Archive of Our Own ^beta

"So this game..."

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"Okay, chat, it's here. Look at this. Look at me. I am the General Mahamatra."

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"Interesting... So this is the character that's supposed to be me?"

Fyoop

"Tigh's a plant-based character, huh..." He mused as he read through the chat's explanations. "Right, right, dendro," he rolled his eyes as they reprimanded for a correction.

He opened the character stats and scrolled through. While doing so, he couldn't help but get distracted by the way the character preened their ears.

"A fennec fox, huh?" Tighnari amusedly scoff. They really took his debut to a whole level. He used to wear this fake fox ears when he first started out as a streamer--talk about cringe, but it was the only thing he could think of at that time to at least gain viewers. To cater to a very specific audience.

It did pay off but he stopped wearing them since he already managed to make a name for himself. Still, the memories bring back those days, not that he was embarrassed to admit but it does feel cringe.

He still occasionally wears them when the situation calls for it. When he says "situation calls for it" he means if someone donated a specific amount. A lot of people admitted that they came for his pretty face, the “added” features are just a bonus.

"Oooh so he can see special materials in this region on the map, I see, I see," Tighnari bobbed his head while chat whirred past message after message.

"There's lore between the characters. Genshin Tigh is pretty close with Genshin Llei and Genshin Cyn." The message from chat read out.

"Really? Cyn and Llei..." Tighnari mused once again as he opened the character tab but was greeted by locked voicelines. "Ah..."

The text-to-speech once again pinged. "You need to farm your friendship level. But didn't you voice Tigh so don't you already know what he said?"

"I mean I did but there were a lot of them so I don't know which ones are here."

It astounded him with how this one company just decided to make characters based on the popular streamers and vtubers, even went as far as hiring them as their voice actors. For what he thought would have been a chaotically made game, it's actually pretty decent- no, it's actually more than decent. This game is doing good considering it is newly released.

Maybe the popularity of the streamers and vtubers involved played the part but it's holding its player base with its own captivating graphics and its shark game style--more like holding them by the neck. Nonetheless, Tighnari is impressed.

That kind of commercialisation is genius.

Because one of the characters was based on him, he was given an account with already a Tigh in it. No need will he go through what-others-said rigorous death of farming.

Or maybe they're exaggerating. Chat does that sometimes.

~~

"Alriiiight, and we're back, folks! And today, we're here with the infamous vtuber, the one and only, Generaaaaal!" Kaveh excitedly greeted his viewers as he made drumroll noises.

"Yo."

"Seriously, you could do better than that! I made you a grand entrance and you wasted it." The man threw his hands in frustration while chat sent "lol"s and "typical general".

"Kaveh, how many times did I tell you to keep your voice down."

"Alhaitham! I told you to not barge in without permission!" Suddenly, chat zoomed messages like crazy as the half of his roommates build was seen in the frame.

Chat was like a giddy teenage girl fangirling on their favourite pop group.

"This is my house."

This was a slap to Kaveh but it's not the time to argue with him right now. "I know. Stop rubbing it in. What can I do to make you leave?"

"Tell Alhaitham go fuck himself." Cyno spoke through him on the headset but it was a good thing that it didn't leak through the foam caps.

Archons, these two... Of course, Kaveh can't also let his housemate know that he's in a collab with Cyno right now. The last time he let these two meet, all hell broke lose. He'd rather not have another day of it again.

"Wash the dishes for a week."

"Fine, fine, whatever. Just go." Kaveh was already pushing him all the way out the door and slammed it shut, making sure to even lock it in case that robot of a human decided to mess with him more. Fortunately, Alhaitham didn't even say much.

"Alright, I'm back." Kaveh puffed out a tired sigh with a finger against his temple as he plopped himself back in front of his computer. Chat was sending "awww"s of disappointment to have Alhaitham gone in the picture. "Chat, that was for the best, okay? This is the face that you should be focusing on, not that- whatever tacky sculpted face of his was."

In response, chat spammed clowns which made Kaveh sulk. Before it could go on further, Cyno decided to take the lead and start the event while the other streamer tries to regain what dignity was left of his shattered ego.

"Alright, people, we're going to play this game Genshin today." Though Cyno may not sound like it, he's very excited to see what sort of character they made of him.

He was named Cyn, General Mahamatra of the renowned Akademiya. It was pronounced as 'sin' but with a harder n. He likes how it somehow relates to the character's role--the punisher of sins.

Plus they added that jackal headpiece in relation to his vtuber avatar that resembles of that an egyptian god Anubis.

"Ah so this is the character I've been hearing about."

"Wait, who?"

"Tigh."

"Tigh-? Ohhhh Tigh! That's based on streamer VulpusShuna! I know him. Good friend with a really really pretty face."

Cyno could only hum at the unnecessary comment. If there's one thing he was accustomed to hearing from Kaveh's mouth other than blasphemy about Alhaitham was that Kaveh loves to talk about faces he finds aesthetically pleasing so openly. But there's always a twist.

"But?" Cyno coaxed him.

"But what?"

It surprised him at how Kaveh sounded confused.

"But what? Didn't you have anything to add to that sentence?" The twist was that whenever he talks about aesthetically pleasing faces, there's always a rotten side which he adds right after. A prime example of this was Alhaitham.

"But nothing! Can't really say anything about Shuna, you know? Smart, pretty, and very helpful. Unlike someone. I'd say they would be a better date than Alhaitham."

"Anyone's better than Alhaitham for your opinion." Cyno remarked.

"Yeah, yeah, but enough about him. What did you say about the Tigh character you've been hearing?"

The anubis persona on screen shook his head. "Nothing. It's just that, I can only discern that Cyn thinks of Tigh in a very special manner from the voicelines that I did. So it makes me curious on what type of person this Tigh character is."

"Beats me." Kaveh shrugged. "But as far as I know, didn't they make the characters pretty much similar on the person they based it on? So knowing Tighnari, they're probably a plant-loving character."

"I see."

"Ugh, I still can't believe that Alhaitham got to be in the game. Like he's not even streamer! He just shows up on my screen then suddenly, bam! Now he's suddenly like one," Kaveh complained like the usual.

