Mermay: Sumeru Edition!

Summary: Mermaid-themed content! Each character has their own different narratives/scenarios separate from each other - hope you’ll like these!

Characters: Alhaitham, Kaveh, Tighnari, Cyno, Wanderer/Scaramouche

Wordcount: ~700 each

My coworker is a mermaid?!

You’re one of the few merpeople who’s moved to the human city—so long as you avoided being submerged in water, you had enough control over yourself to prevent your legs from shifting back into a tail.

It’s an interesting life, working at a detective agency with Alhaitham as one of your co-workers. But one day when you’re feeling sick from the hot weather and skip a meeting, Alhaitham visits your apartment himself to deliver investigation files; it's the first time you guys have been assigned to a case together despite how long you’ve both been in the company, so he thought it’d be quicker to visit you himself and inform you as such, being the efficient man he is. (You also weren’t answering your texts so he was a little worried—you’ve always been a prompt replyer otherwise.)

…What Alhaitham doesn’t expect however is for you to ghost him at the door despite the lights indicating that you were definitely home. Did something happen? Were you safe? Within this line of work it was definitely possible to get mixed up with enemies of some sort, so with that in mind Alhaitham managed to find the extra key you kept outside (organized as ever, and also something Kaveh mentioned to him while the blonde was drunk) and entered your home.

He calls out your name a few times, at first hearing nothing in response—before the sound of something dropping against the ground echoes from another end of the apartment. Alhaitham follows the clue, bracing himself for a surprise attack if this was really the worst case scenario, and kicks open the bathroom door where he hears scrambling and water splashing—

The first thing he sees is your tail. Glistening against the light, more beautiful than he’d care to admit in the chaos of the moment. Then his gaze falls to your face, your eyes widened in surprise before shifting into panic, and it takes Alhaitham a moment to register that when you struggle to sit up and leave the tub, the tail that lashes water everywhere and flops against the cold tiles is yours.

Suffice to say, he had a lot of explaining to wring out of you once you calmed down. Alhaitham hasn’t heard about merpeople being real since he was a child, and maybe a random conspiracy theory from an unreliable source—but the moment he realizes you’re running a fever, Alhaitham settles his doubts to tend to the matter at hand; picking you up and settling you back into the tub, he avoids your gaze and asks what temperature of water you needed to cool down.

It’s the first of many times that night Alhaitham calms you with his objectiveness. You don’t have to know that his heart was pounding the entire time, unsure if he’d finally gone insane from years of working in the field.

He leaves, promising to inform you about work the next day after you’ve gathered yourself together, and when you arrive at the meeting point Alhaitham almost forgets you weren’t human—dressed in your usual way, smiling like you always would, though with a nervous edge to your tone.

Everyone had their secrets. He wouldn’t benefit much from exposing yours right now—Alhaitham helps you with avoiding water, covering for you by volunteering himself at times. He insists it’s not from a sense of heroism but rather convenience for himself (having drama over your secret being exposed would only interrupt the case)—but how far can he stretch this excuse in terms of keeping an eye on your health, asking if you’re feeling well when the summer’s heat is blazing, and running to your rescue when the investigation’s been turned on its head?

Alhaitham was a resourceful man, but some things (or people) couldn’t simply be replaced by another so easily. He’d protect your identity and wishes and help you reach a happy end, so that you both might coexist like you've grown to desire.

…What a curious predicament he’s landed himself with indeed.

A familiar story...

Kaveh’s a merman that’s well-liked and recognized within his home in the sea. His feats in architecture are renowned, but it comes from a sort of fascination and appreciation for beauty—after all, why else would he seek to build better structures and strive for wonderful things?

And for a creative and genius mind like his, it’s not a stretch to say that Kaveh’s interest extended to the machines of the human world. During shipwrecks and other storms, items would wash into the sea and be scavenged by certain… opportunists, who would supply to merchants that would then mark up the prices for customers like Kaveh, who saw the good in too many things and had enough empathy to pay for more.

