. Luckily she opened the door. “Y/n, what are you doing here at this time?” Asked a sleepy eyed Rosaria. “Well I ended things with Venti, and I was wondering if I could stay here for a bit.” I stated bluntly. “I guess, come in and we can talk about what happened between you and Lord Barsibato.” Rosaria said, being the only one knowing that secret besides the traveler. “It’s Barbatos.” I said, laughing as I went into Rosaria’s house.

     “Do you want any wine?” Rosaria asked. “NO!” I yelled. “Sorry, that's why I left Venti. Plus it wouldn’t be good for the baby.” I said. Rosaria’s eyes widened and she almost spit out her drink. “BABY?!” She asked, still shocked from the news. “Oh yeah, that…haha…” I said nervously. “Does Venti know?” She asked. “We had a dinner date planned for tonight, I was going to tell him then. He didn’t come as usual.” I said. “Oh, so he was drinking again.” Rosaria said. “Yes! I wish for once that he would take things seriously! Especially my concerns for him!” I said, getting frustrated. “Well it’s alright Y/n. You can stay at my place for as long as you need to.” Rosaria said.

     “Thank you Rosaria.” I replied. “Although, it probably won’t be long before he finds out that you’re pregnant.” Rosaria said, stating a good point. I sighed. “I know, I plan to move to Sumeru so that he doesn’t find out. Plus I have a good friend who lives there.” I said.

*Two weeks pass and I wave goodbye to Rosaria as I head off to Sumeru.*

[TIME SKIP-6 YEARS LATER]

     “I can’t believe this little girl is almost six!” Collei said. “I know, she’s gotten so big!” I said, smiling. “Mommy, where are we going?” C/n asked. “We’re going to the Windblume Festival in Mondstadt. Auntie Rosaria invited us to come.” I told her. “6 years later and you’re finally going back?” Collei asked. “Yes, I miss my home, plus the festival is a great way to have fun.” I said. “Well since I’m going too, we’ll have extra fun!” Collei said. “Yay Collei!” C/n said excitedly.

*Y/n, Collei, and C/n go to Rosaria’s house in Mondstadt.*

     Once we met Rosaria at her house, I let Collei take C/n out to play for a bit until we met up with them later. “C/n sure has grown a lot.” Rosaria stated. “Haha yeah.” I replied. “She looks a lot like Venti too.” She said “I know, she has his personality too.” I said as I sighed. Rosaria laughed. “Let’s go meet up with Collei and C/n before they cause any trouble together.” I said, as me and Rosaria left to find Collei and C/n.

……………

     Once we met with Collei and C/n, I took c/n to play with the small group of kids near the Barbatos statue. I sat on a small bench as I watched C/n play with the other children.

     A few minutes later C/n ran up to me and grabbed my hand. “Mommy! Mommy! Come look at this man singing! He’s so good! He likes music just like daddy!” C/n said. By the time she had finished talking, we were standing in front of him. My eyes widen as I realize who it is. It was Venti. “Y-Y/n, is that really you.” He asked. “Yes.” I replied, mentally face palming myself for answering him.

     “Who’s this?” He asks, pointing to C/n. “Oh, this is C/n.” I said. “Mhm! My birthday is tomorrow! I’m turning six!” C/n said. “That’s right, you’re so smart.” I said, as I laughed at C/n. “Six years old…?” Venti said, confused. My eyes widen as I realize what C/n just said. “But that would mean…” Venti continues as he looks at me with slightly teary eyes. 

     “Y/n… Is C/n my daughter…?” Venti asks. “Yes.” I say as I bite my lip, waiting for a response. “W-why didn’t you tell me?” He asked. “Well I was going to, but you never showed up for our date that night.” I replied. “I’m sorry Y/n. I truly am. I hope you can forgive me for my foolish decisions. I would like to be a part of C/n’s life.” Venti said. “What about your drinking problem?” I asked.

     “Oh, hello Y/n, Venti. It’s been quite some time since I’ve last seen you both. I’m surprised I haven’t seen you at the tavern in a few years Venti.” Kaeya said as he passed by. “What…?” I asked. “Yeah, after you left I stopped drinking. I realized that I made a stupid decision. I put wine before you, and I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry for everything Y/n. I really do hope that you can forgive me.” He said. “I do forgive you, but this doesn’t mean things can just go back to the way they used to be.” I said. “Yeah, we have a kid this time.” He said as he laughed. I rolled my eyes.