Alhaitham wasn't really a streamer but his popularity was contributed on how he frequently shows up just to embarrass Kaveh in front of his viewers which greatly annoys him. This was the reason why Kaveh's viewership, despite being high, skyrocketed. While Cyno hadn't that much great viewership but it was steadily climbing. It wasn't until recently that he stumbled upon Kaveh on a multiplayer-based game and helped him clear a floor. At that time, his views went up more than he usually has which greatly boggles him. Not until later, Kaveh introduced himself and offered collaboration in the future.

Due to this, he also had a few run-ins with the notorious Alhaitham which had been the most chaotic interaction for the three. It didn't take long until those clips of them went viral and soon enough there were pairings of them (or what fans call them as ships) circling around. Kaveh was howling over the moon in amusement while Cyno could only scowl.

He doesn't like it when he's being depicted as the one getting dominated. He would rather jump off a bridge than let himself become as one. Though, in all fun and games, it does no harm so it's fine with him.

The only slight issue was the insanity of most fans that are die-hard for Alhaitham.

"Oh," was all Cyno could say when he looked through Tigh's in-game voices and character story. There were multiple mentions of Cyn though not outright.

It seems these two were closer than he thought.

No wonder he sees Cyn's and Tigh's appearances together almost everytime. It's almost like they were a pair. And sometimes, it's the two of them and Llei.

Opening a tab while the stream remained on the game's screen, Cyno began typing Tigh's voice actor. Unsurprising as it was, faces of what looked similar to the game's character appearance were the top recommendations.

When Kaveh said he was pretty, he didn't lie. But Cyno wished the man told something more accurate so he could brace himself of what's to come. Neon streaks framed a delicate face.

Cyno didn't realize he sucked in a breath until he noticed he was holding it.

“Hey, General, you good, buddy? You’ve been choosing characters for ages. I want to farm!” Kaveh’s voice snapped him out of thought.

“Oh? Oh, yeah.” Cyno scrambled to change his artifacts before clicking ready then muttered, “Just got lost in thought.”

“Ugh, another def stats, noooo… This is crap! This is rigged! I get good stats then it’s in the other artifact set. ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME?!” Kaveh was scraping his voice, trying with every bit of his sanity not to slam his head repeatedly on the table, instead, he melted into his chair.

Cyno was silent after closing the tab of his artifact sets, hiding the fact that he got another potentially good artifact to roll on later. Chat was sending “kekw”s on his stream, knowing the irony between the two streamers. It’s no wonder that Kaveh has a consistent high popularity—his open complaints of his misery were comedic in itself to watch.

Focus kept the two in silence with occasional Kaveh swearing under his breath. Chat was spamming “gamer focus” while the two did their rotation to finish the enemies quickly. Under the heavy quietness, Cyno suddenly said, "Is it possible to collab with them?"

"With who? VulpuShuna?" Kaveh hummed in thought. "I haven't seen them do a collab with anyone before- Where's that motherfucker? There you are. Come here, you bitc- oh sorry, where was I?"

"Collab."

"Yeah, they're my buddy so I think I can hook all of us up. Wait! That's a great idea! It'll be like the boys of Sumeru going on a night out!"

Then the donation sound pinged. "Did you know that fennec foxes mate for life? Tigh's character was based on fennec foxes. You know who else coincidentally has large ears that's also has a 'close relationship' with Tigh?"

Cyno gave a short laugh then cleared his throat. "Where's the fanarts then?"

Chat went wild. 'oh my gods' and 'gay gay gay' were zooming through. Some are screaming 'we got the green light boys!'.

Surely enough, it won't take long before it reaches a certain someone's ears.

~~

Tighnari was rolling his artifacts when he noticed a sudden tiny surge of viewership in his stream. Though he did not address them, he welcomed them with a smile.

"Where's the foxy boy? It's been a while since you had them on. Maybe you need to wear the ears for luck." Text to speech said while Tighnari rolled his eyes playfully.

"Nice try. But you know the rules, so do I. No ears until-"

Ping. TheGeneralMahamatra donated $50. Everyone in the chat went wild. A lot were spamming 'pogchamp' emojis while some where saying 'ears ears ears'.

Did he just got raided? Hold on... General... Oh, Cyn's voice actor.

"Well, if it isn't the general himself, what do I owe you the visit?" he teased. "It's rare to see you here but generous of you to donate fifty. Thank you for that."

The man donated another fifty with a message that reads. "Where's the ears everyone is talking about?"

At this, Tighnari blinked then laughed. He got up from his seat, leaving a whole view of the very organic and earthy theme of his setup. A few spineless cacti were on small white pots on the side of his desk. It was just like as Cyno had seen before.

Before he could discern the things in the frame any further, Tighnari came back with a pair of tall ears attached to his headphones but the camera also caught a whiff of something attached to his behind before he sat.

"Alright, as you guys asked," Tighnari chuckled as he smiled coy. Chat was more focused on the now-hidden tail behind him.

They were surprised but pleased at the additional get-up and tried coaxing him to show the other part more.

"You guys are greedy. Shouldn't you guys be leaving something to look forward to next time?"

Tighnari had always been walking on tightropes of the ToS in this site. That's what made him iconic and daring that sets his content apart from the usual which kept most of his popularity, apart from being charmingly sarcastic. It's like letting travelers taste wine in a juice party yet take it away before they get intoxicated so they kept coming back for more.

Ping. Another 50. “I’ll dm you in a bit.”

“You know, you can just do a ten for text to speech,” he pointed out.

Another 50. “I like what I’m seeing.”

You can see the way he paused and blinked. His lips formed a little cute ‘o’ while pink dusted his fair white cheeks. Then he cleared his throat as he gathered his wits. “Well, I wonder what kind of important message for it to be worth two hundred. I’ll certainly look forward to it.”

People were typing ‘sheeeesh’.

Soon after, Tighnari ended his stream. He waved goodbye and turned it off. He stretched in his chair and removed the ears that was itching his head. When he switched out to another app, he saw the red dot notification of his discord. Like the general said, he sent him messages.

“A collab, huh?” Tighnari propped his chin on his hand. He had seen a lot of people do those these days. Considering they’re the people based on the characters in-game that seems to be in friend group, a collab sounds fitting.

So with another person… Oh, it’s Kaveh. Thank archons it was someone he knows.