—Nevermind his sometimes empty pockets, but Kaveh also liked venturing out to find items by himself on occasion (times where he needed a break from the bustle of the underwater city, just to soak in the sunlight and sky for himself, and being brought to wonder what else was out there in the world above).

Kaveh would be lying if he said he never considered going to the surface, but the temptation only reaches its tipping point when he sees you for the first time at the beach—he’s seen many humans, but not so many that would ramble to their dog while pacing around the beach, throwing sticks for it and then settling down to sketch the scenery. It’s so… picturesque, of a situation, that Kaveh couldn’t help but stick around longer and enjoy the quietness with you.

And after you'd left, the sound of jewelry tinkling still lingers in his mind—you were wearing accessories with the most charming gems and color. It’s a shame they don’t have that material on-hand in the ocean—though wearing jewelry in the water itself wasn’t that practical to begin with.

So of course one day, after a particularly tiring series of events, Kaveh travels onto land for the first time and explores; there are foods he hasn’t seen before in the marketplace and Kaveh buys a cloak to help blend in (yes, he borrowed surface-currency from Alhaitham, though he anguishes at the idea that he has to rely on that guy for this), and when Kaveh gets distracted while looking at a jewelry stall’s offerings, he startles at the sound of a voice he’s only heard from afar.

You offer Kaveh a smile as you ask if he’s looking for something—and within his confusion Kaveh blurts out that he quite likes the earrings you’re wearing, so you smile and invite him to the store where you got them. He’s surprised to learn it’s a pawn shop, but the mere idea that you frequent there makes him feel a little more comfortable; perhaps the both of you were scavengers in your own right, looking for something you haven’t quite found yet.

He doesn’t buy anything, but ends up being gifted with a hair accessory by you—because his hair seems like it could use with pinning up, from how he’s been fidgeting with the ends (hair floats in the water, it does not do the same on land)—and Kaveh flusters even more when you mention it’s on the house (you own this place?!) and that it matches the color of his eyes anyways, so he should keep it.

Suffice to say, Kaveh becomes a regular visitor to the human world after that, forging a type of second-home in the visits to the markets and bringing trinkets he’s found at sea to you. You’re not the main owner of the pawn shop, but your senior is very knowledgeable about the items he’s brought in, even paying a high price for them. It’s all going well until a storm hits your seaside town during an event out at sea—and Kaveh, who had made an excuse to not attend the ship party—rushes to your rescue when you’re the one that falls off the deck—returning you to shore the next morning.

It’s a journey of worries, anxieties and doubts from there on; if you recalled your mysterious savior, Kaveh laments at the idea of you falling for a version of him he has to keep a secret. If you knew it was him, could he still visit the shore so casually again?

Despite everything, Kaveh still has the sense to prioritize the safety of himself and his people. Thus begs the question; did he have the courage to place his trust in you?

Fish in a pool, and a curious fox

It’s not common to find merpeople living in smaller bodies of water, far from the rest of the ocean, but there are exceptions in the town where you and Tighnari lived—where certain species different from humankind created a little haven of their own to coexist and thrive, adorned in nature and springs that one wouldn’t find elsewhere.

What would your friends from university say; you were living ‘cottagecore’ lives?

The first time you met Tighnari, it’d been as kids who wandered away from home. Not to say the town was that big, but there was a little intersecting river between the merfolk and land-habitants, where you swam toward out of curiosity one day, following a stray butterfly. It almost seemed to land on the surface of the water, fluttering before perching still - thus when you carefully tried to resurface from right below it, you hadn’t expected to touch noses with a stranger who sported fox ears and a tail.

Being children, the both of you lacked the initial embarrassment that most people might have in response—instead you simply backed away in surprise, asking for the stranger's name.

There was a short reprieve in which you both spotted the butterfly again—which was flying away in a direction further onto land—but before Tighnari could tell you where it was heading toward, you were both interrupted by the calls of your families to return home.

The next time you met, Tighnari is quick to mention the thought that’d been hanging on his mind—he tried to invite you to the meadow to find butterflies (for you seemed fond of them), before belatedly realizing you couldn’t tread on land. His ears drooping slightly, you quickly told him that maybe one day you could, once you’d mastered how to shift your tails into legs when you were older.

