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He'd come to visit Tighnari with a stack of TCG Invocation in one hand and a bundle of flowers in the other.
Cyno had gotten a few curious looks the first time he brought Tighnari a bouquet. But all it took was a queries of ‘What happens if you threw some flowers in the air? They (Sumeru) rose.’ turned any and all questioning glances away. It almost turned Tighnari himself off from accepting these flowers for the sake of research purposes, but the endearing swishing of Tighnari’s tail gave his gratitude away.
When Cyno visited this time, he hadn't expected the flowers to fall on the ground.
Nor did he relish the spear that flew to his hand. But he had to.
The mechanical hulking beast inside the greenhouse glowed with menacing intent. If Cyno didn’t stop it now, who knows what havoc it might do?
(He shuts out any and all images of Tighnari broken and bleeding. Focus on the present, Cyno chides himself, steadying his trembling grip on his spear.)
Gaze flicking about for any other intruder, any sign of danger or disarray, Cyno demands, “How did you get in here?”
The beast garbles something unintelligible. Cyno decides not to translate that. He launches his spear through the air—and curses when the creature scuttles out of the way with surprising speed.
Cyno dashes forth, grabbing his pole arm. He jabs from the left. Strikes from the right. Again and again, the blasted thing swerves past him or retracts its limbs just in the nick of time. The dance is too long, too tedious.
But soon, there's no where left to run.
The mechanical beast whimpers in fear as Cyno raises his spear high above his head—
Thwack!
—and finds his wrists bound by a tangled of vines. Tsking, Cyno breaks free from the binds, only to blink through a floral fog. The creature appears to his left, then his right. Cyno can see it in every corner of the Vijnana-Khanda Field.
Like hunter drawing out prey, he waits for it to dissipate. When Cyno finally blinks past the haze, he meets the glowing tip of a dendro-infused arrow.
“What the hell?” Tighnari's voice is strict and stern, but it carries no note of panic or sense of urgency Cyno expected.
“Move aside, Tighnari.” It pains Cyno to force his voice to be sharp and commanding. To be the General Mahamatra when he's finally grown comfortable enough to shed that title and be just himself.
With everyone else, especially criminals, the title is used as a secondary weapon, a figurative spear to wield against evil. A symbol for others to fear, some to respect…
But not Tighnari. Tighnari uses Cyno's name without fail, in varying tones: of soft adoration, mirthful exasperation, and now… wary hesitance. Something inside his chest twists sharply. “Cyno… just what are you doing?”
“Tighnari, you need to get out of here.” Forgoing the soft tone he reserves for him, and only him, is not easy, but it has to be done.
Tighnari has to be safe.
“You don't understand the danger here,” Cyno says, knuckles turning white from how hard he holds onto on his polearm.
Brows knit in concern, the other man tilts his head. “Oh no, were the effects of the Vijnana Stormheart too strong? Sorry, I acted on instinct after hearing you knock out every plant I had to the ground.”
A twinge of shame pelts Cyno when he registers the broken pieces of plants and pottery around them. Yet he hurriedly shoves it under the shackles of duty and responsibility. “I'm sorry for the mess, but when I found that creature in here, I had to act as soon as I could.”
“Wait, Karkata!” Tighnari startles, realization striking him like lightning. “Are you hurt?”
Perplexed, Cyno whirls around to follow Tighnari's gaze, wondering how he'd missed another person hiding in here…
His heart stutters to a stop when Tighnari lays a gentle hand on the mechanical creature. The man lets out a sigh, ears drooping in relief. In contrast, Cyno’s metaphorical hackles rise.
“…You named that thing?” The pieces begin to fall together in Cyno’s mind, at odds with the heat of alarm and the cold hollowness numbing his bones.
Tighnari puts a hand on his hip. “Of course I didn't! But that's the name it was given when I found it.”
Running a shaking hand over his face, Cyno ponders his next step. He usually doesn’t care for the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’, only results matter. But with Tighnari, everything is different. This is the man most dear to him, the man whose hands are as gentle as his tongue is sharp.
This is not some malevolent criminal, and yet Cyno slips into interrogation mode just as easily. “Where on Tevyat did you even find that thing? Tighnari, what have you gotten yourself into?”