Now all he has to do now is at least do some background check on the vtuber who call himself General. He had at least heard of him. Mostly because of his clips clashing with Alhaitham. That’s where General managed to established a brand of himself.

He attracts a niche kind of audience. One that without prolonged exposure, he’d be easy to pass by to watch a more interesting content creator. In which his case, the collab with Kaveh paved a way for the people to find him interesting and worthy of their attention. That’s when his fame skyrocketed.

Interesting… While Tighnari was able to steadily build his followers through his charisma and steady personality, some people used their dynamic with other streamers to hook people into watching them. Now he wonders what would this collaboration bring him.

He couldn’t wait to see the results.

~~

“I can’t believe General went ahead and said that.” Kaveh hollered, wheezing his guts out through the mic as he clutched his desk.

“I say it’s quite charming,” Tighnari said yet he was chuckling along.

The General on the other hand was unamused. “I didn’t lie,” he said in a voice so solemn that you’d actually think he’s ready to bury the other two down six feet under. Too bad there wasn’t any friendly fire in Genshin.

But Kaveh and the chat were already used to it so they laughed him off. “I like what I see,” Kaveh mimicked what he said the other day which earned a grunt from General.

They entered the domain as soon as they all readied themselves even though Kaveh was still duking his lungs out. As they were running towards the key, being the owner of the world, Cyno immediately started the challenge, locking the preoccupied Kaveh out of the domain.

“Oh,” was all Tighnari said.

“We can do it without the annoying chimpanzee. Tigh and Cyn work really well anyways in team coops so we’re good.”

The chat was sending ‘lol’s and ‘kekw’s.

“General, don’t act like I can’t hear you in the voice chat! And how dare you insult me! I’m telling you Tighnari! This man is a walking red flag!”

“You hear anything?” As Tighnari was about to reply, he quickly added that made Tighnari giggle, “I can’t understand anything from all the banshee’s screeching.”

“Tighnari, I’m your friend! Look at what’s he’s doing to me! Bullying, I tell you!”

“Don’t you trust me, Tighnari?”

Tighnari was trying his hardest to keep his laughter while trying to aim at the enemies.

“Shut up, General! You just want to hoard Tighnari to yourself, you filthy bastard! You tell me that you did not just go all the way to raid them and donate a shit ton of money when I said I’ll dm them in discord!”

“Look, Tighnari, we finished it faster I could clear it with someone over there. I told you Cyn and Tigh works as a really good pair, don’t you think,” he told him in the flattest voice Tighnari ever heard but he could tell the sarcasm that drips within it.

“A little too well, I suppose,” Tighnari drawled.

“How come?”

“Because you’d make it hard for me to live without Cyn now.” Strike one. That made Cyno choke on his spit. If it weren’t for the avatar that only registered his wide eyes and slight side motion, then it would have been embarrassing to see him almost falling over his chair.

His heart was beating against his chest. Cyno coughed to take control of his character again and run towards the tree to claim his rewards. Though the paused didn’t go unnoticed by the chat.

Ping. “Hot damn what a score on that line. It even made General freeze in his tracks. Teach me your ways Tighnari-sensei. I wanna master the art of picking up hot dudes.”

“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe what I’m hearing right now,” Kaveh grumbled as his character sprinted and caught up with them at the tree. “Chat! They’re flirting. Oh my gooosh. I’m a third-wheel! I can’t believe this… NOT AGAIN!”

Tighnari snorted. “You do it with Alhaitham all the time, don’t you?”

The chat’s jaw dropped on the floor. People were spamming ‘canon?’ all over the place.

“What do you mean?!” Kaveh gasped in horror. “If there was one thing I had for that man, it’s about hatred! Don’t even get me started about my keys! So don’t you ever imply that me and that man were in that sort of thing. BECAUSE I SWEAR-”

All of their chat were sending clowns on Kaveh.

“CHAT! CHAT, NO! It’s not canon! Ohoh, so that’s how you want to play? Alright then. General!” The sudden direction to Cyno made him dread on already knowing where this is going.

“No.”

“So when you and Alhaitham fight, are you guys flirting?”

Gods, dammit. Screw Kaveh, not in front of Tighnari.

“Oop,” Tighnari seemed to be holding a smirk though, amusedly interested in what the blond man has to say. Meanwhile, the chat was spamming the flushed emote. It was like a secret affair being unraveled.

Out of spite, he locked him out of the domain again. This sent Tighnari into a fit of laughter.

“Fine! Be that way! You’re doing all the work for me while I only have to sit here and watch but still get to claim the rewards,” Kaveh smugly pointed out but Cyno could care the least.

To Tighnari, the collab ended with a lot of blast. Those two are fun to be with. The new companion was proven to be more enjoyable than he thought he was. He could feel his heart racing from adrenaline of having to laugh so much. He was drowning in clouds that he almost forgot to check his channel stats to see if there’s any significant change.

There were. A ton of new subs and rising viewership. How fruitful.

But he ended up caring more on the pleasant companies that he gained.

~~

It wasn’t long that Tighnari was invited to another collab. And another. Then another. And then another. This time it was only with The General.

They also grew closer that they went ahead and spent time outside of streams and games.

Ping. “Where’s the golden chimpanzee?”

Ever since that day, Kaveh was now dubbed as the golden chimpanzee in the trio’s chat.

“Buried him six feet under where he should have been ages ago.”

“I think the last he told me was he went out. Not sure for what though… or with who,” Tighnari slyly smirked at the last part.

Ping. “Woah, lore???? Is Kaveh finally going out with someone? Is it with a certain silver-haired robot? Or am I high and trippin? It seems to me that those guys are going all out.”

Another ping. “Enemies to lovers trope. IT’S REAL. The fanfics weren’t a lie. Our beacon of life, our hope, our salvation.”

But something caught Tighnari’s eye in the zooming messages of chat. “Me and General? Oh, no no, guys,” he laughed, “we’re friends.”

“What did they say?”

Tighnari then laughed again, passing all of the things said as a joke. “Oh, they asked when are we going to go out. Funny, chat.”

His tone was very lighthearted that it made Cyno’s heart squeeze. He had gone all out his way, giving him his real name, making him address him with it, playing games outside of stream, to even meeting up in real life with Tighnari. They had gone very far now from where they started.

“You know what’s funnier? If we actually do go out.”

Tighnari was silent.

