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Something about the way Tighnari was pacing around in front of his hut makes Cyno uneasy.
“Nari,” he says once he gets closer to him. “What’s the matter?”
To his surprise, Tighnari jumps. The fur on his tail stands up straight. It’s worrying, because Cyno has never been able to sneak up on his husband before.
You can’t fool my ears, he often told Cyno.
Something was definitely wrong.
“Tighnari, what happened?”
“That’s the problem,” Tighnari huffs in frustration, and runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. Collei’s patrol ended 15 minutes ago, but she’s not back yet.”
Now Cyno understands. It wasn't like Collei to be late for anything.
The Forest Watcher sighs, and he lets Cyno take his hands into his own. His ears droop down against his head. “I’m sorry for snapping at you, Cyno.”
“It’s alright, love.” Cyno rubs the tip of one of Tighnari’s ears between his fingers.
“I know she’s always cautious when she’s out on patrol and I trust her completely. I never want her to feel like I'm intruding, she deserves her privacy and independence.”
“You just feel as though something is off?” Cyno finishes for him, cupping the Forest Ranger’s cheek.
“Yes.” Tighnari confirms. Collei is their daughter, it’s only natural he would worry about any unusual behaviors from her, no matter how small they are. “I wanted to give her some time before I went looking for her, just in case. Collei mentioned that she was planning on collecting some Rukkhashava Mushrooms today, but I can’t help but worry.”
Cyno brings Tighnari’s hand to his lips and kisses his knuckles. “Let’s go see if we can find her. She’s probably just resting before returning home. I know you often remind her to do that.”
The Chief Forest Watcher nods, but Cyno can tell he's still worried, and doesn’t blame him at all. Tighnari won’t completely relax until he knows Collei is safe. And Cyno won’t either.
“You know the route she was taking today?”
“Of course,” Tighnari is already on the move. “I’ll lead the way.”
~
Tighnari spots the hairpiece first.
It’s a hairpiece he would recognize anywhere, because he was the one who bought it.
He knows that Collei treasures it, she’s worn it everyday since he gave it to her, and she would never leave it behind on purpose.
He notices her Casket of Tomes and bow after picking up her hairpin.
And then, he sees a Treasure Hoarder holding a Dendro Vision.
With a very familiar orange keychain.
“Cyno.” Tighnari’s heart is slamming against his chest. “That man, he-“
“I know,” his husband responds. Oh, Tighnari knows that tone of voice. It’s never been directed at him of course, but he knows what it means. General Mahamatra Cyno is seething with rage . His red eyes are blazing like a Flaming Flower.
“Where did you get that Vision?” Cyno demands, already marching towards the Treasure Hoarder. “I know it’s not yours.”
The man pales, clearly he hadn’t noticed them before now, and Collei’s Vision falls to the ground. “Shit.”
He starts to run, but doesn’t get very far. Without wasting a single second, Cyno lunges forward and Tighnari summons Hunter’s Path to his hands and shoots the man through his shoulder.
He screams and falls to the forest floor.
Cyno forces the man to his feet, shoving him against a tree, and Tighnari uses his Vision and binds the man’s hands behind his back.
“I’m going to give you two options,” Tighnari’s voice is calm, but it barely masks the rage he is currently feeling. “You can either tell me where your group has taken my daughter, and I’ll let the Matra deal with you or,” the Chief Forest Watcher rips the arrow out of the Treasure Hoarder's shoulder, causing the man to scream again, “you can remain silent and I will break both your legs and throw you to a pack of Avidya Leopards.”
“W-what the hell?” The Hoarder jerks back at Tighnari’s words, desperately trying to escape the vines binding his wrists. His gaze turns to Cyno. “You’re the General Mahamatra! Surely you’re not going to let him get away with this! He shot me!”
“My husband asked you a question, I suggest you answer it.” Cyno snaps, voice low and dangerous. Almost feral. He summons the Staff of the Scarlet Sands to his hand and points it at the Treasure Hoarder. “Trust me when I tell you, I could do much worse than just shooting you, and I will if you don’t answer him.”
Tighnari wraps his hand around the man’s neck, squeezing ever so slightly. It’s not enough to kill him, but it’s enough to make him squirm. His sharp claws dig against his neck, and small drops of blood appear. The man's eyes go wide with fear.
Good . This is exactly what Tighnari wants. But it’s not enough just yet.