Growing up in your town was a picturesque childhood indeed. The day you first tried walking on legs, you’d been clumsy and needed a hand from your family, who were watching over you that day. Eventually you’re able to run and jump and explore on your own, to which you find yourself attracted to a field of flowers. You haven’t seen so many up close before, and was surprised when a pair of ears peeked out from within them; Tighnari, who was watching ladybugs climbing their stems.

That’s when your friendship properly blossomed, you supposed. As you were both interested in exploring, you and Tighnari would often go on trips together in your free time. You even brought him to the reefs once, teaching him to hold his breath just long enough to witness the beauty that lay underwater.

When you grew older, you learned that reading as many books as you had—absorbing knowledge—would come in handier than you thought. Tighnari is the first to leave the town to study in the city, a similar path his other family members took—and after a year of your own preparation, it was your turn to venture out to the Akademiya, where you heard Tighnari was.

You were independent in your own right, but becoming close friends with him (and maybe harboring a tiny crush) meant you wanted to at least be in the same city if possible. As luck permitted, you succeeded, and met Cyno during your first day when you’d become lost searching for your classes.

You’re surprised to learn later on that Tighnari has spoken of you before—enough for Cyno to ask if you knew of Tighnari based on your description of your home.

“He’d always talk about how beautiful the scenery was there, and exploring it with a childhood friend.”

Figures that when you find Tighnari in person, you wouldn’t be any the wiser about his fondness for you in how he acts—or perhaps you’d become so used to his gestures that it’s now hard to tell. But to those that have met him since he’s been at the Akademiya, there is a clear smile in Tighnari’s eyes when he’s talking to you, and a sense of comfort that they haven’t seen from him anywhere else.

Involved in an underwater crime mystery… Mermaids are real?!

CW: missing persons mystery, reader gets kidnapped by a sea creature/villain (they’re fine though!)

Despite Cyno’s suspicions the first time he met you, you truly were just a wandering journalist that got into a lot of trouble; there’s been cases of people going missing near the seaside lately, thus when you ventured to the scene of the crime in hopes of getting some interviews, you end up getting caught by a mysterious sea creature and brought to the bottom of the ocean—at least, that’s how your story might’ve ended, if Cyno hadn’t spotted your kidnapping and intercepted it before it was too late.

The mysterious creature that took you was shrouded in shadow—some type of cloaking magic to hide its real form, but it had left a marked symbol on you from where it was gripping your leg to pull you under; unsure of what side-effects you may experience, Cyno had brought you to Tighnari first to get rid of any traces of magic before returning you to shore, only to realize that you were somehow breathing underwater, without the use of a spell on his part.

When you wake up, you’re understandably confused and perplexed. Unless you were hallucinating this entire thing, you’re now in an underwater city after being found by Cyno, a high-ranking merman guard, who had rescued you from the same creature that was probably behind the other missing persons cases.

Cyno places a hand on your shoulder in a gesture of comfort when he noticed your hands trembling, but your mind was reeling from the information (and sensory) overload.

One thing was clear: You weren’t going back to the surface until this mark was taken off you (which according to Tighnari, could only fade over time or be removed by the caster of the spell).

You had two options: stay here as a patient and wait things out, or join Cyno on his investigations. You weren’t particularly weak to pretty faces so as to risk your life for them, but the resolve that burned in Cyno’s gaze when he spoke of tracking them down helped steel your mind; you weren’t sure if you could hold on to this hope for long while stranded here alone, but perhaps you could be of some use to him with your intel from the surface, and maybe this decision would end with you having less regrets, for at least being moved to action within this crisis and confusion.

Your job was to document the truth, after all. You want to bear witness to this—to help put an end to the crime and mystery that has engulfed both your community and his.

You’re introduced to Cyno’s world and witness his dedication to protecting the underwater city of Sumeru. You hear stories from Tighnari, during your breaks, about how Cyno used to act back in their Akademiya days. It’s hard to imagine that Cyno could be invested in card games and stories of ancient magic when he was off-duty, but you honestly found the idea of it cute.