     A few seconds later, I called C/n over. “C/n, this is your dad.” I said. She smiled and her face lit up. “Yay! I finally got to meet daddy!” C/n said. Venti smiled. “I like the sound of that.” He said. “Mommy and Daddy should get married!” C/n said. “Woah there, slow down a little bit.” I said. “Ehe~” C/n laughed. Me and Venti both laughed with C/n.

     Rosaria and Collei watched from a distance. “Are you crying…?” Rosaria asked Collei. “It’s just so sweet.” Collei said, wiping her tears. They both smiled. “So I take it that we’re not telling them that we set this up?” Rosaria asked. “No, but C/n is really the one to thank. Without her being as smart as she is and following directions, this wouldn’t have worked.” Collei stated. “Yeah, that’s right.” Rosaria said. They both laughed.

*A few months later Venti proposed, I said yes and we got married at the Cathedral.*

[samiamdandles]

The Reminders

Summary: Collei being reminded of Dottore and having a major mental freakout, reader tries their best to comfort her. Word Count: 1k Warnings: Angst(?) Hurt/Comfort, Mention of S H, Extremely Traumatized Collei, Female reader, Platonic, Reader isnt good at comforting.

Authors note: just a small one shot, was thinking about collei sm </3 hopefully this Angst is ok its my first one thats kinda angsty.

That distinct smell of copper and the sterile smell of hospitals insulted Collei’s nose. It hit her while she was alone, cleaning the statue of seven, she froze, looking around. Sometimes, for no reason, her mind liked to play cruel tricks on her, forcing her to remember the smell of him. Seeing the same shade of blue his hair was, his smell, his mannerisms she would see in other people, it made her shake. No, she couldn’t let this get to her, she had to prove that she was capable.she hadn’t thought about him at all for years, now suddenly this and the few times this month? No, she had to prove she was over it, over him, and was a capable forest ranger.  It still didn't stop her from shaking uncontrollably, not realizing how her heart rate had increased significantly.  Her mind starting to wander as she finished her task, rushing to head home when she was done. Tighnari caught her on the way, calling out to her, “Collei? Are you okay? C’mere, let me take care of you.” she usually would’ve appreciated it, but the way he said it just reminded her so much of him. “Just leave me alone. You don’t fucking help anyways.” she yelled out, breaking out into a jog. Tighnari was left there, mouth wide open from the interaction.

Day three. Three days of Collei not eating, and refusing to leave her house. You were sat outside her house, a tray of food and a cup of water next to you. “Collei, I am begging you to please please eat. I’m letting you know now that i will come in by force if you don't eat by tonight.” you waited to hear something, anything, but nothing. The pit in your stomach kept getting worse day by day.  You never left your spot outside her house unless absolutely needed, only when Tighnari had begged you to do something. As the sun started to set, you made your way back to Collei’s after Tighnari had begged you to help with some work, a soft knock at her door and a fresh tray of food for her ready. “Collei, if you don't answer me I am coming in, love.” you tried to be gentle about it, waiting for a response. A few long moments before you hear her lock click and her door open ajar. “Come in.” she whispered, her voice sounded so meek. You entered slowly, taking in the state of her home, and her when you finally saw her. Her eyebags, the fidgeting, the tear stains and the way she seemed so skinny and frail. “Collei..” she couldn't look you in the eyes, sitting back down on her bed. “He just won't leave.” she croaked, she brought her knees up to her chest, rocking herself. Your heart shattered, realizing what was going on, you hated seeing her in this state. She was your best friend, someone you loved and you weren't even sure what to do. “I’m going to sit by you if that's okay.” you figured it would be best to announce your movements giving her current state, once you heard no protest, you set the tray on the bedside table and sat on her bed, keeping distance. You would try to get her to eat later tonight.

You figured she just needed someone there physically so you would gladly take that role. “I’m here for you.” is all you said, glancing over at her. Collei buried her face into her knees, she wasn’t sure why, but hearing those words, especially from you just made her feel a certain way. She started to sob uncontrollably, gripping herself tighter. “I miss him at the same time. Am I broken? Why? I know I shouldn't.” She babbled, you hushed her, you wanted to hug her and hold her, but you couldn’t. You both sat there for a few beats, listening to her choked sobs. As you opened your mouth to say something, Collei turned to you, her arms stretched out. “I just- i wanted to forget but i wanted to be close to him again- and i didnt- “  that’s when you realized why she was showing you her arms. You gasped lightly, quickly getting up to go get tighnari. “I’ll be back love, let me get Tighnari.” “No!” she yelled, she surprised even herself with how abrupt she was. “Please.. Just.. stay with me for a while?” you stared at her, debating and chewing on your lip. You examined her arms, after rummaging around and finding spare bandages you patched her up, deeming it okay to get tighnari after you sat with her. “Can you please eat something? Even just half a pita pocket would make me happy.” you pleaded, picking up a pita pocket, urging her.  She begrudgingly complied, taking the pita pocket from you and taking small bites.