“You see, the joke lies on the irony-”

“Oh, archons, go back to your puns, General. Though they’re not good, they’re better than what you’re throwing right now.”

Cyno was very proud of the progress. But now he was thinking of whether should he stop here? Should he just be grateful and be satisfied to even be like this with him. To make it all this way… from someone who watches him, to someone who he collabs with, to someone who he calls a close friend. It was like a fever dream.

Yes, Cyno was there at the very start of the streamer called Tighnari’s career. He tuned in every time during the senior years of his college degree. He was just there to vibe. He listened to him as he does some cleaning around his home, do some work done, and exercise a little bit. There was an odd tone to his voice that made it sound so calming that he yearned it to tune whatever silence that bothers his little space.

He likes it whenever he would just throw a random fact about a plant he would encounter in a game and check whether it was accurately used and placed, even if it’s a plant out of fantasy. If somehow the developers messed it up, oh no, expect a whole rant of how it was factually false then he would provide a list of things that the developers should have done instead. Even so, there was something oddly endearing in the way he sounds annoyed at how it was done incorrectly. It made Cyno amused.

There was a moment he started wearing tall ears though. That was when he gained a substantial amount of following. Whenever he streamed with those on, that was when he had Cyno’s full attention. He would actually sit and watch on the bed or on the couch until he’s finished.

Cyno watched as his viewer count grow slowly and steadily over the years. He was proud when he became what you would call an official streamer. Then not long after, that gave him the courage to try it out as well, given that he just had a break on his work. He was fine with just streaming his gameplays since he only does it in his free time. But then the Kaveh incident happened.

The rest is history.

He was over the moon—even if it doesn’t show on his face—to know that they were only a few cities away from each other. He drove there immediately even before the sun rises so that they could spend the day as much as possible. To which Tighnari still jokes about to this day.

As it became frequent, Tighnari offered him to stay for the night which, at first, he was so shocked and surprised that he declined it outright without much thinking. He ran out to only feel his heart racing wildly as soon as he sat inside his car.

He greatly got pissed of himself that he brought spare clothes in his car that when the second opportunity comes, he had no reason to decline. It was pretty much like a sleep-over. When morning comes, it elated him to watch the back of Tighnari happily making breakfast on the counter.

Sometimes, he would see Tighnari go on live real time. An idea popped on his head that made his chest bubble with delight. He crept up to where the camera wouldn’t see him. Tighnari was in the wishing banner pulling for Cyn.

“You weren’t kidding when you said I made it hard for you to live without Cyn. How could I do such a thing? What a cyn-ful man I am.”

He watched as Tighnari jumped out of his skin. “Cyn-!” Then he clamped his mouth over and glanced at the chat.

All of them had reactions that held astonishment, surprise, and shock. Something akin to jaws dropping and eyes widening from the realization.

Ping. “HOLD UP IS THAT THE GENERAL MAHAMATRA I HEAR? THAT’S HIM RIGHT? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN TIGHNARI’S HOME??? ARE YOU GUYS DATING??? OMG?? LIKE?? WHEN? HOW? FINALLY???”

Chat zoomed like crazy and Tighnari could only bury his face in his hands from embarrassment.

Another ping. “*Sips tea* continue on what you guys were doing :eyes: we’re just here to watch :eyes: ALSO GOODLUCK ON PULLING ON CYN! HOPE THE SUMERU FAM IS FINALLY GOING TO BE COMPLETE IN YOUR ACCOUNT!”

Some were saying ‘make General pull for early pity’ but Tighnari said, “No. I’ll pull, you’ll see!” While Cyno laughed at the side with his arms folded and was leaning on the desk.

As it went to eighty-eight pity, all light from Tighnari’s eyes were gone. It turned gold when it hit ninety. “My fuckin- Oh gods, please, I already suffered a lot from this man and his dead jokes. Spare me.”

The moment the silhouette came, Tighnari shot up from his desk and stomped away. It was qiqi. There was a distant yelling from the mic that said, “IT’S NOT EVEN TIGH MOTHERF-”

Cyno grabbed the mouse while making sure his face wasn’t seen. He clicked on the silhouette before hovering over one pull. “Shhh,” he whispered to chat while the people were sending ‘lol’s. Others were sending prayer emojis as he clicked on the button.

Okay, it’s blue. Tighnari was out of primos. Cyno hid the screen for a bit and when it was brought back up, the viewers saw the slight difference in the primogem count.

Two pity. Only two. Tighnari couldn’t help but rage more.

All it took was TWO pulls from Cyno. He hates life.

“Where’s my reward?” He asked smugly.

Tighnari, who was already in misery and was subjected under chat’s teasing gazes, turned to him with a deadpan expression. “What do you want as a reward?”

Cyno thought for a bit. Then he folded his arms and with a flat expression Tighnari knows all too well, he said, “Ears and tail.”

Ping. "MY MAN WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE GOODS HOLLEH". Chat spammed 'man of culture' with the pray emoji.

Tighnari blinked. Then he gave him a stare. "Is it your habit of torturing your friends like this?"

Cyno shifted his weight on his other foot, feeling a little uneasy. "Does it make you uncomfortable?"

"Not really..."

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

Tighnari snorted. "It's not really. You make it hard to tease and joke you if you react like this." Then he sighed. After taking a look at his awkward state for a while, he decided to get his decorations.

He emerged to his viewers with the ears and the tail in wore. There it is… the tail. The tail sat idly by Tighnari’s side on the chair as Cyno stared as the streamer waved to his viewers with a teasing smirk.

“Like what you see?” he said to his chat but he unmistakably saw how that sly fox briefly gave him a side-glance. Cyno could only furrow his brows in question as multiple thoughts stormed around in his head.

Much weren't said since Tighnari was busy entertaining his viewers while Cyno watched in silence, not wanting to bother Tighnari in his work. It wasn't until the stream ended that Tighnari turned to him and gave him a big smile.

"So how was it? Do you find my appearance satisfactory?" He raised an eyebrow teasingly. "You have a thing for these sorts, don't you?"

So he noticed... Cyno could only put a hand under his chin in thought. "Was the whole get-up for me?"

This made Tighnari scrunch his face. "Idiot, didn't you ask for it?"

"Oh... I did, but I thought..."

"Thought what?"

