cashewlater | for @suffusion

for @suffusion

[ the forest is quiet.

cyno knows these woods like the back of his hand. he knows all of sumeru, has trekked nearly every inch of it - nearly - for he fears no beast, nor the darkness of the unknown. his work takes him all over the land, through the deserts and forests alike, and though he works for no one, he does not hurt for mora, for cyno is the most gifted hunter and tracker in sumeru. no quarry has ever escaped him, and he has never failed to deliver on any job. this job will be no different.

it isn't an easy hunt. not only is this area of the forest unfamiliar to him, but his prey is sharp and smart, with an incredible sense of hearing. cyno's footsteps are all but silent, but the sensitive ears of the witch can detect him even at his most stealthy. it's fine. he's brought in difficult prey before. if stealth could only get him so far, he has other methods, though he must take care - should the rumors prove true, this witch is powerful, tricky, wise, and cyno could easily find himself on the wrong end of his quarry's wrath. but he was ready for a fight, if it came to it, and it would.

for five days he simply watches. listens. the witch hears him, he knows, but cyno is well hidden, and cannot be found. he scales the trees and watches from the branches, stock still, his clothing camouflaged, his pale white hair tied up and rubbed with charcoal to keep it from standing out. for hours he sits, vigilant, watchful, learning the witch's patterns and strengths, behaviors, taking their measure, and even that is not easy, but cyno learns over time that his adversary favors the bow and dendro magicks, that they know the forest well, and make use of all of its parts. in the end, cyno can only hope to overpower them by force and speed alone, striking fast, getting in close before the bow can be drawn on him. it'll have to be enough, with the element of surprise unavailable to him. but he'll use the tools he has.

his eyesight, for example, sharp in the night. his keen sense of smell. his own good hearing, and his powers of observation. his patience.

cyno strikes in the night, when the witch is far from their hut, gathering samples of bioluminescent moss. he's fast as a bolt of lightning, moving comfortably in darkness, taking them from behind and knocking them to the loamy earth, with his spearhead at their throat. ]

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[ of course tighnari finds the one leaf lost in there.. it happens, okay!! with how thick and fluffy his fur is, it's all too easy to catch leaves and twigs in it. ]

Is that an offer?

[ perhaps it shouldn't be. perhaps they should go through their niceties, say their goodbyes, and let this all go as a coincidence. that's certainly what their people would want. but seeing tighnari again.. ah, cyno had really missed him, had thought about him nearly every day since the last time they saw one another. there was no one like tighnari. cyno's scarlet eyes settle on him. ]

If so, I'd accept. After you get some blood in you.

[ cyno steps back, his tail slipping free of tighnari's grasp. he tenses. ]

If you can catch it.

[ with a blur, he's gone. ]

It could be.

[ of course it's better if it isn't. but this connection they have with one another, this bond that's been forged through years as they look past at what they are - tighnari focusing more on who cyno is, it's why tighnari didn't give up on it. not until they began to drift apart. their studies taking them to different schools, and becoming overly busy to really keep in touch. when tighnari can get so enraptured with his research. ]

Blood? [ his two-toned eyes blink a bit when scarlet red meet his gaze, ears twitching as he realizes what he means. of course he was out here to feed in the first place, but with cyno here... it brings back those earlier years where cyno offered tighnari to feed on him. what started as an offer to help - tighnari would be lying if he said he wasn't thinking about it now. the temptation of being so close to him, the alluring taste that he was free to help himself to with the wolf's consent.

and now, here cyno was. making a sudden game of it. ]

You-! [ annnd he's gone! there's a moment of exasperation, cyno really does fall back as if it's just another day for them. ...it fills him with a soft warmth, shaking himself from the surprise and swiftly chasing after. there's a thrill that tighnari enjoys himself when it comes to feeding this way. he normally doesn't take much enjoyment of it, which is why he tends to push it off but.. with cyno, he always has a way of easing his mind, doing his best in his own way to make light of things.

still, while tighnari may not have the power and strength of a werewolf, he is still fast and light with his movement as a vampire. ]

[ tighnari's slightly flummoxed look is all that cyno is able to catch before he's gone, sprinting through the streets in a blur of black and gold and silvery-white. It dawns on him, of course, that tighnari might not follow, that he may not take the bait, that cyno might lose him just as quickly as he has regained him, but..