“Did you know that it’s mating season for the Avidya Leopards?” Tighnari asks casually, as if he were talking to one of the other Rangers. “They get very aggressive this time of year, so it’s best to stay away from them. We have to constantly remind stupid adventurers to keep their distance.”
If it were possible, the man gets even paler.
Tighnari loosens the vines and the man drops to the forest floor. Before he can run, the Forest Watcher slams his foot between his shoulder blades and once again uses his Vision to bind his wrists together. Cyno takes the opportunity to roughly push him from his stomach and onto his back, he points his polearm towards the Treasure Hoarder’s heart.
“You have five seconds to tell us where our daughter is.”
“The Fane of Panjvahe!” The Treasure Holder cries. “That’s where they took her. I-I stayed behind to get rid of her stuff….”
“And what are you planning on doing with her?” Tighnari growls, showing his canine fangs.
“We were planning on selling her to the Fatui!”
Tighnari’s blood boils at the man’s word.
Cyno jabs the blunt end of his staff into the thief’s stomach, and he wheezes. “The Doctor sent you?”
The Treasure Hoarder nods vigorously. “Y-yes! It’s him! We were approached by a group of Fatui a few weeks ago, and were offered a large sum of mora in exchange for a girl named Collei-“
“When is the deal taking place?” Cyno demands.
“In-in three days! I promise that’s all I-“
Tighnari’s had enough of the man’s pathetic whimpering, they have enough information. A sharp kick to the man’s jaw knocks him out cold.
The Chief Forest Watcher watches as Cyno leans down and presses his fingers against the Hoarder’s neck. “He’s still alive.”
What a shame.
Before Tighnari can stop it, tears run down his face. He despises the unfairness of it all. Collei doesn’t have Eleazar anymore! What could the Doctor possibly want with her now? Hadn’t he caused enough damage to her?
And then he realizes why.
The seal. That monster wants to undo the seal keeping the Archon Residue under control.
Tighnari will not let that happen. He will not let anyone put their filthy hands on his daughter and cause her more pain. He knows Cyno won’t either. The ritual to seal the Archon Residue had been unbelievably painful for Collei. It would break Cyno’s heart to have to do it all again, even if it was the right thing to do for the safety of their child.
Tighnari gasps slightly when Cyno cups his face in his hands and gently wipes away his tears, and presses his forehead against the Forest Watcher’s. “We’re going to bring her home, Nari.”
He leans into the General Mahamatra’s comforting, familiar touch. Cyno presses a kiss to his forehead.
“Let’s get him to Sumeru City, I’ll have the other Matra take him into custody and we can get a group together to go rescue Collei.”
Tighnari nods, and Cyno grabs the Treasure Holder by the collar of his shirt. Looks like he’s intending on keeping the man unconscious on the hour-long commute to Sumeru City, which is perfectly fine for the Chief Forest Watcher. The more he hears that pathetic man speak, the more Tighnari wants to rip his heart from his chest and crush it with his bare hands.
Cyno stops the bleeding in the man’s shoulder by using the face mask he was wearing, one just like every other Treasure Hoarder the General Watchleader has seen and fought wears. Tighnari supposes the man will get real medical treatment (because he and the other Rangers certainly won’t be treating someone who hurt one of their own) when he’s given to the Matra in Sumeru City.
He would slowly bleed to death from his shoulder wound if Tighnari had a say in the matter.
As Cyno “accidently” drops the Hoarder back onto the forest floor, Tighnari begins to collect Collei’s stolen items, holding them with the care they deserve. Tighnari will keep them safe until they are rightfully returned to her. Her Vision is, thankfully, still intact and the orange keychain similar to Amber's is covered in dirt, but also unbroken. Tighnari remembers the day she received it very well, as though it happened yesterday. She had been so proud to receive a Vision, even more so when she realized what element it was, because it meant she had a Dendro Vision that matched the one her Master carried.
The fact that she wanted a Dendro Vision because he had one always made his heart fill with warmth.
King’s Squire, her boomerang, hairpiece, Casket of Tomes (she carries it with her everywhere now, a habit she picked up from Cyno), and Cuilein-Anbar are in similar condition to her Vision, still intact but dirty, and Tighnari is thankful for that. Though Collei has excellent sewing skills, the Forest Watcher is relieved she won’t have to do any mending to her plushie friend after he is returned to her.