"It's normal for you to wear it around people...especially for your stream."

Well... He's right. He started it for the stream. He does it for the content. But a part of him was looking forward on how the other would react when he sees him--not just as the other watching through a screen and him having to read what he would say in the comments. He wants to see what sort of face he'd make, what sort of look he'd give him, how his body would react...

It's weird... Why is he gauging a reaction from him? Why is he disappointed?

In the very beginning, all of Cyno's open thoughts seemed like a flirt... or perhaps was he misreading it all along?

He then sighed, mildly annoyed. He took off the ears from his head and stood up.

"Aren't you going to take off the tail?" Cyno asked.

"What?"

"...isn't it heavy?"

Tighnari raised his brows then turned away, crossing his arms. "I will but not here."

As the male sauntered towards his bedroom, Cyno was left to watch the thing sway behind him until he disappeared by the turn. Then realization dawned.

~~

Is it what he thinks it was? Cyno wasn't so sure. He's not even sure if he should take its implication. It had been weeks of torture in his mind plaguing like some demon whispering in his ears.

He doesn't know how to look at Tighnari either. But here they are, at Cyno's place, hanging out. It didn't help that Tighnari had also taken a keen interest on one of his custom-made hoody that sports the General Mahamatra ears on them. It looks oddly pleasing to see it on him.

During one of his streams, Tighnari had the idea of causing a slight commotion just as he did during one of his. Considering that Cyno uses a vtuber model, making a scene behind him wouldn't do. He appeared beside his desk with a cheeky smile on his face to which Cyno just gave him a glance and went back to what he was doing in case his model picks up on the small eye movement. Even if it did, nobody would think it was out of the place.

"Imagine not being able to do it under a minute," Tighnari's voice jumpscared everyone.

But Cyno was able to easily recover, knowing that he might cause trouble with that look. "Oh, no, here comes the meta slave," he sarcastically remarked with the most dead tone but chat was too busy processing about Tighnari's sudden appearance.

Ping. "Is that Tighnari??? In General's home? Talk about bringing ya boy at yo house. When finally, General has got some b's. I’m proud."

'Finally living together 👀' or 'together at his home' were the prevalent on his chat right now. And of course, this was all Tighnari's doing just as he planned.

Tighnari laughed at this and earned a look from an unamused Cyno.

"Then why don't you show me, oh-so-wise meta slave Tighnari?"

He added fuel to the fire and Tighnari wasn't one to back down from a challenge. So he cracked his fingers and held Cyno's chair while staring down at him.

"What?" Cyno said.

"You expect me to sit on your lap while I finesse you? Stand up, you big lummox, how am I gonna show you how it's done?"

Oh. was all Cyno thought while chat had mixed-reactions. Some had flushed faces while talking about him sitting on his lap while some were spamming 'letsgo' emoji; others made a comment on that sick burn.

Though the idea of having Tighnari on his lap had his blood pumping, Cyno reached to turn of his vtuber avatar then gave him the chair. Truth to be told, Tighnari did it under a minute.

"No fair. You swapped the characters. You were supposed to use the characters I'm using." Though he said that, he had a small smile only Tighnari could tell.

"No one said that in the rules," he rebutted smugly. Cyno could only shake his head.

"You're so..."

"I'm gonna make dinner so make sure you finish before that."

As Cyno was given his chair back once again, chat was already spamming 'male wife' with a flushed face while others had ‘yes daddy’. There was one comment that got him snorting though.

'Roast me too, Tighnari' with a pleading face.

This people really... Down bad for him, huh? Well, he can't argue with that.

~~

Tighnari’s favorite place was the bed. Cyno didn’t mind and there’s no use for displaying shamefulness either. He was rather pleased to see he was enjoying his stay. Most of his stay, he would be lying his belly flat, tapping away on his phone to his heart’s content. Just as he said, make himself at home.

It goes to show how much closer they’ve become as both know how one acts and behaves accurately in a frightening manner. So in sync that in fact people who saw them would think otherwise. But as far as the two led themselves on, they were “merely” friends.

Close friends. Yes, close friends.

“Say, I am curious, why a fennec?”

Tighnari raised his head from the comforts of his—Cyno’s—pillow as the albino tapped away on his phone, responding to the rhythm of the game he was playing. “Hmm, I dunno, I didn’t give it much of thought. They looked small and cute.”

Then Cyno turned to him, removing a piece of an earphone. “Do you think yourself as small and cute?”

“Huh? Not really…” He shrugged, “I’m not projecting. I just like them. If I went for small and cute, I should have gone for a bunny instead. That ought to attract more people into it.”

“I can’t see you as a bunny,” he replied indifferently, going back to his game, “you resemble more of a fox. It fits you.”

“And what makes you think that?”

“Sly and cunning. You’re slippery in your tracks. You bite back; quite sassy. A bunny would never suit you even if you tried.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“No, stating the facts. Don’t get me wrong, I like the way you are.”

Of course, Tighnari knows that. They do this a lot of times. Be it for their thirst of mind games or the countless back and forth of words, both knew they mean well to each other. Both just had the urge of filling their intellectual squabbles and neither are actually offended by what the other will say. Though Cyno was more on the straightforward side of things and likes to make his point across very clear so Tighnari was familiar with how outspoken Cyno would often say reassurances that he liked him. Though sometimes he wished, he meant something more on that.

“Well, aren’t you curious on my persona?”

“It managed to gain a certain following, you know? I was originally one of them.”

Tighnari looked at him in surprise. “What?”

“I watched your content back then. I remember you saying you were currently taking Biology courses, particularly on forest ecosystem.”

This made Tighnari’s eyes go wider than saucers. That would mean, he knew of him way back when he was still a sophomore in his college degree. That was the time he started streaming his games. Most of them were more on puzzles and mystery genres so he thought it’d be a good way to have someone else’s input in order to clear a level faster rather than go around in circles in case if he ran out of ideas.

“You knew me… back then…?”

His lips were slightly ajar when Cyno turned his attention to him. It was cute… He was drunk in the image but he immediately turned away before his thoughts would go to places. Then he suddenly got a slight slap on the arm.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” If Tighnari were to have real fennec ears, Cyno would imagine them drawn back. It would really match the scowl feigning on his face well.