“Thank you.” you watched her as she ate, she just stared off into space as she ate, but she did end up eating an entire pita pocket. That entire night was just you two sitting in silence, once in a while interrupted with Collei telling you about her thought process, or stuff that worried her. It helped having you there, you helped calm her down, she felt safe. A few hours into the night, you both had made yourselves comfortable, you at her table reading your novel while Collei laid in her bed, toying with a plushie she owned. “Do.. do you want to sleep with me?” she stared at you expectantly, fidgeting and chewing on her lip as she awaited your answer. You were taken back, sure you two were best friends but you had never slept over with her before. “Sure.” She moved over, watching your every move as you got into her bed, still trying to be mindful of her and her space.  The two of you laid there, staring at each other in silence. It was for sure awkward, but Collei had never felt more at peace, the thoughts of him disappeared completely, and her heart stilled. “Goodnight.” “Goodnight Collei, please remember to apologize to Tighnari in the morning.” is all you had sad before the two of you eventually succumbed to sleep. The next morning you awoke to Collei nestled against you, her face buried in the crook of your neck.

[kavehnanginto]

encounter

best buddies and alhaitham: a happy group filled with laughter and joy, they all love each other and wish to enjoy everything with the company of one another. And alhaitham

Kaveh: he made his whole entire personality that of his major and his hatred for alhaitham. It was said that if you hear this man scream, your ears will be blessed and that you will feel as if Kusanali herself is at your side. That was lie.

Collei: a sweet girl that is not yet university but very close. She is riddled with many troubles but all thanks to her adoptive parents, a furry and a fake furry, it seems like her days are finally having peace and prosperity.

Cyno: never make this future chemist have any sort of tension with you. His great knowledge of chemicals can be traced back to when John Dalton gave him a spear back in ancient egypt. It was put in atom.

Tighnari: a premed taking biology who is done with everything. He genuinely wants to get out of this stupid school he hates it her pls let him leave. He is also done with his boyfriend and sometimes have heavenly dreams of being a single parent.

Alhaitham: cold, calculating genius–wait no? Alhaitham is a sad loner with no friends but lives a delusional mindset that four people actually like him. Nobody does. They may like the facade, that of genius and refined man but deep down he was like the rest of us. A terribly rich, popular, top of his class type of guy. Just some guy on the street.

masterlist

[worriedvision]

Former (Part 4)

Part 3 here. Gender neutral reader, more Tighnari here than the previous part.

--

"Collei!" Amber calls, Collei running up with energy as she reunites with her friend. "It's so good to see you again! How long are you here for? I'll get a room booked for you!"

"I'm just here for a day or so. Gotta get back to work after." Collei giggles.

"Oh, is that a pack of those cards? Let's get a drink and have a match!" Amber suggests, Collei nodding as she follows Amber.

"As I was saying, Master Albedo, I think it would be better to have some sort of private space for these lost visions so we can be certain nothing like this happens again." You explain, both of you pouring over the details regarding an employee stealing the visions from the original keepsafe.

"But how could we be sure only we'd be able to lock it efficiently? Normal keys can be stolen easily, and tape can pick up fingerprints..." Albedo hums in thought.

"Well, what if we had some sort of code for the room? And we could change the code on a daily basis so only we would know what the code is?" You ask, Albedo nodding to himself.

Collei looks over after hearing your voice, and she excuses herself for a moment.

"_! It's so good to see you." Collei starts. "Master Tighnari has been really worried. He wants you to come visit!"

"Oh, it's nice to see you Collei!" You start. "I don't think I would be able to do this, my office is stationed in Mondstadt and there isn't an ideal space for me."

"Oh..." Collei trails off. "Master Tighnari really wants to see you again. Is there any way you could come back?"

"He made his feelings clear, Collei. I don't think I could, given how many people know about it." You explain.

"Collei, over here!" Amber cheers, waving her over.

"Well, let's catch up later! I can't be in Mondstadt for too long, hopefully I catch you." Collei nods, rushing off to sit with Amber.