“You ready, Nari?”
He nods once more, and pulls himself up to standing. “Let’s go save our daughter.”
~
“Who dared to lay a hand on my darling Collei!?” Madam Faruzan demands, slamming her hands on the table in front of her. “I’ll kill them myself!”
After the Treasure Hoarder who stayed behind in Avidya Forest was handed over to the Matra, Tighnari and Cyno went straight to the home of Kaveh and Alhaitham. If they’re going to have help from more than just the Matra in getting Collei home, it’s going to be from people who love, adore, and make her feel safe in the same way they do.
Running into Madam Faruzan hadn’t been planned, but Tighnari is thankful they did, her adoring nature towards Collei and her expertise of the desert will make her a perfect person for helping find their Forest Watcher Trainee.
And Tighnari appreciates her murderous enthusiasm.
Kaveh looks just as furious. It’s obvious he’s itching to summon his claymore and do some harm.
Alhaitham remains as stoic as ever, but Tighnari remembers the many books that line Collei’s shelves and the noise canceling headphones the Scribe has given her, and knows how much his girl means to his long-time friend.
“You said the Treasure Hoarder told you where they are keeping Collei?” Alhaitham asks.
Cyno nods, and points to the map laid out in front of them. “A domain in the desert, called the Fane of Panjvahe.”
“I can get us there in two hours,” Faruzan crosses her arms over her chest. Tighnari can see they are shaking, and her eyes look watery. “I know a route.”
“Thank you, Madam Faruzan.” Tighnari tells her sincerely.
“Anything for that sweet girl.”
“I’m assuming some of the other Matra will be joining us?” Alhaitham looks up from the map.
“Yes,” Cyno tells him.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Kaveh demands. “I can’t stand the idea of Collei with such wretched people.”
“Everyone has their weapons?” Cyno questions, and nods approvingly at the chorus of yes’. He turns to Tighnari, and grabs his hand.
“Nari, you have plenty of water, right?”
Tighnari squeezes his hand. “Enough for me and Collei.”
“I requested the Matra to bring some as well. We are supposed to meet them on the edge of Sumeru City, I trust everyone is ready?”
“What orders did you give to the other Matra?” Alhaitham asks. “Do you want the Treasure Hoarders and Fatui alive or dead?”
“Try to apprehend them, so we can bring them back to the city.” Cyno says. “I want to interrogate them all myself.”
His tone of voice tells Tighnari his husband is going to greatly enjoy those interrogations. But Alhaitham almost seems disappointed that Cyno wants the men who hurt Collei alive. Tighnari doesn’t blame him, but he trusts Cyno’s judgment, as he always does. The men who hurt Collei are going to wish they were dead once the General Mahamatra is done with them.
Madam Faruzan raises an eyebrow. “And if they resist arrest?”
The Staff of the Scarlet Sands appears in Cyno’s hand in a flash, Electro energy crackles around his body. “Show them no mercy.”
~
“I wouldn’t take that arrow out if I were you,” Tighnari snatches the ring of keys off of the man’s belt with his free hand, he still wasn’t comfortable with putting Hunter’s Path away, not until Collei was safe. “I shot through your femoral artery. Do you know what that vessel does?”
The Treasure Hoarder doesn’t answer, but Tighnari tells him anyway.
“The femoral artery is the main blood vessel in your leg, it delivers oxygenated blood to the lower part of your body. I’m assuming you’re smart enough to understand what that means?”
Again, the man doesn’t answer. Tighnari thinks he must be in a world of pain right now.
Good.
“My arrow is the only thing keeping you alive right now. If you take it out, you will bleed to death within minutes.”
He doesn’t give the man the chance to say anything else. He isn’t worth his time, and the wound in his leg will keep him from coming after Tighnari. After Cyno and the others take care of the Treasure Holders that were guarding the front, they’ll find the one who stayed behind. Whether they find him dead or alive matters little to Tighnari.
His goal is to rescue his child. Nothing will stand in the way of that.
Further into the domain, Tighnari’s ears perk up when he hears a small noise.
Crying, he realizes.
He knows who it is immediately. He’s heard that sound far too many times.
Collei.
He puts the keys from the Treasure Hoarder he incapacitated into the pouch on his belt, and holds Hunter’s Path at the ready. He doesn’t think there’s any more Treasure Hoarders or Fatui around, but he will not take that chance, not with Collei’s safety at risk.