.. well, that's a chance worth taking, he thinks, and besides, his money is on tighnari, on their connection, their friendship that had hardly withered at all in a decade's time. the world moved and changed around them, progressing, always moving forward, but their closeness was a constant, wasn't it? even if they had fallen out of touch, cyno would never forget their time together in high school and undergrad, and he was willing to bet that tighnari wouldn't forget, either.

and it would seem he was right. it wasn't easy to hear the vampire move, for as quick and smooth as he was, but cyno could just make it out - the sound of light, fast footsteps leaping and sprinting behind him, of fabric rippling and catching as tighnari ran. sespite himself, cyno smiles.

they were already on the outskirts of the city when they met, so it was an easy enough task for cyno to lead tighnari away from the streets of sumeru city and into the thick forest that hemmed it in. teyvat has grown and changed over the millennia, but some things remained the same, and sumeru's nurtured forests were among them. it isn't long before cyno's hurried footsteps are softened by loamy earth and thick grass.

and now, he shifts. bones crack and his body stretches, thick fur replacing smooth golden skin, cyno's long tail streaming behind him like a banner as his body changes, until it is not a man that is running, but a jackal, large and imposing, though still on the smaller end of the werewolf spectrum, but far, far larger than any native wolf or jackal might be. ]

[ it isn't difficult to figure out where it is that Cyno is essentially leading them both. finding the familiarity of the forests to peek until they move directly into them. tighnari keeps up, but only barely, his stamina he knows isn't capable of keeping up like this if Cyno wills it. however, the werewolf seems to have other plans and the beautiful sight of the man shifting from his humanoid form onto a wolf is always breathtaking.

so, that's how he wants to play. tighnari wouldn't have much luck long before, but like this he knows that the wolf will rapidly gain on speed and disappear into the darkened woods if he doesn't think fast. it's the reason why he knows just what exactly to do next.

after all, there is another form that vampires have, though one not many vampires resort themselves to. especially those of the older generation. after all, a form like this is when a vampire is at their most vulnerable - fragile as they are in this state. and it is certainly not a form that tighnari himself takes to frequently. there is hardly any much use for it, except for when he wants to save up on energy or needs to recover faster.

though it is quite convenient in certain aspects. like when one wants to get somewhere quickly, almost hidden, and in a chase like this? well, what better opportunity than now. the transition is as fluid and smooth like water. just a small leap and it is the sound of rustling and a cut through the air that his body shifts into something much smaller. a dark furred bat taking flight as it takes to the air with ease and control with the feel of the wind to guide his wings.

the forest is perfect cover as he uses the trees to keep track from high above, never allowing the jackal out of his sight as it charges through blades of grass as the earthy path expands ahead of him. tighnari only needs to ensure he keeps up, because in his other form he would have eventually lost him if he kept at it. now, he allows his wings to weave around as he waits for the perfect moment.

almost... almost... there! it isn't until he is right above Cyno that he drops his small body entirely on top of white fluffy fur, latching on with little clawed wings and feet that he hooks on. and just as quickly, he shifts back and uses his arms to wrap around that furred neck and laugh airy against a soft ear. ]

Gotcha!

[ it's been a long time since cyno had last encountered tighnari in his bat shape - then again, it's been a long time since he last encountered tighnari at all. still, he recognizes the sound of it, the way tighnari's light footsteps disappear and are replaced by the beating of leathery wings instead. he'd smile, if he could. it wasn't always easy to push tighnari to change forms.

but they were safe here, in these woods. all cyno could hear and smell for miles was animal in nature, no humans, no shifters, no vampires, only them and the endless wilds.

so they run and chase, cyno dashing through the underbrush while tighnari flits after him, attempting to divebomb him only for cyno to veer away at the last minute. but that little furry bat is not only persistent, but also very agile and fast - soon enough cyno isn't able to dodge in time, and the bat drops onto him, clinging onto his mane with hooked claws. then, soon enough, it's tighnari's arms around him, tackling him to the ground.

they roll through the thick grass, tumbling across the soft forest floor, and cyno's jackal yips soon turn to soft laughs as the creature becomes a man again. they land in a heap, a tangle of arms and limbs that feels so warm and familiar - they hunted together often, in college, and once he began allowing tighnari to feed on him, cyno almost always made the vampire work for it. with his arms clinging tightly around tighnari's middle, and his hair tossed and wild, cyno relents, their bodies landing with a thump side by side. ]

Well done. These years haven't made you too soft.