Being honest even though it was embarrassing to admit, he said, “It feels like weird. I didn’t know how it would look if I used to be watching you then now I’m your friend. It’s like I took advantage of my position as a vtuber to make myself, a fan to your friend. You were also the reason why I started my vtuber career.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with that?” Tighnari tilted his head. “Whether you were my fan first doesn’t change that you regarded me sincerity and treated me like a friend. You wanted to know me deeper than what my persona on the screen entails and still, you stayed by me after knowing whatever picture I had in your mind might not be me at all.”

“I didn’t certainly think you had the hobby of collecting mushrooms and eating them just to test their effects and whatnot,” he jests. “I’m pretty sure your degree had at least safer precautionary methods to determine what it does. Be careful though, you might end up eating the wrong mushroom.”

Tighnari hummed in thought as he brushed a finger under his chin. “I do wonder what it would taste like.”

“You’re still not satisfied with the hallucinations you get?” Cyno lightly snorted.

“I was talking about another thing. But think of it as that for now.” He shrugged with a meaningful smile. “I’ll have you change your mind in no time at all.”

There was it… that implication again. But Cyno, being that he has more to lose if he pushed through what he thinks is an illusion, played it safe and didn’t make any comment after that.

~~

“Say, Cyno, aren’t you curious about my ears and tail? It’s been a while since I heard you ask.”

Cyno snapped out of his reverie. Tighnari laid his chin on his stomach as they laid down on the bed. At his question, he shook his head.

There were things he learned after seeing them on him. He might not be able to stop himself from requesting something out of the line if he ever saw him like that again. It would be weird to ask of something like petting him on the head even if they were friends.

Though it didn’t stop his imagination from seeing him with ears and tail from time to time. It’s when Tighnari displays playful emotions that sometimes his eyes would play tricks on him to see like his ears wiggling up and down if he was satisfied with his food. It was such a funny thought to have but also crossing a borderline of something regrettable. So Cyno as much would like to try subdue it.

But if Tighnari brings topics such as this himself, it’s hard to avoid.

“Why? Did you think of having a new design?”

“No…” He looked at him carefully then proceeded. “But I saw you looking at them so curiously whenever. I figured that you’d want to at least touch them but you haven’t said anything. Did you, perhaps… grow tired of it?”

Cyno’s eyes went wide. “No. That’s not it! I-!” This was the first Tighnari had ever heard the urgency and desperation in his voice so apparent when he’s usually toneless.

Tighnari made a face to coax to go on but Cyno fell deep in thought, almost like he had a face of regret.

“I’m sorry. For whatever I have caused, I’m sorry.”

What? Tighnari laughed. “What are you talking about? You didn’t do anything wrong, did you? I was only asking because I thought you were into that.”

“It was wrong of me to think of you like that. I’m truly sorry.” Cyno couldn’t look at him at the face. He hung his head shamefully.

“Cyno.” His voice was stern yet Cyno didn’t dare to raise his eye. “Archons, oh dear celestia,” he muttered in frustration and grabbed Cyno’s hand. He pulled him in and led his arms around his waist. “What?” he asked after seeing Cyno’s broken stoic face. “What were you thinking of me? Was it like this?” Then he weaved his arms around his neck to lock him in place. Cyno was too stunned to speak or even move away.

Tighnari had that look on his face. It wasn’t the teasing that he would often receive when there were random chances of this happening.

“What? Not like it?” he bit. Then he pushed him and Cyno’s back hit the bed while Tighnari straddled his waist. “Not like this?” Cyno wasn’t responding and Tighnari had enough of it. “Cyno, can’t you see? I’m literally on top of you already. You’re not dense to even figure that out!”

“Tighnari,” Cyno, who usually talks in a placid tone, troublingly called, “Don’t move too much.”

That was when he felt it. His hand that grabbed the flesh of his thighs to keep him in place, there was another poking him underneath that he all knows too well.

“Ah.”

Cyno was silent but his embarrassment was evident with how he was looking away. Though that said, he didn’t make any move to change their positions.

“Want me to deal that for you?” Tighnari offered, unabashed.

“I-” Cyno gulped. What was in front of him was a deliciously offered sight. It’s tempting to take a bite but as it was offered to him in sight, he was told to he couldn’t take it, doing so now would be…impolite. It would be like him being told that the food served on the table wasn’t meant to be eaten for years, how should he know that he was allowed to touch it now that it was actually meant to appetize him? Just like how Tighnari said they were friends to the people who asked in the past. He drew the line and told where they stood, Cyno only complied.

This is… unfair.

Tighnari ran his hands on his abdomen as if feeling him up. It was something that burned with good pleasure. Despite his head heavy with thoughts, he knows he wanted it. It was a long-desired craving.

Fuck it. He wanted this for a long time. He dreamed of it, craved for it. Cyno squeezed the plums of Tighnari’s bottom, eliciting a meek gasp while also reciprocating his desire.

He’ll deal with these thoughts later. Right now, his mind was only hell-bent on finally indulging himself with the pleasures.

Every fiber of his being burned. Tighnari cupped his cheeks and locked their lips for an ardent kiss. A dance of fire and passion with their tongues. It wasn’t until then that Cyno managed to weave his fingers under Tighnari’s shorts.

“Cyno…” he gave out a breathy sigh with clouded eyes. He called his name again with more askance and bit his shoulder as he stretched his hole open. The bite sent shudders down Cyno’s spine; he likes the feeling of it.

Eyes diluted, asking for more; both stared at each other exchanging hazy breaths. Tighnari was already spilling himself over as Cyno inserted one in, finger thick with a lube coating hidden in one of his drawers. He felt him tightened and saw his that pretty face’s reaction when he put a hand over his mouth to stop himself from spilling moans that Cyno badly wanted to hear.

Slightly infuriated, he switched their position so now he towers over his figure. He added another while Tighnari was more than willing to spread his legs wider.

“Do you badly wanted it this much?” Cyno furrowed his brows as he grabbed the other’s twitching member.

Reacting this much to a “friend”, what sort of filthy thoughts did Tighnari have?

Cyno was hard himself. But seeing Tighnari like this makes him frustrated.

What does Tighnari want? First, he drew the line of merely being friends, then now he wants to have this sort of pleasure shared with him? Are they what? Friends with benefits?