Tighnari closes his eyes and focuses on where the sound of Collei’s crying is coming from. As a Valuka Shuna, Tighnari’s hearing is stellar, but the ambient, unfamiliar noises made in the domain make it hard for him to focus on just one sound.
There, he decides. I need to go left.
The longer Tighnari walks down his chosen path, the louder the crying gets. It echoes off the walls and breaks Tighnari’s heart. Collei has spent so much of her life afraid and alone, a plaything for a sadistic man that still haunted her nightmares. The Chief Forest Watcher has thought of hundreds of ways he could slowly, brutally kill the man who abused the girl he has come to see as his own.
Tighnari had never thought about having children, but having Collei in his life truly is a blessing. The idea of not having her by his side was a thought too terrible to think about. Collei was too precious to him. Her adorable smile, going on patrols with her, brushing his fingers through her hair while she napped using his tail as a pillow, and having dinner with her where they scold Cyno for his dumb jokes are all things Tighnari cherishes.
Archons , he can’t even picture what his life would be like without her.
Collei was meant to be his daughter. He knows that with 100% certainty.
Tighnari picks up his pace.
Finally, he comes across a wooden cage with a small, trembling figure inside.
The cage is one he’s seen before. Eremites, Fatui, and Treasure Horaders often have them around their camps. Tighnari has seen (and destroyed) plenty of them on his patrols. They don’t always have captives inside, but the captive inside this one makes his blood boil.
Those men putting his daughter in a cage like she was an animal fills Tighnari with a rage he never thought was possible.
He wants to kill every last one of them.
Collei flinches when she hears him approach, curling in further on herself, her head is tucked against her knees. She presses herself as far back as she can from the door of her prison.
“Get away from me!” She whimpers in fear. “D-don’t touch me.”
“It’s me, little sprout.” His voice is soft and even. As angry as Tighnari is, he finds it impossible to speak to Collei in any other way. Early on in her time under his care, he discovered that yelling and screaming terrified her, and his own sensitive hearing made him hate it too. He had scolded many adventurers not to yell while in Avidya Forest. Not only did it still scare Collei, but it disturbed the wildlife too.
Collei inhales sharply at the familiar sound, her head snaps up. Tears fill her eyes when she realizes who is standing before her.
“Mama?”
Tighnari gives her a small smile. It’s funny that her calling him that name had started because of one of Cyno’s stupid jokes. Now, he can’t imagine Collei calling him anything else.
“Y-you found me.” Collei’s voice is shaky, and Tighnari can hear a hint of disbelief, like she can’t believe he’s really there standing before her, making his already aching heart hurt even more. Quickly, Tighnari unlocks the door and lowers himself onto the floor next to his daughter.
“I thought I was never going to see you again.” More tears fall down her face, and she sobs. “Th-they were going to give me back to-”
“I know, sprout,” Tighnari feels tears start to form in his own eyes. “But I was not going to let that happen. I will never let that man touch you ever again, I promise.”
“C-can I have a hug?” She asks.
As if he would ever deny her that.
Collei melts into his chest, her arms go around his neck and she buries her face into his shoulder. Tighnari holds her close and rubs soothing circles into her back, something he knows always relaxes her.
After a few seconds, Tighnari speaks up. “Little sprout, can I ask you something?”
She nods.
“Are you hurting anywhere?” By this point, Tighnari has given her a once over, it was his duty as her parent to do so, but hasn’t noticed anything that would be cause for worry yet. Her hair is a tangled mess, something she absolutely despises. Collei has always taken meticulous care of her now much longer hair, similar to the way he takes care of his tail.
Her messy hair and the dirt on her skin are things that are easily fixed though.
“My ankle.” Collei sniffles. “I-I tripped on a tree root when I was trying to get away from them. I should’ve tried harder to run-”
“Oh Collei,” Tighnari brushes the tears off her cheeks. “This was not your fault, none of this was. The ones at fault are the men outside currently facing justice from the General Mahamatra.”
“Papa’s here?”
“Yes, your papa and the other Matra are here to make sure none of these people hurt you again. Kaveh, Alhaitham, and Madam Faruzan too.” Tighnari tells her. The faintest of smiles appears on her face at the mention of her friends and family.
“Are you in pain anywhere else, little one?”
“My head hurts a little bit.”
Tighnari starts to rub her back again. “Did you hit it somehow?”