Perhaps when this whole ordeal was over, you could ask him to teach you about TCG. You get a glimpse of this other side of Cyno during one night when you’re camping out during an investigation outside the city, and he shows you a bit of elemental magic when you ask if he’s capable of such things too.

Admittedly, Cyno is more combat-oriented these days, but he tells you that he’s always liked the sound of adventures and playing a role different from what he’s used to. You think to yourself that out here, with this demonstration of magic that’s like stealing the stars from the night sky to a mortal like yourself, that he could be anything he wanted to be and you’d still follow him to the ends of the ocean.

But when all was said and done, where would your friendship go? It’s a little selfish, but a part of you is starting to wish that this adventure would never end.

Befriending a bad-mannered mermaid… Have we met before?

CW: Reader has trouble sleeping/insomnia. Mentions of drowning but it’s just a quip from Wanderer, not described or actually happening to anyone here. Uh… just him being mean but it's not from a malicious place. Reader technically presumed dead (?) — it’s a little complicated but I swear it makes sense once you read, it’s not angsty don't worry!

To start things off anticlimactically, you met Wanderer one day when you were walking by the shore at dawn, having had another restless night. With your eyelids finally growing heavy as you leaned against a boulder on the sand, you found yourself drifting to sleep…

…Only to be rudely interrupted by a pebble thrown your way, just narrowly missing your leg.

While Wanderer would simply say it’s because you were interrupting his alone time (who does he think he is, talking as if he owned the beach anyways?!) It was really just a matter of safety. He continues to quip at you, making comments about how you clearly lacked self-preservation if you thought sleeping there was fine, and to not complain that he was a quiet bystander when you get dragged out by the current and drown.

You’re obviously confused and indignant at the same time—not to mention he’d just left immediately after that. But hours later you realize he was talking to you really casually. The next time you encounter him and ask as such, Wanderer simply says that all humans were the same, though some were obviously not a threat to him—like you.

You had half a mind to throw something back at him, only to be interrupted when Wanderer suddenly asked for your name. He’s uncharacteristically silent after hearing it, before telling you his own and disappearing again.

When you couldn’t sleep, you’d go to the beach these days in order to let the sunlight lull you to sleepiness, or—if that didn’t work—you’d draw Wanderer’s name into the sand to be washed away by the waves again and again. You’re not sure who told you this, but there was a saying that whatever message was washed away by the sea would be delivered to recipients in the water. When Wanderer finds you that afternoon, he’s quick to call the belief idiotic—only for you to argue that he did show up anyways.

Perhaps it’s because of how unabashedly proud he acts, but you find yourself responding to Wanderer in a familiar manner as well. You’re not afraid to retort against his remarks, and over time you become friends, though he would hate to admit it so plainly.

…To start things off from a different point of view, your friendship had actually started long before you started having issues with sleep, and perhaps even before you started to live your life on land.

Long ago, Wanderer had a friend who painstakingly wore down his barriers and adopted him as a companion. That is, in the same way a cat and owner relationship might work—though he had no clue what exactly a cat was, for his friend was the only one between them to have ventured far enough into the human world to meet one.

Wanderer didn’t care much about humans, but his friend (who was a merperson), quite liked their creations and stories. They’d always found it amusing to see humans board their cruise ships and pollute the air with their noise, while Wanderer would constantly remind them to not get too caught up in human-watching. What was so great about those land-dwellers anyways?

After a series of events, said friend had gone missing and was presumed dead. So how many thoughts flurried through Wanderer’s mind on the day he saw you at the beach as if to taunt him? How betrayed and confused and annoyed had he felt after rationalizing things in his mind; that if you were a reincarnation of his friend, that you wouldn’t remember anything. That if you were his friend yourself, who’d turned out to have lived, you’d have your reasons for never attempting contact. And if it was neither of those, you were just a look-alike and fate had a really crappy sense of humor for making him stumble upon you like so.