--

That afternoon, you had received a tip from an anonymous individual in Sumeru. There had been reports of visions being sold off as delusions, said individual saying they knew the common meet up spot as they and several others had gone there at the same time slot. Deciding to chase this, you inform Albedo before rushing off.

Unfortunately, you didnt think of who would be purchasing a delusion. You get to the location, just outside of Ghandarva Ville, and the moment you stop to look around, you realise too late the people who gave you the tip did not, in fact, try to get a delusion.

They had been paid a very hefty sum of mora to make you stop getting lost visions returned. Looking around you, you realise you have no escape route. You had self defence lessons, but that wouldn't keep you safe enough.

"Help me!" You scream, the eremites getting closer. "Please, someone!"

--

Tighnari had been talking to Cyno, once again asking if he had any luck in finding you, when he heard your scream for help. His ears perked up, and Cyno figured out where the screams were coming from based on where Tighnari looked. As Tighnari grabs his bow, Cyno is already sprinting to the location.

By the time Cyno got there, you had been curled up on the ground, the self defence completely gone. He turns the corner, some eremites running away like cowards as the others continue to attack you. Tighnari arrived shortly afterwards, some forest rangers also tagging along, and he orders for them to chase after the eremites that ran away. The other eremites got detained by Cyno, him dragging them away, and Tighnari had finally seen you for the first time after regaining his vision.

Before he can let himself get emotional in front of everyone, he knows to carry back to his home so he can take care of you. The moment he does, however, he becomes selfish.

He can't stop hugging you, not for a minute or so. He needs to reassure himself you weren't out of his life, he hoped you could feel how much he missed you with the hug before he gets to work as a doctor instead of a lover.

After taking care of your wounds, thankfully not dangerous but definitely painful, he sits at his desk as he keeps a close eye on you, writing to Mondstadt to inform them of the situation.

[notelcol]

Hellooo, request might come off as weird, but I've been thinking about it. For a few days

Could you write a small fix about collei going on an adventure with the 10 doctor while trying to escape dottore?

Okay so this was an awesome request, thank you so much! Never noticed the similarities between El Dottore and The Doctor until now…..I will apologise since they weren’t exactly escaping Dottore in this. *I got a little carried away in the rest of it tbh* I hope it still hits the spot for you though ✨✨

WONDER 🍃

Doctor Who x Genshin Impact crossover

Featuring the 10th Doctor and Collei

TW : MUCH cannon divergence, mentions of injury, captivity, mentioned medical abuse

——-

The TARDIS warped disjointedly as it spun through spacetime. It’s usual musical sound was a comfort to the Doctor, but this one was new. All these centuries and he had never heard it cry in such a manner. It terrified him. He was frantically pulling levers and smashing buttons, anything to escape the pull of this monstrous vortex. His efforts were all in vain. For once, his knowledge and experience wasn’t going to get him out of this one. All he could do was watch on his scanner as the TARDIS entered the eye of the vortex and all the systems shut down.

——-

Collei stared at the damp ceiling, trying to ignore the shivers racking her body. The chains around her wrists were irritating the wounds from the doctors scraping the eleazar scales from her skin. She didn’t understand why they had to run those awful tests every day, but she was thankful there had at least been no experiments performed on her in a while. A whirring sound followed by a thud from the basement below suddenly caught her attention. Perhaps she had given thanks too soon and this was another experiment in the making. Footsteps became clearer, entering the corridor outside her room. She sat up, wincing as the chains weight shifted.

The Doctor landed with a thud, the TARDIS systems slowly returning to life one by one. The second his screen came back on, he pulled it down closer to his face and studied his location. This vortex could have sent him anywhere, from before time itself right until the end of everything.

“That can’t be right..” He muttered to himself. “That’s not possible.” He spun on his heels and ran towards the TARDIS doors. He popped his head out first, making sure it was safe. Then slowly he stepped out, taking in the wet brick walls, corroding the seemingly random pieces of machinery they held. He lifted his screwdriver, scanning to confirm his theory. Gasping, he dropped his arm. His face, for the first time in hundreds of years, held a look of pure wonder. One all his companions had worn upon viewing their first new planet. While he had been to parallel universes, he had never found an entirely new one with different planets and star systems.

“I’m in another universe!” His hands pulled at his face while he grinned like a child. Laughing, he made a break for the stairs. Once in what seemed to be a main corridor, he burst into the first door he saw. There wouldn’t be long until the vortex started to close and he was all too aware of that and even more unwilling to waste a single second in his Teyvat adventure.