Why didn't you take me with you? The words remain lodged in his throat, concern trapped behind the bars of his teeth.
But Tighnari sees through him, like always.
“Cyno, calm down,” Tighnari says, voice as soothing as an oasis in the desert. “It was an emergency. We needed to resolve it as soon as possible… and you already had far too much on your plate.”
But Cyno’s still on the edge, which is why his words fly out as quickly as his weapon does. “That doesn't matter. No matter what I was doing, I'd have time for you.”
Duty and responsibility come before anything else. They say the law was a jealous mistress, but it never seemed to mind Tighnari, who stuck firm to his own unwavering principles.
Until he broke the damn laws, the foundation of Cyno’s own beliefs.
“I know, but the Traveler and I handled it just fine.” Arms crossed, Tighnari looks at him, stern in his stare. “There’s a reason why I didn't tell you immediately. You're running ragged as it is! I thought we talked about you delegating tasks to your juniors.”
Cyno shakes his head. “There's too much corruption running rampantly in the Akademiya, poisoning it from within. I'm not certain who to trust.”
“Surely, you can trust me?” Tighnari's gaze turns imploring as it meets on Cyno's own, crimson stare.
Determined not to melt under the resplendent hues of green and brown, Cyno clenches his jaw and turns his eyes downward. “I do trust you. More than anyone.”
“Then you know what I'm capable of.”
“Of course. You’re the most capable person I know, but that thing is dangerous,” Cyno hisses, desperation leaking from his lips.
Tighnari's own words are steeped in exasperation. “It just tripped over a potted plant! It's as harmless as a crab, Cyno. I promise we’re not in any danger.”
Cyno wants to close his eyes, but all he sees in the darkness is Tighnari trapped amidst rubble and wreckage, sand burying him in a tomb of knowledge that was never supposed to be in this world.
He takes one last stab in the dark, one last attempt to hold onto the last shred of his convictions. “Tighnari, you of all people should know how dangerous this research is.”
“Yes. It cost my junior’s life.” Tighnari's voice grows quiet then. His dull gaze falls onto the picture of a man in goggles. One more victim to the slave of their curiosity, one more person who flew too close to the sun and burned for their attempts.
Clenching his fists, Cyno takes a deep breath. “I'm sorry to hear that.”
“It is what it is. Karkata is the last of his research.”
What matters is not the past, but the pain that flickered across Tighnari’s face. He approaches slowly, uncurling his fingers to reach for Tighnari… before he draws back at the last second. “I hate to ask, but what happened to the remains of his research? Where is his lab?”
With a small shake of his head, Tighnari closes the distance between them. He places a hand on Cyno’s tense shoulder, squeezing lightly. “It's been taken care of, don't worry.”
His gloved hand begins to rub circles on Cyno's bare back, as reassuring as the tender tenor of his voice. Cyno wants to lean into the touch, but he can't rest. Can't let his guard down just yet.
“I burned all the research and shut down the lab. I want you to know that I am not, nor will I ever, seek out forbidden knowledge, especially in regards to mechanical life forms. Okay?”
Each of Tighnari’s words, along with the dizzying gentleness of his touch, slowly send the tension leaking out of Cyno’s shoulders. For a long moment, he lets the sentiments sink in, letting them battle the niggling doubt in his mind.
But a tiny shred remains. “You should’ve reported it. At least to me.”
“Didn’t I just do that?” Tighnari snorts, and against all odds, it causes Cyno’s lips to twitch the slightest bit. “What did you want to file a report on it? You know that would just add fuel to the fire. People would get curious.”
“I agree that that less who know the better, but as General Mahamatra—”
“You may be the former General Mahamatra, but I am a watcher of the Avidya Forest. How I protect those under my charge is up to my discretion.”
“Tighnari—”
“What are you going to do? Arrest me? I dare you.”
Cyno can't help the huff of a laugh passing his lips. “As steadfast to your principles as ever. It's why I believed we were a good fit.”
Tighnari's hand drifts down to Cyno's own, lacing their fingers together. Cyno’s heart clenches with something softer, sweeter. “We are. Let's talk this through. You’re concerned why I didn’t follow the rules, right? What makes you so insistent on following the rules?”