He’d started venturing closer to the surface ever since his friend’s disappearance—partially as a way to get away from the city and the well-meaning but overbearing attempts to comfort him, and also as a little way to feel connected to them again.

Wanderer doubts he’d ever love humans the same way they did, but he’s at least able to appreciate the softness of the morning when the sun filters through the surface just right.

To summarize, yes - you are that friend, though whether you’d been reincarnated after an incident or simply had your memories erased eludes the both of you. The story starts here, and has much to explore henceforth; as much as Wanderer liked to complain, he was quite relieved to be able to adventure with you again. The more time he spends with you, the more he’s convinced that maybe second chances do come true.

More Posts from Elvilisa and Others

elvilisa

2 years ago

Delicious

he’s overly possessive ft. dottore, pantalone

f!reader┆canon┆wc. 1.2k┆navi┆like or reblog┆

il dottore [the doctor]

“you called for me, sir?”

dottore looks up from the flurry of experiment-related notes on top of his desk and finds you standing by the doorway of his office, looking nervous. if he stared at you for a moment longer, he’d point out that you resemble a scared little lamb. it was possibly the very first time he encounters the sight of you so high-strung.

it excited him.

“i did,” he affirms with a devilish grin. without another word, he raises his hand then beckons you inside the room, and to sit on the stool in front of him.

you were first recruited as another lackey for the harbingers to do their bidding. the other harbingers were utterly lost on what it was about you specifically that drew him to you. you hadn’t done anything special to stand out from the rest and yet you somehow became the object of his obsession.

the harbingers were having their annual meeting to discuss important matters such as the latest orders from the tsaritsa when you entered in the middle of their conference to deliver the reports detailing the month’s expenses to the man sitting next to him.

it was nothing out of the ordinary for a subordinate to bring off their duties not a second later. however, the rather mundane act seems to be enough for you to be the apple of his eye. by the next day, you were briefed of your transfer to his division and given the title of his personal assistant.

from then onward, his fixation on you persists. whether it is romantic or not didn’t matter—it was evident he was deeply infatuated with you and that should’ve been a glaring forewarning to any fool who took an interest in you. it didn’t didn’t need to be announced, it was obvious to anyone with working eyes that you were his and his alone.

the many disappearances of fatui underlings and the recent increase of his test subjects weren’t a timely coincidence after all. to his great frustration, there was a pest who didn’t get the memo and managed to pathetically worm his way in your life—something dottore keenly disapproved and detested.

“it’s mandatory for those involved with the fatui to remain a strictly professional relationship,” he informs, eerily polite. it was a blatant lie, but you didn’t need to know that. if it were any other individual sitting across him and below his concentrated gaze, they would’ve shivered at the gesture or started praying to their pathetic archon that he spared their life.

you didn’t.

you merely look back at him unafraid. and perhaps that was one of the reasons why he was drawn to you.

“is it, sir? i’ve read our policies and the mighty tsaritsa never mentions such a rule.”

his jaw clenches. you were a mouthy little minx, aren’t you? he internally sneers, his eyes narrow at you, guess he has to fix that later.

“it’s a new policy.” his tone was firm. it stresses this was the end of the matter. you either take what he says to heart and comply or you face the consequences of your disobedience. “understood?”

“yes, sir,” you gulp and it creates a small smile to emerge on his lips.

“good girl.”

pantalone [regrator]

having a harbinger for a lover was an affair you didn’t intend to happen. it was too outlandish. you envisioned yourself to settle down with an honest man and live a modest life in the countryside and yet here you were, happily dating the most affluent, and cunning, harbinger.

whenever your family sent you letters, they consistently ask you about him and if he was treating you right. as usual, they were bewildered to read how different he was from the murmurs in town. pantalone was a sweet and gentle lover—he cares for you like you were his most prized possession. it was made obvious when he spoils you with everything your heart desires.

he didn’t ask for anything—only for you to follow his request of seeking his permission anytime you wish to meet with your friends or relatives, remembering the very early curfew he gave you, and cutting off those he disapproved. although it highlighted his possessiveness and overprotectiveness, bordering on sheer paranoia, you didn’t see anything wrong with it. you were fully understanding of his strange requests since you knew you were both taking a huge risk of having a relationship.