Cyno’s scowl went deeper. Fuck it, fine. He’ll give him what he wants. He’ll fuck his brains out for him. He’ll fuck him hard that Tighnari will have to think otherwise whether it should be worth pursuing this kind of thing with him.

Tighnari hooked his arms around his chest then he bit his nipples. It sent an electrocuting sensation down his skin, deeper than Cyno anticipated. If there was one thing he learned of him today, Tighnari likes to bite.

Cyno took out his own. Hot, pumping, and excruciatingly tight. He felt like he was about to burst. As he held himself and was about to pleasure himself, a hand stopped him and Tighnari bent down. Cyno was confused at first until he felt himself being swallowed slowly.

“Fuck.” He harshly let out a ragged breath as held a fistful of Tighnari’s hair while he continued to bobbed up and down him. But before he was able to hit his sweet relief, he stopped which earned him a frustrated growl.

Tighnari licked his plump lips as white liquid drooled down his chin. Then he looked up to Cyno with a look of want. He then positioned himself bending his upper torso on the bed while raising his waist for Cyno to see him in his glory.

“Cyno, please do me…”

After being begged, Cyno lost his sense of sanity. He dug his nails deep in his hips and aligned himself to him. Then slowly, he put in the tip. Tighnari let out a pained noise but was drowning himself in pleasure. Cyno then slammed their hips together. He felt him flinched and shuddered, followed by a release, then his body relaxed. Cyno pulled out but wasn’t done. He then slammed back in again.

Tighnari clawed at the sheets with tears spilling over, letting out sweet sounds of pleasure. Cyno wasn’t still satisfied and had Tighnari face him. He pulled his knees over his shoulders and pushed himself further down him.

“C-cyno…!”

He wasn’t able to form his words when Cyno pinched his buds, sending the same electrifying shots down his spine just like his. Tighnari curved his back and buried his head deeper in the pillow as Cyno pummeled in him.

He desperately clawed at the other’s well-toned muscles as another pool of heat build up dangerously in the pits of his stomach. He begged him with a look. Cyno was too weak to not comply.

He gave him what he wanted. He blew in him, sending a satisfying release to both.

They laid there, panting and sweating, eyes dilute of desire and pleasure. Then they rested.

When they both woke up, Tighnari smiled over to him and leaned in for a kiss. But he blocked him and solemnly said, never daring to look at him. “I need time to think…” Then he gently pushed him aside.

It left Tighnari confused, but also somewhat wronged and hurt.

~~

A cold bath was just what he needed. A lot of thoughts ran through his head as he stared emptily at the showerhead for minutes. It was just like he dreamed, like he imagined; he loves it. The way everything went down. He loves how he was deliciously squeezed, how tight he feels, how his pale face would flush red and how his body reacts with every little thing he does to him. With every twist, every caress, every press, there’s always something he would respond in a way that Cyno would like to elicit more.

There’s no denying that he enjoyed every single second of it. But what was the most pleasurable moment left him very agitated, frustrated, and somewhat dissatisfied after knowing that nothing more was meant to it.

A secret pleasure shared between them. Merely an activity enjoyed for the sake of it. This crushed what hope he had in his heart and left a bitter taste in his mouth. If Tighnari would like to continue, would Cyno follow? He doesn’t know…

Getting to have him but no heart? It went against of what he wanted for the both of them but at the same time, this was the only chance he could have him closer more than anything else.

Closer than friends…but not lovers.

Cyno sighed as he turned off the water. As he stepped out of the shower with a towel drying his hair, he was greeted by an unsure Tighnari twiddling his thumbs, standing awkwardly in front of him.

Tighnari stood there, hanging his head with a timid voice expressing his regret. “Cyno, was it…bad?”

How could it possibly… “It was good, better even.” Better than what he could have imagined.

“Then why do you sound mad?”

Cyno paused. This didn’t go past Tighnari who grabbed his hand. “Cyno, what did I do wrong? Come on, tell me. I’ll do better next time.”

He didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that… “It’s something fleeting. It’ll pass soon. I just felt confused was all,” he said, pressing his temples. “I just feel like a clown. You were throwing yourself at me but I was longing for you in a different way.”

“What?”

When he looked over Tighnari, all of his colors seemed to have been drained.

“Cyno… what are you talking about…?”

“Our set up. With what we’ve just done,” he replied with the most unsounding tone, “But I understand. I’m a friend but you wanted an outlet. I’m telling this now so there wouldn’t be anymore surprises in the future. Considering if this is how our relationship is going to be…”

Tighnari was even more confused.

“Friends with benefits.”

This made his eyes wide like saucers. “What? Friends with benefits? When did I ever say that?” he was furious.

“Didn’t you always draw the line when you would constantly say that we’re just friends?”

Tighnari was even more furious. “Of course, I would say that! We’re friends but that didn’t mean I implied that we can’t be more than that! You literally thought that I fucked you because I’m just horny?! I-” he stopped himself before he could even say more because any more would only hurt the both of them. He knows.

He knew Cyno grew up in a place where love is non-existent. He aspired for one but was used to no one returning it. It was where he strived for his own.

In this case, Tighnari should have been more direct.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put it that way… I-” Tighnari paused as he met his eyes then looked away. Cyno saw the expression on his face, as well as he was aware of how he came out with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. It wasn’t like Tighnari hadn’t seen it, it was more because of the situation that happened prior. But to see this kind of reaction in plain sight, it couldn’t have been clearer. It feels like he was blind for being unable to see such opportunity.

Then again, when it comes to the matters of delicate things like this, Cyno was a person who’s very careful when treading thin ice.

“Cyno…” Tighnari gently took his hand to which Cyno did not resist. “I’m sorry for putting you in the spot like that.”

“You told me once that we were only friends. So, I didn’t do anything to you. I didn’t dare touch you. I don’t want to make you feel violated. I don’t want to break the trust that you gave me just to chase you and see the consequences after…”

Tighnari had hurt and disappointment displayed on his face. But they were all directed to himself.

“I didn’t want to lose you.”

“…I’m really sorry, Cyno. I didn’t see that I put you in a tight spot all this time. I get why you needed space after what happened today and I’ll gladly give it to you. I’ll pack my things and return home tonight. After all, I gave you a burden of expectations all the while clipping your wings. Just tell me what you want to do-”

“Then stay.”