Did those men hit you? Is the real question, but Tighnari doesn’t want to phrase it that way. The very thought makes him ill.
Collei shakes her head.
“You’re probably just dehydrated then,” It’s a relief for Tighnari to hear. She didn’t hit her head, so there’s a much easier solution to her headache. If those Treasure Hoarders had given his daughter a concussion, the Forest Watcher would make good on his promise to feed them to the Avidya Leopards. He places his flask in her hands. “Here, drink some water, sprout.”
Collei frowns, and she tries to push the water back towards Tighnari. “You need the water too, mama. The heat isn’t good for you.”
Tighnari’s gaze softens. She truly was the sweetest person he’d ever met. Here she is, being saved from being held prisoner and she’s worried about Tighnari’s poor constitution in the desert. Archons , he loves this child so much. It’s an honor to be her mentor, and her parent.
“Don’t worry about that,” Tighnari tucks her hair behind her ear. “We have plenty more, I promise.”
That answer seems to satisfy her. She brings the flask to her lips and drinks. His heart drops as he watches her drink the water so eagerly. Did these men not give her any food or water? Were they starving her on purpose because that’s what the Fatui had wanted? To keep her weak and unable to fight back?
“I wanna go home now,” Collei says, handing the water back to Tighnari.
“Is it alright if I carry you?” Tighnari asks. He knows Collei is comfortable with touch from him, but he always likes to get her permission first. “It’s hard to assess what’s wrong with your ankle right now, but I don’t want you to walk on it.”
She nods.
Tighnari wraps an arm around her back, and under her knees, and then pulls himself up to standing, being careful not to jostle Collei too much or bump his head on the top of the wooden cage. She’s light in his arms, but that doesn’t worry him too much, since Collei has a petite build. She had been so small when she first appeared on his doorstep….
The General Watchleader holds her close.
Luckily, finding the exit will be much easier now that he knows his way around. He hopes the others have taken care of the Treasure Hoarders Tighnari had run past earlier to get inside. He doesn’t want them to be conscious when he and Collei get out.
He glances down at Collei, who’s snuggled into his neck. Her hair is tickling him, but Tighnari doesn’t care. The Valuka Shuna kisses her head.
“I love you, mama.” Collei mumbles. She’s falling asleep, Tighnari realizes. It’s a relief to know she’s comfortable enough to do that. His poor girl must be exhausted. Collei always has trouble sleeping in unknown places, and she was probably too on alert to do so before now. She also usually can’t sleep unless she has Cuilein-Anbar with her.
He can’t even imagine how scared she must have been when her kidnappers had taken all of her precious belongings away from her, and then taken her away from her home in Gandharva Ville. It’s a frightening, sickening thought.
She’s never going to worry about that again, Tighnari thinks to himself. I will not allow it.
The General Watchleader presses another kiss to the crown of Collei’s head.
“I love you too, my little sprout.”
~
They’re out of the domain when Collei stirs awake.
Tighnari tilts his head forward so the sun doesn’t hurt her eyes, and he smiles at her. “Hello again, Collei.”
“Where are we?”
“Almost to the city,” Tighnari tells her. “We are planning on staying with Kaveh and Alhaitham tonight. Is that alright with you?”
She nods slowly.
“Is your head still hurting?”
“Not really,” she says, brushing her fingers over the yellow flower he wears everyday. “My ankle is throbbing though.”
Tighnari nods. “I’ll take a look at it as soon as we get to the house.”
“Is everyone alright?”
He kisses her forehead. “Everyone is safe, and all the men that hurt you have been arrested.”
Collei turns her head so she can see in front of them. Tighnari sees her eyes light up when her gaze falls on Cyno. “Papa!”
Immediately, Cyno begins ordering the other Matra to keep heading to the city, before turning around and running towards them. Kaveh, Alhaitham, and Madam Faruzan keep going. Though Collei loves all three of them, they understood that this moment should remain between her and her parents.
“How are you feeling, Collei-lily?” Cyno asks. He brings his hand up to her head, and hesitates. But Collei leans up towards his outstretched hand, and lets him run his fingers through her hair.
“Tired and sore, but I’m better now.” she says, and she unwraps her arms from Tighnari and holds them towards Cyno.
“Would you like me to carry you?” He asks. “Or do you want a hug?”
“A hug, please.”