Collei jerked back in her bed, as her door flew open. Her wide eyes shook as she took in the odd appearance of the man in front of her. Spiky black hair and a blue striped suit….certainly not a fatui. So what could he be doing in her room?

“Hello! I’m the Doctor.” His smile faded as his eyes fell on the chains around the frail girls wrists.

“The Doctor?! You’ll get yourself killed running around saying that!” Collei warned the obviously unwell man. She held her breath as he stepped closer to her, his brows furrowed. He kept coming until he knelt at the side of her bed.

“What’s your name?” He asked, staring thoughtfully into the scared child’s green eyes. She hadn’t been granted the respect of eye contact in such a long time.

“My name is Collei.” His smile returned as she spoke.

“Well, that’s a lovely name.” Despite his exaggerated manner, she couldn’t bring herself to doubt his honesty.

“Right! How about I get you out of here and you can tell me what’s so wrong with my name?” He didn’t wait for Collei’s reply before he pointed his sonic screwdriver at the chain locks. Her green hair fell into her face as she tilted her head in curiosity at the buzzing sound emanating from the glowing stick. The Doctor chuckled at the young girls shock when the chains from her body.

“Are you ready for an adventure?” He held his hand out, already knowing the answer by the spark in her eye.

——-

The new duo sat in the TARDIS as the Doctor looked around on the map for possible starting points.

“Mondstadt.” Collei near whispered, facing the grated floor. “I’ve always wanted to go to Mondstadt.” She spoke a little stronger and the Doctor flashed her a cheeky grin.

“Mondstadt it is!” He dramatically pulled down a lever and watched as Collei stared at the flashing lights and moving machinery of the engine, releasing her first true smile in years.

“I can’t believe you aren’t surprised that it’s bigger on the inside.” He kind of missed the running joke.

“We have lots of domains that are bigger on the inside in Teyvat!” Collei explained. “Though none that move quite as far as this one.”

They landed in a large grassy area. Both instantly enamoured by the dandelion seeds in the wind and sweeping hills, they made their way toward the city on foot.

“So, what exactly is the problem with my name?” The Doctor asked.

“The Doctor or Dottore is a bad man. He works for a big scary company who do harm everywhere they go!” Collei fearfully shouted before taking a breath. “He is an unstoppable genius, who does experiments on people and even himself. He did one that created different clones of himself at different phases in life. It multiplied his own brain power and now he runs experiments all over Teyvat at the same time!” Now with the full picture, The Doctor could finally understand.

“This man….. I think is the me in this universe.” He pondered.

“This universe??” Collei was getting confused now.

“Oh yes, of course! I’m an alien from another universe also called the Doctor; who also, sort of, has multiple versions of himself.” He didn’t expect the young girl walking at his side to believe him, but she seemed not to question him.

“Are you a genius like him?” She wondered. The Doctor made an awkward sound.

“Ah well, I suppose some people might say that…sometimes.” He babbled. “But I am nothing like him.”

Finally, they had arrived in the city. Collei ignored the Doctor mumbling something about ‘Germenie?’ and took a million mental images of the street in front of her. Peach cobblestones, surrounded by bustling buildings with bold bunting strings bringing bright colours to her eyes, all crested by a giant statue of the anemo god of freedom. The tiredness that dragged her down was worth it for the sights she had dreamed of for as long as she could remember.

“Are you alright there Collei?” The Doctor was concerned with her paling face, but trusted her when she said she was fine. They continued on, making their way up the stairs towards the big statue when the sonic screwdriver beeped.

“The vortex has started to fluctuate.” He solemnly stated. “I’ll have to go back to the TARDIS after we see the statue, or I won’t make it back to my universe.” Collei focused her eyes to the top of the stairs, not wanting him to see her sadness. She understood, but there was still a pang in her heart.

“Look! We’re here.” She changed the subject, grateful for the stairs ending. The statue seemed even more vast when stood at its feet and Collei couldn’t help but giggle at the little children weaving in and out of the archways surrounding the area. As she moved her head to follow their path, she noticed everything had begun to move too. Faster and faster, her vision spun until it went white and she fell to the ground.

——-

Awaking in a small bed once more Collei shot upright, hands going straight to her wrists. Her relief that her adventure wasn’t a dream didn’t last long as she realised that she had probably been unconscious too long for the Doctor to have waited. They hadn’t even gotten to see Springvale or Stormterror’s Lair, never mind the rest of Teyvat. She shook her head to put her selfish worries aside and tried to be happy that her friend made it home. Deciding to look for any sign as to where she could be instead. Not a moment later, the door opened to reveal a young girl with two cute ponytails, who seemed to be a deaconess.