[ moments like these, make him feel so young. tumbling through the grass like a couple of pups playing in the fields. quite frankly, tighnari could never feel this freeing with just anyone. it always comes down to cyno. the comfort, the way laughter bubbles out of his chest is so easy, clinging on until they finally come to an end of their tumbling.

a hand comes up to brush aside his own hair, taking in cyno's own ruffled appearance that glints a little under the night's light. the sheer adrenaline of the chase, the excitement of a hunt - it has his own tail thumping lightly against the soft grassy floors. though, those words pull another laugh out of the vampire, shaking his head a little. ]

I'm not too sure about that. [it's definitely made him too soft. even now, he feels too weak. falling back into the habits from before they drifted away from another. ] I feel like it's been quite some time since I've had to work so hard.

[ after all, it's been so long since he's put so much into a chase. most of his hunts are quick and efficient, getting enough to get him by until he's at the final means of needing to feed again. it's probably because of that he put as much as effort as he could now. already, the closeness, the scent, and the sound of that blood pumping in veins so close to him entice his hunger. the arm still around cyno has fingers gripping just slightly more, but he continues holding himself back, trying to keep his patience intact. ]

..You don't need to keep offering yourself to me, you know.

[ tighnari knows it'll make it even harder on himself to distance themselves again. ]

Glad to have given you a run for your mora.

[ tighnari might've been out of shape, but that made it all the more fun to run him hard, to not make it too easy for him, to give him a chance to really stretch his legs - or wings, in this case. if tighnari is anything like the way he used to be, he prefers to prey on animals, which can be challenging in their own right, to hunt.. but certainly not as challenging as cyno is himself.

here in the forest, it's easy to enjoy tighnari's company for the simple sake of it, where they know they're both safe, where no one will find them. they needn't worry about prying eyes or judgmental stares. they can simply be.. them, as if nothing had changed over these past years. nothing at all. as if they hadn't been apart for over ten years, and drifting before that.

cyno watches tighnari with an easy, soft smile curving his mouth, gazing up at him with a warm, endless fondness. the years apart have done nothing to dull cyno's feelings, most especially when tighnari dares to look so beautiful above him, with his dark hair haloed in dappled starlight. hooking one finger around his collar, cyno pulls it aside, revealing the column of his throat, and the faint, old scars there, from when tighnari used to feed on him. ]

I don't need to, no, but I want to. Go on and take your prize.

[ there's a bit of a somber touch to his own expression as he watches cyno, looking to the way those lips turn up in a familiar smile. a smile tighnari always wishes to only ever see - even more so just for him. his gaze lowers a little, unable to meet the other man's gaze. only because tighnari knows he's weak to it. those buried feelings aching a bit painfully... but also good. so good in a way that makes tighnari feel alive. ]

You really haven't changed. [ those words are said softly, lips twitching a little in a smile with his own fond look. it really should be such a blasphemous thing for a vampire in hindsight. to go as far as to drink from what most vampires swear to stand against. and yet, here tighnari was, having not once forgotten the taste that he knows to belong to cyno. something he knows he will never forget for as long as he lives. that he really could just live off feeding from cyno and cyno alone if he would allow him. but he knows he shouldn't, that they shouldn't. that would intertwine their lives far too much and tighnari will always stand by that cyno deserves more... deserves only the best.

and yet, tighnari would give nothing more than to give whatever cyno wanted. his gaze watches with a fixated stare when that collar is pulled aside, swallowing a little as his hand raises and fingertips gingerly trail over those old scars. something churns in his stomach at sight of it - an almost heated sensation. he moves to hover closer to him, meeting his gaze briefly, pausing as if allowing cyno one last opportunity to stop the vampire. ]

I won't take too much.