Much like she had done with Tighnari, Collei melts into Cyno’s arms, and tucks her head against his neck. Cyno brings a hand up to cradle the back of her head, holding her even closer.
The Chief Forest Watcher can’t help but smile at the scene. Cyno had been so worried for so long that Collei would never warm up to him in the same way she had done with himself, even if he understood why Collei was nervous around him. But now, it was always a joy to see the two of them together. Cyno was so soft towards her, so kind, gentle, and loving.
It makes Tighnari fall in love with him all over again.
Collei pulls away, but kisses Cyno on the cheek first before settling back into Tighnari’s arms. She closes her eyes again, intending on getting more rest.
Cyno summons forth his spear again, and rather than it being a way to intimidate criminals and scholars, it’s a show of the General Mahamatra’s protective nature over Tighnari and Collei.
“Let’s go home.”
~
Collei yelps.
“Sorry, little sprout.” Tighnari says. His heart twists in his chest, he feels guilty for causing her pain. He’s well aware she’s felt worse, much worse, but he hates causing her any amount of pain or discomfort.
Checking her ankle had been the first thing he wanted to do, but Collei had asked if she could take a shower first, promising that she would be extremely careful. Tighnari knows how important it is for her to feel clean, and she seems much more relaxed with freshly washed and brushed hair and a clean outfit (casual clothes from Cyno’s Akademiya days, which he went out to grab from his apartment while Collei was washing off).
Tighnari thinks she looks adorable in the black and purple hoodie with jackal ears sewn on the hood. It’s similar to Cyno's cloak, an article of clothing Tighnari knows brings great comfort to Collei now that she and Cyno have grown close. He hopes that hoodie brings her the same comfort.
He has a feeling Cyno won’t be getting the hoodie back.
“Would you like to take a break?” He asks.
Collei shakes her head. “It’s not your fault, mama. Please keep going. I trust you.”
Tighnari nods. He glances back down at Collei’s bruised and swollen ankle to continue his examination.
“I’m almost done,” he tells her. “But stop me if it gets to be too much, alright?”
“Okay.” Collei reaches out to Cyno and he is quick to take her small hand into his own. He rubs his thumb over her knuckles soothingly. Her other hand is holding Cuilein-Anbar to her chest.
“Your ankle appears to be sprained.” Tighnari says finally, and moves to sit on her other side. “It should be fine in a couple weeks. For now, you need to rest, stay hydrated, and keep your foot elevated.”
She sighs. “So no patrolling then?”
“I’m afraid not, once we get back to Gandharva Ville your only job will be to rest.” Tighnari tells her, and she sighs again. “It will just be for a little while, sprout.”
Collei nods, but Tighnari can tell she’s frustrated. Cyno can too.
“There’s nothing wrong with taking time to heal.” Cyno scoots in closer to her, and she drops her head into his shoulder. “If you don’t listen to what your body is telling you, your injury could get worse.”
The Chief Forest Watcher nods in agreement. He brings one of the pillows from the head of the bed down so she can rest her foot on it. “You should lay down, Collei.”
“Are you comfortable?” Tighnari asks after Collei is settled against the remaining pile of pillows and she has one of Kaveh’s fluffy blankets wrapped around her. “Do you need anything?”
“I’m kind of hungry,” Collei brings Cuilein-Anbar to her chest again.
He smiles. “Any request?”
“Fried Radish Balls.” Her favorite.
“Coming right up,” Tighnari kisses her cheek, and then Cyno’s lips.
When the General Mahamatra moves to follow his husband, Collei grabs his wrist.
“Can you stay with me, papa?”
Cyno melts.
He places his Vision on the bedside table (if he shocked Collei with it, even by accident, Cyno would never forgive himself) and crawls onto the bed next to her. Collei snuggles into his side, resting her head close to his heart.
“Your hair smells nice.” Collei tells him, after Tighnari gently closes the door behind him.
“Thank you, Collei.” He’s surprised she could tell, all things considered, but it’s better than smelling like sweat and blood.
“Did you change your shampoo?” Collei runs her fingers through his hair. He’s always liked it when she or Nari played with his hair. Collei liked to brush it and braid flowers into it; typically she used the ones she grew with her Vision. “I think it’s different.”
“It is. Lisa sent it to me.” Cyno tells her. “Nari said my old shampoo made me smell like a wet dog.”
Collei laughs at that. A bright, musical sound that always makes Cyno’s heart feel warm.