regardless of what others try to say, he had adversaries who were ready to attack him the second he showed any sign of weakness.

hence, you found yourself in a big dilemma when you chose to disregard his rules and went out with your friends, whom he made clear he disliked, without telling him. he told you one of them harbored feelings for you and it left him feeling annoyed to know you were around someone who wanted to pursue you. you were his; majority should know that by now and find another poor soul to pester.

one thing you were frequently told by those around you was how unsettling your lover could be at times and you weren’t able to see what they saw until tonight.

“where were you this afternoon?” pantalone lazily swirls the wine glass in his hand before taking a long, agonizing sip of his drink. you stay seated across him visibly impassive while you feasted on the meal prepared for the evening.

“what do you mean? i was at home the whole day.”

the air went still.

you were naive enough to reckon that everything was going to be all right until you were harshly faced with the reality of your actions when you heard the noise of a chair screeching and footsteps approaching you.

you feel him tuck your hair back. he must’ve been leaning or kneeling down because you suddenly felt his breath against your neck. “i asked you a question, little one. i expect some respect from you to tell me the truth.” his voice wavered on threatening. it was chilling to find the man you normally run to for solace become the reason why you’d come to him for comfort.

“i-i, um… i went out with my friends,” you manage to stutter out and he went quiet again, “i’m sorry that i… that i-i didn’t tell you. i didn’t know it was going to be a big deal!”

he simply scoffs at you and your eyes soon water at what he might say next. you were close to the verge of crying.

“when you agreed to be mine,” pantalone starts, “you made a promise that you trust me and do what i say. i told you not to leave without telling me and what did you do?” he pauses, waiting for you to respond. it was condescending to have him gaze at you like a disappointed parent whose child was in trouble.

“i-i left without telling you,” you sniffle. his demeanor swiftly changes when you started to cry. he removes his hand from your face and pets your head, calming you down.

“i’m sorry, little one…” he murmurs, “i must’ve really scared you there, didn’t i? but you do understand why i was mad at you, right? there are people out there who want to take you away from me and i won’t let that happen… not if i can help it.”

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elvilisa

2 years ago

"one more kiss~"

lips puckered, you glance up at tighnari beseechingly in hopes of stealing, what seemed to be, the 36th kiss tonight. and you weren't stopping at that until you covered him from head to toe before he left the cabin permanently until morning.

your handiwork against his entire face would have been inconspicuous too if it wasn't for the deadpan expression wracked across his features, a tinge of light pink settling across the expanse of his cheeks and ears drooped in anticipation of your next deadly attacks.

although, if you ignored the fact that he was, quite truthfully, relishing in your attention a bit too much, his countenance would almost be indecipherable.

yet, the twitch of his tail and the heat reaching his ears gave away more than he had liked, and you noticed this while sitting on his lap, desperately taking advantage of the situation.

"darling, you know i have a lot of work to do in the morning... make it quick."

self-assured, your boyfriend shut his eyes and deserted the divets of your love handles, folding his arms across his chest instead and awaited the bombardment of affection you held eagerly on the rim of your lips.

after a moment of nothing in response, one of his eyes flutters open to glance up at you, his assertive nature quickly dissolving when you plant a quick peck in between his ears.

his heart races faster this time― you always knew his ears were the most sensitive part of his body and a place he didn't usually like being touched.

so, seeing his sheepish reaction like this compelled you to do it again. and again. annnddd again. until he quickly pulled you away from his head, cushioning your cheeks in both of his palms just inches away from his own face.

"okay, baby, that's enough."

a small pout forms on your face as he sternly warns you, eyebrows tilting down as you stare back into his hazel orbs while fighting the urge to aggressively tackle him in love bites.

all he could do was laugh, though, squeezing your cheeks tighter and pulling your face closer to his so he could plant a forgiving smooch against the tip of your nose.

"i'll sleep here tonight. how does that sound?"