“Oh good! You’re awake!” She gently smiled before her face dropped into a panic. “Wait there! Don’t move!” The church deaconess called over her shoulder as she ran away, leaving Collei bewildered.

Within moments the door opened once more.

“DOCTOR!” Collei jumped out of the bed and threw her arms around him. “I thought you had left.” She admitted.

“We definitely cut it close.” He sighed. “I’m sorry. I have to go now.” He pulled away and sat her back on the bed. “Deaconess Barbara has helped me organise some care for you. A man named Tighnari will be coming to collect you soon, and don’t worry I checked him out myself. He’s a good honest man with medical expertise.” Collei relaxed at the idea a little after hearing the Doctor had been to see Tighnari.

“Cant I come with you?” She was afraid to be alone again.

“No. You would never be able to come back to your universe. I can’t have you be the last of your people too.” A dark look washed over him, showing the raw truth behind his words.

“I’m going to miss you.” She looked down at her feet dangling from the bed.

“Chin up Collei. You are going to be brilliant. Your adventure is just beginning.” He was satisfied leaving when the young girl in front of him lifted her head and gave him a strong, tearful nod. A ghost of a smile remained on her face as she watched him leave. But instead of being sad, she did what she thought the Doctor would tell her to do. She wondered what kinds of adventures would follow after Tighnari came to collect her.

——-

Thank you for reading ❤️

[strxnged]

TIGHNARI: # the roots of ambition.

CHAPTER I. In which you meet the Forest Ranger of legend, a former student of your Darshan, who causes you to interrogate your life choices.

Word count. 2.4k. Genre. Found family, gn!reader.

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By your age, Eleazar should have affected more than the tips of your fingers. The cureless, Withering-born disease crept from the farthest limbs towards the organs and mind at a gradual but unstoppable pace. Only with the frequent treatment from Nilotpala Lotuses and immersion in the rainforest could your body find the strength to delay the progression of ash scales and numbness across your body. Still, as you knelt at the foot of trees with your hand wrist deep in miniscule roots and a magnifying glass grasped carefully by the other hand, you wished vainly that you might be able to feel the bumps of the fractaling extensions with more sensitive appendages than your own.

You were focused on as much of the texture as you could gather with your palm and knuckle, leading you to ignore, at first, the rustle in the leaves around you of much more than a squirrel or bird. You were faintly aware and had been reminded by peers many times that with the way you became mesmerized by whatever microorganism you found yourself immersed in the “mind” of. However well-meaning the scares they would pull on you to snap you out of it, staying aware of your surroundings really wasn’t a lesson you had yet learned.

A clear voice, however, was enough to rouse you from your trance: “Pardon our interruption.”

You took in a breath—the first you had taken for awhile, you realized—and then stood, turning around.

Three Forest Rangers had gathered a few feet behind you. On the left, a shorter girl tilted her head at you, purple eyes shyly gazing out from beneath green bangs. She had one hand clinging to the sleeve of the middle figure and the other to the corner of her own shawl. To the right of the middle figure, another Forest Ranger leaned against a tree with his arms crossed, looking vaguely interested in you and your circumstances. He also looked like he’d had enough time standing there to make himself comfortable. In between the two was the presumed speaker. He wore a colourful adventuring outfit with a distinguished sash and puffy striped pants. Above lime-streaked dark hair, two fennec ears were erect, alert. Something about this person felt familiar.

“Apologies,” you said, “I didn’t notice you three at all.”

“You’re in a very dangerous area,” the middle one continued. “Not having noticed us is an augurous sign for your safety, so we’d be happy to escort you to somewhere safer if you are willing. Especially since you don’t appear to have a Vision.”

You made no movement to leave. “I have to stay here. It’s for my research.” 

He smiled gently. “My name is Tighnari. You may know me as a fellow Amurta scholar, however tainted my reputation and relationship with the Akademiya may be.”

You told him your name.

“It’s lovely to meet a scholar who loves to get dirt under their fingernails like myself,” he said. “But I’m sorry, it’s just too unsafe for you to hang around here. We’re here to start clearing the nearby Withering Zone.”

The relaxed Forest Ranger stood up straight and interjected, “Gener— Er, Forest Watcher Tighnari, I think it’s about to clear us out first.”

 Sure enough, several scorched animated fungi were emerging from the trees a few yards behind you. You quickly knelt at the roots you had been inspecting a minute before and took a rushed but measured sample of soil, sealing it in a jar of water. You set the jar in your bag, threw the bag’s strap over your shoulder, and ran.