“Can you tell what the scent is?” He asks.
She hums in thought, and then her eyes light up. “It’s Zaytun Peaches!”
Archons, she’s adorable.
“You can use it too, if you want.” After all, in Lisa’s letter to him, she mentioned that she thought ‘Little Collei’ would enjoy the new shampoo as well.
Collei seems pleased by that. She pulls her fingers out of Cyno’s hair, clearly being careful not to tangle or pull it. She tilts her head up so she can look him in the eyes. “Hey, papa, can I ask you something?”
“Of course,” Cyno says, meeting her gaze. He’ll never get tired of hearing her call him papa. He will be forever grateful to have her in his life, and forever relieved that she no longer suffers from Eleazar. “You can ask me anything, Collei-lily.”
“Can we play Genius Invokation TCG after dinner? I have a new deck I wanna try.”
Cyno smiles softly. He brushes his hand through Collei’s wavy green hair, but is careful to not touch the back of her neck. That was the one place she still wouldn’t let anyone touch.
For as long as he’s known her, Collei has been rather shy and introverted, so she wasn’t usually the one to initiate a game. There are times when she simply isn’t in the mood to play and prefers to watch. It always made him happy when she did want to play with him, though. Teaching her how to play Genius Invokation TCG was one of the ways he was able to help her come out of her shell.
“Are you challenging me to a duel?”
She giggles, “yes.”
“Excellent! I accept your challenge.”
Collei giggles again at his tone of voice. “I love you, papa.”
His response comes easily, “I love you too, Collei.”
~
By the time the Fried Radish Balls had been eaten and the fourth round of Genius Invokation was over (Cyno won two and Collei won the other two), Collei’s eyes were drooping closed and she was nodding off on Tighnari’s shoulder.
“I think it’s bedtime for you, little sprout.” the General Watchleader tells her affectionately.
As if on cue, she yawns. Collei flops over onto Tighnari’s lap.
He chuckles, and brushes his tail against her nose. She grabs hold of it and buries her fingers in the soft fur, hugging it to her chest. Collei and Cyno were the only two people in Teyvat that Tighnari would let touch his tail. “Would you like us to tuck you in?”
“Yes, please.”
After Collei (and Cuilein-Anbar) are tucked under the covers, Tighnari grabs a medicine bottle from his bag in the corner of the room. He sits back down at Collei’s bedside and holds it out so she can see what’s in his hand. In all the years Collei has been in his care, he’s always shown her the medications he gives her so as to not surprise her.
“If you want to take it, I have some pain medicine, it should also help you sleep through the night. I would’ve given it to you earlier, but you need to take it on a full stomach.”
“I’m afraid it doesn’t taste very good,” Cyno warns her. “This is the pain medication I use.”
Collei nods, and takes the dose from Tighnari. Her face twists in displeasure when the taste hits her (somehow, she still looks absolutely adorable) but she gets it down and gratefully takes the glass of water Cyno hands her.
She empties the water glass, something that soothes Tighnari’s heart since hydration will be a key part of her injury recovery. Cyno takes the glass from her and she curls up against the pillows again. With all the pillows and blankets that surround her, all the Forest Watcher can see is her head.
“Are you going to sleep in here with me?” Collei asks.
“Would you like us to?” Cyno brushes her bangs out of her eyes.
“I don’t want to be alone right now,” she says, holding Cuilein-Anbar close.
Tighnari leans over to kiss her forehead. “We won’t leave your side.”
Collei glances over at Cyno, looking at him expectantly.
“Oh,” Tighnari sees recognition cross his General’s face. “You want a kiss from me as well?”
“Yes,” she says quickly.
Cyno leans down and kisses her forehead too, and Collei sighs happily and closes her eyes.
“Get some sleep, little one.” Tighnari tells Collei, tucking the blanket around her. “Papa and I are going to grab some bedding for us, but I promise we will be right back.”
She nods slowly, sleepily, and yawns again. Tighnari has known her for long enough to know that the medication is kicking in. Collei will be asleep very soon. He sends Lesser Lord Kusanali a prayer for Collei to have sweet dreams. Perhaps the one where she is a cat, Tighnari is an actual fennec fox (her exact words), and Cyno is a jackal. That one always makes her happy.
By the time they return to Kaveh and Alhaitham’s guest room, Collei is fast asleep.