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"You're sure this would be a good gift for him?"
"Maybe? You tell me, brother. You're the one that come to me for help"
A sighed escaped it's way from his lip as right on the side of his eyes, a lady inches taller than him, dark blue hair that matches the night sky smiled gently at him, as he only shakes his head and sighed again, but this time with a slight groan
"By your response, I can assume this isn't the one? Am I right, Cyno?" The lady asked, heterochromatic eyes looked at him with a gentle look as "Cyno" open his mouth to speak
"Not... Intirely. I just... Expected it to be a lot bigger than this" he said, looking right back at her, voice filled with uncertainty and nervous hidden under it as well.
"Well I'm sure he'll like it since it's from you and not from anybody else. So cheer up, dear brother" The lady says encouragingly while shooting a warm but dotting smile at him
"I.. I don't know, Candace. It's--"
"It's not like we haven't just go around the city and search for a viable gift only for this one to be the one we bought for Tighnari's birthday gift?"
"..." Cyno grows quiet when she finishes the sentences he was about to say
Candace looks at him with a sigh before bringing her hand on his chin and makes him look right back at her
"Listen Cyno, I know giving someone a gift that's from your heart can be hard if it's to someone that you have a deep crush on--"
".. I don't have a crush on him" Cyno grumbles, cutting her off mid-sentence
Candace only smiled with a hum "But as your sister that you come to for help, it's only better that you trust me and knows that the gift we bought was by your own choosing you know" she teases a little, poking the side of Cyno's cheeks before leaning back with her hands on her hips
"Soo, chin up General Mahamatra. I'm sure this gift is going to be one for your friend to remember for all eternity" she said with full confidence on her words and smile
Cyno blinks as his fingers fiddles slightly on the spear he was holding and let out a deep sighs as he spoke, eyes sharp at Candace
"You're certain it'll make his day?" "Mmhhmm, also if you do fall into any other trouble while giving him the gift, maybe tell him one of your best jokes? Maybe that'll lightens the mood, yeah?"
This makes Cyno smiled, though it was a little smile but it was a rare one for the General Mahamatra to smile at such small predicament
"Thank you"
"Don't mention it. Now let me help you wrapped that up in a box, or do you wish to wrapped it yourself?"
Cyno let out a chuckle as he spoke
"A small box should be fine"
"Alright then, wait here and I'll look for a small box for that gift for your boyfr--"
"Candace please..."
Candace giggled at him before she left as Cyno shakes his head at himself, slowly regretting on coming to Aaru Village to Candace for help on the matter
Once Candace comes back with the box and helped Cyno wrapped it around the gift with nice bow tied on top of it, the two began their journey to Caravan Ribat as that's where Candace's stop would be
Cyno looked back at her for a second, eyes filled with now air of nervous aura around him as Candace sighed and wrapped him into a hug
"Don't be nervous now, little brother. The more you waits the more chances you loss to do this for him. Now go, I'm sure your gift will be to his liking!" She says before climbing back up the caravan that rode them here, and tossing a good chunk of Mora to the Merchant before they make their way back to Aaru Village once more
Cyno waves goodbye as she left before looking up at the sky, as the sky is painted with orange and purple hues indicating the night is coming to a due.
Cyno takes a deep breath in then out, as he looked at the gift box on his hand then smiled, looking ahead as it'll be nightfall when he'll arrived at Gandharva Ville.
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Meanwhile back in Gandharva Ville, Tighnari & Collei had just finished a patrol around the forest, making sure any Withering zones are dealt with, also noting down and key signs that it'll spread elsewhere or any evidence that they'll have to recheck the spot on the next day, as well checking to see if there's no foolish adventures getting themselves hurt or sick from eating some unknown mushrooms nor flora, or getting themselves trapped around a river pool full with crocodiles again.
The days gone pretty slow before the dawn quickly changed to nightfall right after Tighnari finished re-examing Collei's test and giving her some criticism & tips on which parts she got wrong, as well reading the letters she got from Amber yesterday that he didn't get to help her read it.
But once all of it are done, Tighnari helped tucked Collei to sleep after reading Amber's letters for her, placing her blankets to her shoulder whilst she cuddle up with her Cullen-Anbar plushie in her sleep, patting her head gently and wishes her good night before leaving her hut and back to his own
Whilst on the way of his hut, Tighnari's ear twitched as he can hear heavy but silent footsteps coming over to Collei's hut as he left.