The answer is simple. “Because we are matra.”
It’s an ingrained automatic response from training. A flicker of confusion ignites at the unimpressed look painting Tighnari's face.
“And… what else? Matra can be morally upright or corrupt, just like anyone else, but they have authority and power. But as long as they serve the Akademiya...”
Cyno nods. “The corruption can taint them. Not being tied to the label has given me more freedom to act.” He's all but lost faith in them, those high-falutin scholars in those ivory towers who turn their backs on their people and deities alike.
“So why do you continue to act? What motivates you, Cyno?”
The answer is jsut as simple, but takes a while to leave his lips. “I… I want to protect my people. From Forbidden Knowledge and other malevolent entities that can hurt them, whether it’s because of themselves or otherwise.”
Tighnari’s lips curve in a radiant smile. Cyno has to tear his gaze away, like a man too close to the sun. “Very good. Now, do you see anything evil in here? It really hasn’t done anything other than gather notes for me.”
He stares at the mechanical creature once more. It’s trying to get up on its back, and admittedly, now that Cyno knows it’s not out for blood, it’s almost… cute. “Even so, it may pose as a danger for you or anyone who stumbles upon it. I still think we have to put it down.”
“And what good is murder going to do?”
“You think it is alive?”
“I'm saying there's a possibility. Listen, while it may be your duty to protect the people of Sumeru—”
“It’s your duty to protect all life forms. I know,” Cyno finishes for him, unable to hide the traces of admiration in his tone.
Since his ears catch everything, Tighnari clears his throat in an attempt to regain composure. “Yes, well, you’re still understandably worried, but I’m not in danger… nor am I budging on this. You focus on the present, right? Well, at present, there is no risk. I’ve told everyone to stay clear. If they want to get to Karkata, they have to get through me. And that includes you, General.”
The warm glow of admiration swells in Cyno’s chest as his frustrations falter, relief blooming in his chest like a flower of hope.
Because he does trust Tighnari, he knows Tighnari is capable. This belief in this man begins to override the doubts plaguing his mind, voices strong only in the cover of dark, but not against the light of truth in Tighnari’s words.
Cyno lets out a sigh. “And you swear, it hasn't hurt you? Or is its programming hasn't been corrupted?”
“Can you trust me to take care of myself?”
“Yes. Always.”
“Good. You should also know this thing has been my assistant for weeks, and the only harm it poses is when it accidentally tumbles over and can't right itself for a few minutes.”
Silence permeates the room as Cyno watches the creature manage to finally stand up, then get to tidying up the broken pottery. “So you've grown fond of it.”
“It has a certain charm, after you get past its scary exterior. A bit like someone I know.”
“Hilarious. Speaking of getting past something, have I told you about the mushroom boar that crossed the River?”
“…Yes,” Tighnari sighs with the faintest amused quirk to his mouth. “But honestly, I wouldn't mind hearing it again. You've been way too overworked to tell a joke in ages.”
“You’re right once again. I suppose I have been working overtime.”
Tighnari cups his cheek with utmost gentleness. Cyno’s heart races again, but not from any panic or alarm. “That’s an understatement. Have you been sleeping with one eye again? Let me you something for the bags under your eyes. Even your bags have bags.”
Cyno huffs. “The wicked never rest. Neither can I.”
“The wicked can spare 2 hours for a nap. Come with me, I'll keep watch over you.”
Tighnari drops his hand and holds it out, palm up. A tempting invitation that Cyno doesn’t want to ignore, but thoughts of work refuse to flee his mind.
“…”
“Can't you spare a visit for Collei? She's getting lonely you know. Always talking about her friend from Monstadt. Should we set her up with a nice girl?”
It's a distraction more than anything, a way to settle his jittery nerves to a new topic. He takes Tighnari’s hand, intertwining their fingers once again. “And what are your qualifications for that? I assume she has to be have a rudimentary knowledge in medicine.”
“If she doesn’t, I’ll just have to teach her. You know, you could learn a few more things about wildlife yourself…”
As they continue to debate possible romantic prospects of Collei, Tighnari starts to swing their hands together as they exit the greenhouse.
Cyno may not fully know what the future holds, heading to Gandharva Ville should be enough. After all, the present is what matters most of all.