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elvilisa

2 years ago

quand tu es avec moi

summary: cyno's experienced so much, but you're the one he'll never regret

contents: fluff, possible ooc, character-centric, gn!reader, cyno being soft

cw: none i can think of, tell me if you find any!

recommend listening to: je te lasserai des mots by patrick watson

a/n: surprise i'm back! french translates to: 'when you're with me'

Cyno yearns for a certain type of love. A love that runs so deep, flowing through the crevices of his heart; a love that softens his stares, and hardens his resolve. Cyno wants a love that takes his calloused hands in theirs, and proclaims they will stay with him as long as the stars shine above; as long as his morality never wavers; as long as he will never stop chasing this love he craves. Cyno’s never been one to indulge in such pleasures; never been one to stop and smell the roses, if given the chance. Yet- when he sees your smile- he’s reminded of dainty elegance, tenderly accompanied by a pleasant floral fragrance. He yearns for a certain type of love- a love that only you can give.

It’s the way he would do anything for you. Cyno’s a man of his own word, so what would make you think he wouldn’t? It’s a rare sight to see the General Mahamatra strolling through the Grand Bazaar so casually, but when you’re lying in bed with a cold, his eyes mingled with concern. Only the best medicine will do. And when he arrives next to you, sitting by your side, you’ll protest that he’ll get sick, and he’ll tell you a joke. It’s not going to be an extremely funny one, but you’re going to smile, and he thinks that’s all that matters.

Pearlescent sands, shimmering galaxies full of stars, fine threads on a purple headdress. You cannot count the quantity of such large amounts; you cannot begin to imagine how Cyno counts the times he gets lost in your eyes. Over and over again, patrolling the desert, idly browsing through a new set of TCG cards, he likes to think about you. Caresses of the gentlest touch, alike a feather’s soft brush against your cheek. Lingering stares, like a wolf’s piercing gaze. And with each single thought- Cyno can hear your voice in his ears- an infestation he has no desire to purge, and he knows his heart beats full.

Because even though he’s only known you for a few years in his- albeit, relatively short- lifetime, it feels as if he’s known you for longer. He may not believe in past lives, but if they did exist, Cyno’s sure that he’d search for you in every single one. And if he happened to never find you, he’d keep on searching; uncovering every rock, crossing every ocean, just seeking for your company. Because what kind of soldier would he be without the light that guides his way?

Between close confidants, closer friends, and closest allies, it’s no secret that he often makes jokes when he truly trusts you. As bad as they may be, eliciting several sighs and grimaces, they lighten the stoic atmosphere he brings with his forthcoming personality. He likes them, too, and who is anyone to dare say that they do not bring people closer together? Because you’ve known him, and Tighnari knows him, and Collei knows him, and he’s cracked pun after pun, and you’ve never gotten tired of him. Moreso, unbeknownst to you, every time he makes one, a pair eyes seemingly glance in your direction- just for a few seconds- and when they’ve ascertained there’s a gleam of amusement shining under yours, he reclines back with a satisfied smile.

Cyno likes to be near you. Your presence- it’s something that makes his heart run faster and cheeks burn up. He likes being able to sit next to you, and talk about his new TCG deck while you nod and hum attentively, not noticing how he’s staring at you so unabashedly, explaining the intricate details of his commissioned art. He likes being able to sit next to you as you both recount the memories you’ve shared, all from a simple dinner to an exhilarating chase. He likes losing track of time with you, as the sun dips down over the horizon, and the moon comes out of its slumber.

Most of all, he likes you. No. ‘Like’ carries feelings that are too shallow. Love would be a better descriptor. Unfaltering, unashamedly, bravely, hopelessly in love. Cyno’s set of scales is as ever-present as you seem to be in his head; he dares to gaze up at the desert night sky and let his heart guide his way, uninterrupted by the incessant hustle and bustle of the city. He can feel you by his side, feels your hand held firmly in his, staring up at the same glimmering stars.