A braver, more well-rounded researcher might be able to pull out a shortsword or a bow in this situation, as the Forest Rangers were doing, but you were not the type of person who could dabble in a lot of skills. Running came more naturally, and either way you would need to abandon the site. Climbing trees, too, was a handy skill, though both of these you were bound to lose in a few years.

That was why you had to hurry.

Dashing past the many trees and up a slight incline, you kept an eye out for a climbable tree. Just a few good, strong lower limbs, and you’d been out of monster’s reach in no time. There one was—you leapt—you reached—you pulled—and slumped your body against the trunk, legs on either side of a limb. 

Finally, you peered back the way you came to see if you’d been followed, or if your friendly hecklers had slain every enemy. You noted with a sigh of relief that all seemed serene for a second. That was, until a Dendro-variant fungi flapped its fleshy wings up the hill towards your hiding spot. You began plotting your next escape.

A flurry of green darts surrounded the fungi and enshrouded it in glowing mist. Discombobulated, it made a clean “bonk” sound as it hit a tree not far from you. The darts hit the monster then, striking it repeatedly until it stirred no more. You observed the forest watching for the next threat that would be destroyed by thin air, or perhaps for your hero.

“Let’s try this again,” Tighnari’s voice said—but this time from very, very close by. You whirled your head to see him smiling a little smugly from a limb above you. How had he— “Your research—does it really compel you to put yourself in such a precarious situation?”

Your mouth gaped at him.

“From how quickly you run and climb, I expect that is the case,” he added.

“The forest is dangerous,” you deflected. “It’s not hard to wind up in that sort of situation, with Withering Zones popping up everywhere.”

“I’ll grant you that,” he said. “Your methods could use some guidance, though.” At the raise of your eyebrows, he added, “I’m sure it isn’t your fault. The Amurta professors aren’t what they used to be. What you need is someone to guide you in the field. Someone to tell you to wear gloves when collecting fungal mycelium samples. The oil from your hands is enough to taint your samples beyond recognition. If you’d like, I can lend you some.”

The last thing you would want to do would be to wear gloves and fully barrier your fingers from any remaining sensation, so you ignored this, and eyed him up and down. “You’re really Tighnari, huh?”

“Well, I think so. Unless I’ve consumed a very, very psychoactive mushroom recently.”

You slowly got to your feet, balancing on the limb with a hand to steady you rested on the trunk. Tighnari, sitting casually on the next limb, was at about eye-level, so you could peer into his hazel-green gaze.

“Then, you were a former student of Sage Naphis. Is that so?”

“Yes,” he confirmed, “upon my graduation, he encouraged me to join the faculty. I’d had quite enough of the Akademiya by then, so I politely declined.”

“That seems about right. He thinks the Forest Rangers are in good hands.”

Tighnari looked incredulous. “That’s all?” 

“No,” you admitted. “Actually, he gets somewhat sulky when he brings you up. ‘An unfortunate loss,’ he says. He likes to tell students to beware the persuasion of the forest-dwellers.”

He laughed. “Will you heed his warning?”

Before you could reply, you heard a girl’s voice. “Master, we eliminated the last of them!”

“Thank you, Collei,” Tighnari dropped from the tree, landing eight or so feet below you with ease and addressing the green-haired archer from before. “Let’s set up camp, then, the sun’s threatening to disappear. To the river!”

“To the river!” The third Ranger echoed. As he and Collei proceeded, Tighnari hung back, peering up the tree at you.

“If you’re anything like me, Y/N,” he said, “field research has a way of making you forget the meaning of hunger. Let us take care of you for the night.”

You humphed. “No, you’ve taken quite enough care, thank you. I must heed the warning indeed, and I’m hardly hungry.”

Your stomach, in defiance, growled loudly.

Tighnari smirked, waiting patiently. You climbed out of the tree.

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“You can’t force me to stay here with you guys until the night is through. Unless you want to help me filter my sample.” 

“We could if we had put something in your stew,” Tighnari joked. At your sour look, he apologized, “Sorry. You were asking for it.”

“I’m confident the General Watchleader would be more than eager to look at mushrooms with you all night,” the third Ranger, whose name you had learned to be Amir, said. “He’s a little strange in that way.”

“Come now,” Tighnari said. “I was getting to that. How many times do I have to ask you to please not call me that, especially in front of strangers?”

“Strangers!” you cut in. “Surely you three are not still wary of me.”