[ he never does. only ever taking enough. but he gives the reminder anyways, more for himself before he gets drawn too much into it. his gaze glints darkly, the color bright and almost chilling until lashes flutter to a close when he briefly lines the exposed throat with a brush of his nose. drawing in the other man's scent until he parts his lips to graze pronounced fangs now over skin, finding memories guiding him to the same spot as he carefully pierces skin. it's a sharp inflicted pain briefly for cyno, but the properties of a vampire's bite always soothe it quickly - a spread of pleasure washing over.

the first drink is heavenly, almost shuddering as he cups the other side of the man's neck with his hand to steady him still while he sinks a bit more. however, he's every bit gentle with his drinking, avoiding doing anything else in fear of his feelings seeping through the cracks. ]

[ no, maybe he hasn't changed at all. the years have not yet shaped him differently, and being with tighnari again, all the flooding memories returning make it so very easy to fall into old habits, to be the person he was around tighnari, the person who is, arguably, the most cyno. for with tighnari, he could only ever be himself, fully and authentically. ]

You know you can take as much as you need.

[ he knows full well that tighnari will be gentle, that he'll only take enough to satisfy himself, but cyno is strong, healthy, he can bear to spare a bit of blood for an old friend.

but gods, he isn't prepared for the complete headrush when those fangs pierce his flesh. cyno's breath catches at the flash of sharp pain, before his exhale shudders out of him once that pain shifts to pleasure. warmth spreads through his body to the very tips of his extremities, and cyno finds himself lost in that lovely, drunken haze that always comes with a vampire's bite. tighnari drinks, and cyno loses himself in it, turning his head aside to offer more of his throat, both of his hands snagged on tighnari's hips, holding fast. ]

[ that's a dangerous offer, but tighnari doesn't say this out loud. after all, there's so much of cyno he would take if he really was allowed. to keep him at his side - embed himself so deeply into his life despite their differences, or what his clan may say.

however, he knows better. he knows what he is and what isn't allowed. not if it meant potentially endangering cyno, even if the werewolf was plenty strong. probably the strongest person tighnari knows... but despite that he's, quite literally, a lone jackal. his own grip moves, almost protectively as he holds him close when one hand sinks into white hair almost soothingly.

tighnari could get drunk on the taste alone. the taste he can only connect to cyno - sweet, comforting, like enjoying a hot cup of tea after a long exhausting rainy day. he can't really stop himself from humming, finding his strength recovering with each intake. but as always, he ensures he doesn't lose his own self to the pleasure, stopping once he's had more than enough to keep himself going without feeding right away. he pulls a little back, admiring the freshly made marks along with the other older scars. he draws closer again, tongue gently swiping over the wound with a following murmur.

carefully, he tilts his head to peer at the other man's face, just ensuring there was no pain lingering. ]

..Thanks. Feeling okay?

[ it feels like it's over all too soon, and cyno is left with that deep, ancient craving in his blood, the desire for more, to give all of himself to tighnari until he's drained, empty -

but of course, they never go that far. they never would. and cyno knows full well that his blood is far more potent than any human or wild animal's - even just a short drink from him will be enough to invigorate tighnari for a long time. still, he can't help a mournful, almost pouty little mmph when tighnari pulls back; the feeling had been so lovely, and so incredibly nostalgic.. nevermind that some more extreme packs might want to tear him apart for giving himself over to a vampire.

cyno's hooded gaze watches as tighnari lifts his head, stricken by how lovely he looks like this, freshly rejuvenated by the blood, his beautiful eyes bright. not for the first time he wants to pull him in again, to kiss the blood from his lips as he'd done years ago.

he resists. he knows he can't put tighnari into such a compromising situation again. instead, he smiles, the wounds at his throat slowly beginning to close. ]

Feeling good. Mm. How about you?

[ oh, that brief sight of an almost pout has a soft chuckle escaping the vampire. he knows, he knows. the sensation is always so pleasing - he really has nothing to worry about in the end, but he does anyway. despite how many times they've had moments like this... he would rather be safe. still, he soothes that minor pout with a light nudge of his nose against a fluffy white ear until he pulls back entirely.

though the sight of that stare, he quickly looks away, knowing that moments like this can strike sudden emotional reactions. he would rather cyno not do anything he regrets again. because that's what tighnari has believed moments like that before to be, to not consider it being anything else. knowing it can't be.

he peeks back, lips settling with a soft smile. ]

That's good.. [ his tail idly thumps against the grass beneath them. even though there's such a temptation to take another bite. a temptation he pushes away, ignoring it. ] I feel much better now. Mmm.. You still need to eat as well, right? Helping you is the least I can do.