It’s time to go back home.

a/n: after the windblume event quest, my mind's been so full of cyno recently and i love that we get to see a new side to him that we didn't in the archon and story quest <3 likes, reblogs and comments are always appreciated! 🫶

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elvilisa

2 years ago

♡⋆.ೃ࿔* THE LOVE IN VUNERABILITY ~

the chief alchemist of the knights of favonious had many different faces, and yet the one he only shared with you was your favorite . . .

ੈ♡˳ albedo x reader (romantic <3) ੈ♡˳ category :: short fluff :] ੈ♡˳ warnings :: n/a ੈ♡˳ a/n :: JUSTTT TRYING TO PUT SOMETHING OUT ?! LITERALLY JUST A REWRITTEN OLD WORK OF MINE

albedo was a man of many titles and many virtues. rightfully seen as knowledgeable, the kriedeprinz had every right to pride himself in innumerable things. in his colleagues' point of view, he was this calm, collected genius who always knew what to say when he needed to say it. to the knights of favonius, he was a trustworthy ally in the defense and intelligence unit of mondstadt. ask him a question and he'd answer it with the confidence and expertise of a thousand professors. to klee, however, he was her caring older brother who she could trust with all her newest mischievous schemes. that was the albedo known by those who he commonly interacted with, yet most certainly not the albedo that you've come to see.

in your eyes, albedo was quiet yet affectionate, timid yet sincere, quiet yet lovable, and you wouldn't want it any other way. in truth, he's barely as smooth as what you'd expect from someone who's won countless intellectual arguments— one time he gifted you a flower he'd created from ashes of a dendro slime! in addition to that, if one of his peers— especially the teasing kaeya— had seen him shyly pointing at his own cheek as a shy attempt at asking for a little kiss, you don't think they'd even be able to believe their eyes.

nonetheless, albedo only acted this way because of his inexperience in human relationships. he used to find it tiring, maintaining close contact with others. yet, somehow, you turned that whole view of his upside down. even if it meant expending every ounce of energy he had, he'd happily spend all of it simply conversing with you about how your day went or how a recent experiment turned out. even those around him noticed how his gaze became noticeably softer whenever you walked into his lab, it's just the effect you have on him. nowadays, he finds himself thinking of you every hour of the day, finding joy whenever you greet him with that smile of yours. one could say that it's been a long way from when he found maintaining relationships exhausting, simply because you were his one and only exception.

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elvilisa

2 years ago

it's so hard trying to find cute drawings of tan girls

Whispers

Tighnari x Gn!Reader

Synopsis: Guessing game with Tighnari

What's in the web: Fluff, established relationship

Reblogs are Appreciated!

There was no doubt that his ears could hear you from lengths away, but what made it even more fun was the guessing game. Whenever the work was slow or none to be dealt with, you and Tighnari would settle on a guessing game.

Basically, you'd go somewhere far enough for him to hear you and basically whisper a word or a statement and he had to guess what you said. Simple, right? Well, you like to make things more difficult, often standing next to someone speaking and letting whispers out.

Sometimes he'd get annoyed by the fact that you 'cheated' but none of you specified the rules beforehand. So, that leads to both of you in a room discussing rules for him. Sometimes he'd ignore the rules and often guess if he's gonna check on his hearing. Convenient for a person like him.

For you, not so much. You look insane whenever you whisper and run back to his home. People had to start asking around for the purpose of your insanity, only to be told the most sanest and cutest thing. This was kind of a gateway for both of you to torture one another with compliments.

"Oh, let me see. Going off the pauses of the words, I'd say the correct answer was you look beautiful."

He looked at you with adoration in his eyes while holding your chin. Pulling away to cover your face in an attempt to hide the smile he just pulled.

So, your revenge?

It mostly consisted of you going to the quietest place and whispering:

"I love you."

Tighnari blushed as the words entered his large ears, his hand covering his mouth. You were bold with that one, and he didn't have enough time to hide from you as seconds later you were there with a teasing grin.

So, his revenge?

Him giving you an abundance of work with him and him only. He's not possessive or anything he just wants to annoy you the whole trip, talking about nonsense. And, maybe kissing you along the way to throw you off and then jokingly scold you for not paying attention.

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