Amir raised an eyebrow at you. “You are certainly strange. Maybe in the way Tighnari can appreciate, though I’m far removed from the whole mushrooms scene.”

“Are you?” you queried.

“I much prefer the study of medicinal herbs.”

“Oh, that’s not so independent of fungal ecology.”

“Maybe not,” Amir conceded, “But fungi are just so complex. There’s no one way to define them, so where do you even start?”

“As I was saying,” Tighnari said. “There’s a great many things I still wish to understand about fungal mycelium, and it would be my utter pleasure to work with you in your research.”

“I—I didn’t ask for help with my research as a whole. Just the sample would be more than enough help.”

“Do you think you would like more help?”

You pondered this. “I… I am limited in my capabilities. I don’t make the best project partner. I like to… work at my own pace, which tends to fluctuate.” You bit back any words that might directly indicate the seriousness of your condition. The actuality of your terminal disease. People acted—differently—once they found out about the Eleazar. You liked the thought of these new, adventurous friends, especially while they didn’t know about your prognosis.

Tighnari sucked air through his teeth. “That damn Akademiya. Shame on them.”

“Sorry?” you said.

“I just—” he shook his head, disappointed “—can’t get past the way they treat students. Not half a thought for real, field safety, and a hell of a lot of energy put into murdering the autonomy of passionate learning. It’s rare that I meet a student these days who has any self-respect left at all. Do you sleep at night, Y/N?”

Your eyes widened. No, you didn’t, but you weren’t about to say so.

“My apologies,” he said. “You’re trying to dissuade me—but it isn’t your fault. What I mean to say is that you would benefit from stepping a little further away from those sage pricks—forgive my language—and accordingly stepping deeper into the roots of your studies.” 

“I do study roots.”

Tighnari scoffed. “Oh, my. Cyno would like this one.”

Collei, who had up until now watched the conversation with silent, interested eyes, let out a giggle. Tighnari beamed at her tenderly, and you sensed that she was a little more family than apprentice to him.

“Cyno?” you asked after a moment. “You mean, the General Mahamatra?”

“Cyno tells the most awful jokes,” Collei explained excitedly. “He especially likes puns. Ooh, they’re so terrible!”

Tighnari’s tone was dripping with sarcasm as he said, “Yes, and those closest to him earn the pleasure of his attempts to lighten the mood.” He smiled more sincerely. “He’s a dear friend to me, and a valiant protector of the law. He’s also the reason Collei came to be a part of our team.”

Collei’s expression returned neutral.

“She’s a complicated Eleazar case. We can only take care of her as much as she lets us,” Tighnari explained. “But she’s found a home here in the forest. Gandharva Ville wouldn’t be the same without her.”

You nodded, trying to keep your face detached. You felt the implication of the words—the unbearable, inevitable future of when Gandharva Ville would forever be transformed by their loss. 

You hadn’t met many other cases in your years. Those who you knew with the disease were either miserable or hiding their misery with saccharine charades. You felt all the empathy in the world for them—but you couldn’t stand their haunting company. A part of you expected that that was how others felt about you, but it was no matter when the majority of your company were emotionless and eternally mysterious microorganisms. 

“As you may or may not know, Eleazar symptoms can be better managed in the forest. Nilotpala Lotuses, a useful treatment for the skin conditions that develop, are also far more accessible away from the city.”

“I’ve heard something of the like,” you replied. ”I wonder why the disease behaves differently.”

“If there’s one thing I hope they’ve taught you,” Tighnari said, “it’s that context matters greatly for all types of ecology and health.”

You agreed.

“And for learning, as well.”

You supposed so.

“Don’t you think you might learn more—learn better—living safely immersed in the subject matter?”

Didn’t you think so, lying sleepless beneath the stars later that night next to the three of them? Didn’t you think so with the timer in the back of your mind counting down the remaining moments of your life? Didn’t you think so, hearing the ground move beneath your head—so much more alive than you could ever dream to be?

In the night, the loud silence of a million living things was sliced through by one human’s cries. Collei, suffering night terrors associated with clear physical pain, woke Tighnari and Amir from their quiet slumbers. You lay frozen, listening alertly, as Tighnari talked her back to sleep with descriptive details of flowers in the area, of birds soon to beckon dawn, of histories encoded in botany and zoology. Collei had calmed down and nodded off again, but the General Watchleader kept on until you could not hear him any longer. Your thoughts animated and blurred together, and you were lost in green dreams of life.

In the morning, you told Tighnari that you did, indeed, think so.

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