[ tighnari looks away, and cyno is relatively sure that he knows why. it's the same reason he's always looked away when things have gotten a little too heated between them, a little too.. close. yet even still, cyno continued to watch tighnari's profile, admiring the way the silver moonlight outlines it, tracing the slope of his cute button nose. ]

I do, yes. Even moreso now, I think.

[ after giving a decent amount of blood to his vampire friend, here, cyno is going to need the nutrition in raw animal protein. he remains still for a few seconds longer, so he can keep looking at tighnari, before he finally begins to move, pushing himself up on his hands. ]

I'm used to hunting alone, but I suppose you can keep up well enough.

[ a light chuckle. ]

You should know better than to underestimate a well-fed vampire.

[he says, with his tone lighthearted and airy in tease. his gaze twinkling a little as he glances back over with an amused swish of his own tail. however, the moment cyno moves does tighnari push up himself. though he gives a quick stretch when he does - he really did forget how satisfied he begins to feel after feeding off cyno. reenergized and content.]

Mmm, I'll follow your lead.

[ at least in his bat form, he can offer good support from above or even some guidance- but he knows cyno's sharp senses with smell for one will be more than enough for the werewolf. admittedly there's a bit of excitement to hunt together again, the nostalgia of it causing his tail to wag. ]

[ cyno can't help but chuckle softly; gently teasing tighnari comes easily. he knows full well exactly what tighnari is capable of, especially freshly fed; he'll be a boon on this hunt. cyno might be used to hunting alone, but that doesn't mean he likes it - hunting with others feels good, feels right, even if tighnari is a vampire, and not a wolf.

climbing to his feet, cyno nods. ]

Time to get to work.

[ silently, he shifts again, skin giving way to soft, shaggy fur as his body warps into the beast again, paws to the earth, and without another word he's moving through the forest, knowing tighnari will keep up. it isn't long before cyno is on the trail of a young buck upwind from them; if tighnari flushes it out for him, he can easily give chase. ]

[ a nod is all tighnari gives before he follows after. the shift into a bat is much smoother and with ease, taking advantage of his fuller energy to sweep upwards and follow by air. occasionally high-pitched squeaks leave him, but mostly silent, testing their surroundings as they make their way but ultimately trusts cyno's guide.

when he realizes cyno is on a trail does he move on ahead. it isn't long until he catches sight of the young buck, sweeping down to shift back with a quiet land of his feet onto the earthly grounds. though, tighnari doesn't bother hiding himself, not trying to be quiet- not when he wants to intentionally usher it in the direction of his companion.

and so he purposely steps onto a fallen branch, the noise echoing a shattering crack that spooks the buck in cyno's direction to flee from the vampire. that should be enough for cyno to secure his hunt. ]

[ and of course, tighnari does his job perfectly well, flushing the buck out without a problem, and cyno, who waits downwind in the shadows, is ready.

he leaps from the brush, a blur of white fur as he lunges forward; this is his only chance, if he misses, he won't have the stamina to hunt this same buck down again, not when it's been alerted to his presence. without a pack, the element of surprise is something cyno needs to lean on heavily.

the buck goes down. cyno's powerful jaws close around its throat with an ugly, sickening crack, and together predator and prey roll into the grass, the buck gone still. a beautiful animal, cyno thinks, but he's got to eat.

and eat he does. cyno begins to feed immediately and quickly. they're deep in the forest, but the scent of blood may still carry if the wind kicks up, and a packless jackal doesn't need to be caught with his meal. and a vampire friend. so he tears into the still warm flesh immediately, eating his fill, cracking bones with his powerful teeth to lick the marrow clean. ]

[ once cyno takes advantage of the element of surprise, tighnari allows him the privacy of his feeding - taking to the skies again in a quick smooth transformation to fly high above and survey the area. the scent of blood will definitely drift and he would rather neither cyno nor he get caught unawares.

fortunately, he sees nor hears anything nearby, nothing attempting to come their way, all silent outside the occasional moan of trees creaking quietly with the soft breeze. he allows the wind to guide him around, patrolling until he's sure the werewolf has more than enough time to eat his fill to return to him.

wings slow in his descent and he carefully emits a soft squeak while he lands on top of cyno's fluffy hindquarters still a small bat. ]

Don't get sick now. [ not that he blames the jackal for eating fast, it would be bad for either to get caught but he reassures him. ] It's only us here for miles as far as I can tell.