He stopped midway to his hut, listening carefully before a smile creeps up his face, slowly regonizing who's coming by to visit at this hour
In which Tighnari resumes his way back to his hut, but keeping his ears sharp for their footsteps
As Cyno guessed it, he did indeed arrived right as the night welcomes it's way to the nation of Wisdom
And as he was getting close to Gandharva Ville, he could feel the sense of nervousness still flying above him as he grasped onto his spear tightly for comfort and repeating what Candace says on his head to calm any nerves he has once he set foot in Gandharva Ville
A smile slowly sprung on his face when he arrives, taking it in with a deep breath and a sigh of relief
He then notices a familiar small hut has their lights dimmed already when he arrives, Cyno chuckled and slowly makes his way there
As he was inches close to the hut, Cyno peaked over the window and smiled warmly
She seems to be sleeping well... That's good He says to himself, before eyeing up the other hut who has their lights still lit on which only makes him feels more nervous than he was before
Guess it's now or never then He took a deep breath in then out, before slowly making his way over the still litted hut
Tighnari hummed at himself, setting himself down to his table before starting to make a schedule for tomorrow's patrol after what they've noted down today, humming quietly as he work while his ears continuously listened to the footsteps he heard coming to his hut
His ear twitched left, then right, then left, then right again as the footsteps getting closer and closer to his hut, only for it to stopped at his doorsteps
Tighnari blinked as he paused on his work to listen as he could hear a familiar voice mumbling to themselves before he heard a small this after then the footsteps leaving his doorsteps right after
This makes Tighnari blinked and looked over his doorway, confused
Did he just left without saying hello? That's strange He hummed to himself before waiting till the footsteps was no longer heard nearby for him to stood up from his chair & looked out of his doorsteps only to be met with a small box and letter right under it
Tighnari rose a brow, scratching his head in confusion as he picked the box and letter up to his hand and looked over to where he heard the footsteps left to
Wonder why he left this here? Tighnari then walks back to his hut and sat on the edge of his bed, eyeing the box curiously, before looking over the letter, wondering what's written on it as he chuckled a bit when he can sense some electro energy amist the small 'blank' paper on his hand
Tighnari placed his hand above it, as Dendro energy formed out of his hand and the once 'blank' letter is now a letter written in almost messy but regonizable handwriting that The Forest Watcher grew to regonized by now
If a certain General WatchLeader is reading this, then I hoped you've opened the gift before reading this
Tighnari bit his lip at the first sentences he read and giggled to himself as it hasn't opened the gift yet before reading this letter
But if you have read this letter first before opening the box, then let me formally say Happy early birthday to the most outstanding Forest Watcher I know, I thank you for taking great care of the forest and it's well being as I hoped each year of your birth will always be as wonderful and magnificent as you are, Tighnari
Tighnari could felt a glint of red crawling up to his cheeks as he continues reading the letter, getting a bit flustered by the second
And though my time is short in writing this letter as I even needed a helping hand to wrote this properly and just right for you.
So here's a little hint of your birthday present;
What's golden, loud and has a bright heart? A bell. I Bellieve you need to open the gift now and sees how it rings!
Notably,
your fun jackal friend, Cyno
Tighnari groans at the joke written on the last part of the letter, shaking his head with a slight chuckle
"That Cyno..." He mumbled, before looking over to the box that he placed on his lap and began opening it slowly and carefully
Once the box was unwrapped and opened, Tighnari was met with a small golden feathery leaf like earring as it seems to only be one inside the box he had opened
Tighnari gently placed it on his hand, caressing his thumb on the small accessory as a smile crawls up his face with a bit of a red flush covering his cheeks slightly
Tighnari chuckled to himself as he hopped off his bed and put on the earring on his ear infront of his mirror slowly before looking back at his reflection on the mirror, seeing the earring dangles and jingles soo perfectly on his ears only to make his stomach flutters with butterflies inside
He laughs at himself, letting his cheeks reddened and looked away shyly from his reflection on the mirror
"Oh Cyno... Despite that joke on that letter, I... I thank you for the gift" he says to no one before rearranging his table and head himself to bed, smilling happily as he hugged his tail as the night drove him to dream land once more...
"Soo, did you got to give it to him?"
"Mmhhmm!"
"And did he liked it?"
"I left before seeing if he likes it or not"
"I... Cyno you..."
"What?"
"I thought my brother would've been a little bravier than just leaving your crush hanging there you know"
"...I hate you sometimes, Sister"
"And I love you too, brother. Just be bravier next time. Okay?"