Tighnari was silent then came a “huh?”

“You’re thinking of running away just after what you did?”

“I- what on teyvat…?”

“Have some sense of responsibility.” He pulled Tighnari close by the hand that he held him a while ago. “I just needed to clear my head.”

While it’s true that Cyno felt the unfairness, it’s not like he hadn’t desired this for a long time now. What he just wanted was hearing a decisive answer of Tighnari wanting to be more than what they are. And now that he knew the answer, he doesn’t want to make it more entangling than it was. Him needing to clear his head was just him trying to wrapped his head around the whole ordeal is now reality.

“If you want to make up for it, then why not show me that thing you were so proud of?” Tighnari knew what was being said. When he looked up, he saw the expectance in his eyes gleaming with ardor. “But tell me first that you want this, that you want me.”

Something passed within Tighnari, then it turned him mellow. “I want you for a long time now, Cyno.”

“Tell me that I can kiss you.”

“Touch me as you please.”

“Tell me I can love you.”

“Cyno…” he smiled fondly, reaching to touch his face. Cyno held his hand, closing his eyes as they drowned in silence. “I’ll stay by your side. I’ll watch the sun and moon rises with you. I’ll build castles with you block by block. I’ll fish with you until there’s no more left. I’ll raid cities with you. I’ll explore any fantasy world with you. Even if you die… I’ll wait until you respawn. I say that as someone who offers their heart to you.”

“That was the most… cringiest thing you said.” Despite that, Cyno had his eyes gazing at him with full adoration. The comment however, earned him a hard pinch by his side.

“That was your fault! You told me before you never had someone confess to you, but if there was, you’d want it to have game references.” Tighnari’s cheeks were dusted pink from embarrassment. “You’re the most cringiest man I’ve met, you know that?”

“You remember that, huh? We were playing Minecraft at that time. In case you missed it, I said something more specific such as raising little foxes together in a little hut. And also-”

“-added the horrible joke you came up that goes along the lines of ‘because you making me feline complete, fur-real’.”

“Oh you still remember that too. In case it slipped past you, there were two puns put together in that sentence that correlates to the main subject of the conversation. The foxes-”

He wasn’t able to continue on when Tighnari pulled his face closer and whispered, “Shut up. I get it. Don’t make me regret everything until now,” before sealing their lips.

~~

"Say, Cyno, why don't we do it with that?"

---

Tighnari crawled on him with nothing but a loose shirt and tight shorts, and an unmistakable pair of ears and fluffy tail behind him. They were on Cyno's chair.

As he sat himself down on his lap, he circled his arms around his neck and rest his forehead against his. Then he smiled as he gave him a kiss. Cyno's hands settled on his ass, giving it a delightful squeeze.

Tighnari went ahead and prepped kisses on his jaw down to his collarbone, bites and nips left a trail on sunkiss skin. He felt the rippling tones of his abdomen, how well-built he feels under him despite spending so much time in front of the computer.

"You should continue what you should be doing," he told Cyno and got off him which greatly confused the man.

"Wait, Tighnari-"

"Shhh, shhhhh..." He placed a finger on his lips. "I'll take care of it for you. Don't worry."

Then he went under his desk and he felt him between his legs.

Oh... oh Cyno groaned harder when he felt a force sucking him down there, wet and slippery. He swirled his tongue around him, playing fully licking the tip as some juices spilled over. He placed a hand over his mouth in wonder and fascination as he stared at the head of Tighnari bobbing up and down. His tall ears slightly poking outside of the desk, tickling his stomach.

What would he sound like... if he make him go down all the way? So he grabbed the base of his ears and slammed his head down, choking Tighnari out of surprise.

Cyno swore, he hit the back of Tighnari's throat. It was tight and snugged. He loves him.

When Tighnari came back up, he had furrowed brows, displeased with the sudden act, however, it also fueled the fire in him. "Do you want to take a closer look at the tail?" He offered him the great view of his backside.

That's when Cyno saw what confirmed his thoughts long ago.

He looked at Tighnari with askance only to see his face itchingly waiting for him. He thought no further and grabbed it.

He pulled and he was met with great resistance. He couldn't see Tighnari's face under the desk but with the way his body flinched, it's asking him for more.

Cyno got down from his chair and pulled out Tighnari's member from the cage of his tight shorts. He stroked it while Tighnari shoved fingers in his mouth to block the noise.

"Why are you still covering yourself up? You do know it's soundproofed," Cyno whispered as he licked the shell of his real ears.

"Cyno..." There was something in his voice that asked. "D-do me more."

Cyno flicked his tip as he tugged at his tail again which sent shivers down Tighnari's spine.

"Tighnari, how am I supposed to fuck you if you don't let go?"

That's when he saw the cheeky smile on that plummy lips he wanted to ravage. "Then do something about it."

Cyno stared at him down, feeling annoyed but high in arousal. That is when he took himself out and slid it in between Tighnari's legs. Tighnari was down on all his fours as Cyno placed his hands over his.

"Don't you want something bigger in that desperate hole of yours?"

He saw his fingers curled and scratch the carpet. He stroke the other's member, pulling at the tail as he thrusted. Tighnari crossed his legs to feel more friction between them.

"Cyno...!" Tighnari's voice was drowning in ecstacy and begging for release. He laced his fingers unto Cyno's messy white locks that was held back by a tie and locked their lips as he felt himself coming over.

Cyno hadn't have his though and he knew that. Panting heavily, he raised his hips again and coaxed him.

Cyno understood and pulled out the plugged. Came into view was a ravishing hole ready to take him. He settled his hands on Tighnari's plump ass as he aligned himself.

His shorts had a garter hole where the plugged was. He slowly pushed himself in it then into Tighnari. They felt themselves connect.

He was squeezing him oh so delightfully tight.

Tighnari... He was all he could ever think of. Tighnari... How is he so beautiful? Tighnari! How could he be so...

"Tigh... Tighnari...!" He pulled his wrist on his back as he pounded into him. Then he met his sweet release.

They stayed there, locked in position, panting and heavily sweating. As Cyno made a move to come out, Tighnari hugged him in place. He squeezed him again which made Cyno amused and softly smile. Then he returned his hug. Tighnari snuggled his face in the crook of his neck.

"I'd wait for you until you respawn too."