[ cyno enjoys his meal quite thoroughly while tighnari keeps watch, something he is immensely grateful for. he's at his most vulnerable when he's feeding, and the scent of blood could easily attract other werewolves, should the wind carry it right, but with tighnari in the trees around him, listening closely, cyno trusts that he is safe.

a nice feeling. it's been awhile since last he felt so secure.

by the time tighnari returns and lands on his furry rear, cyno is laying comfortably in the grass, gnawing at a thick bone with his back teeth. he's nice and full, and enjoying this femur very much. as only one jackal, he can't eat the entire buck himself, but that's all right, it'll be left for the forest scavengers to enjoy. ]

I won't, I won't. [ tempting though it is to be a glutton. cyno licks his bloody jowls. ] Thanks for looking out. I know I can trust your ears.

[ the small bat moves further up the jackal's back, not at all wary as the other's sharp fangs crunch around the buck's femur with the sound of bone cracking. ears twitch atop his head, always aware of every sound around them to alert him of the slightest sign of danger. but it continues to be quiet, only them. ]

No need for thanks. It's the least I could do.

[ by now tighnari would have certainly changed forms again but after a quick flight around.. it's more comfortable just to relax like this and perch upon his companion's back. a wing extends, a lil bat finger brushing a bloody furry cheek. ]

Ever the messy eater. There's a lake nearby for you to wash up.

[ for all that cyno could crush tighnari like a grape between his strong jaws right now, he never would, so yes, the tiny bat is quite safe as he climbs up cyno's back toward his face. he lifts his head from the bone between his bloodied paws. ]

You try eating a raw, fresh buck and see how clean your face is afterward, snooty vampire.

[ he says with a chuckle, nudging at the little bat with his nose, before he's getting to his feet and sniffing at the air, scenting for water. it's hard to find with the thick bloody scent in the air, but cyno manages to find traces of cold water to the east, and begins trotting in that direction. ]

[ of course cyno wouldn't, which precisely shows how much tighnari trusts the man. after all, no vampire would willing stay in this form around anyone, not even a fellow vampire if they weren't very close clanmates. ]

Snooty? I'll show you snooty, you oversized pup.

[ how Dare. the bat huffs a squeak even as cyno nudges him with his nose, nipping at his muzzle in retaliation. but it is a gentle nip, the smallest of chomps. his wings flap a bit until he hooks himself onto the back of the jackal's fluffy neck and plopping his head atop cyno's own while he scents around.

unsurprising he catches on quickly without tighnari needing to point him in the direction, holding on while they make their way. ]

You heard me, snooty.

[ cyno's chuckle is a rumbling sound in his chest as he begins to trot through the forest with the bat on his back, unfazed by the tiniest of chomps. also it's really funny to imagine tighnari's voice is all high and squeaky as a bat.. even if it isn't.

it doesn't take them long to reach the lake that tighnari had mentioned, and cyno immediately lowers his head, drinking in deep, satisfying gulps. ]

[ another snooty remark earns a chomp to cyno's ear, a bit rougher this time around. cease, you little pup. also help don't doom nari to high-pitched squeaky voice!! he is but a small fluffy bean.

as cyno's head dips to drink, tighnari reaches a little clawed finger out to dip into the waters before he's rubbing it a little onto his own face. just a bit of cleaning himself. he sits up a little, ears swerving as he listens around - but nothing comes up. ]

Do you have any other plans tonight?

[ just a curious inquiry. ]

[ cyno drinks his fill, no reaction to the bite aside from the casual flick of his ear - your fangs are so tiny, tighnari!!

after he's had a good long drink, cyno begins cleaning himself as well, stepping into the shallows and wetting his paws, rubbing them against his face to clear the blood away. he's careful to move slowly, so as not to dislodge the little bat, to give tighnari plenty of time to keep himself balanced. we can't have the small fluffy bean falling into the water!! ]

Well.. I'd been hoping to catch up with an old friend, if he's willing.

[ cyno says, with a smile in his voice. ]

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