Halloween Special AU! Fluff, Hint of Angst

"You don't have to do this, Cyno." Lisa's words fell upon deaf ears as Cyno stuffed various supplies in his bag, merely huffing in response. "I'm serious." Lisa approached her junior, crossing her arms over her chest in disapproval. "It's not worth it."

"So then what do you want me to do? Just sit on my ass and watch as her condition worsens?" Lisa startled backward at how uncharacteristically angry Cyno had sounded, prompting him to slouch his shoulders and cradle his temples. "I'm sorry, Lisa. I didn't mean to raise my voice at you- I just-" he paused mid sentence, eyes trailing away from his senior and back to his bag. "If something were to happen to Collei, something I could've possibly helped prevent, then I," he gritted his teeth, shoving a few last items in his bag before forcefully zipping it shut. "I don't think I could live with myself."

"But do you really have to go this far?" Lisa challenged. "Seeking out the Werewitch, of all people? Why can't you just get a d-"

"You and I both know how Collei feels about doctors." Cyno hissed through gritted teeth, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I think the Werewitch could actually help."

"So you're going to entrust the life of your sister to someone you've never even met before?" Although the words that left her mouth were harsh, there was no sting to them.

Cyno stared at Lisa through a half-lidded gaze. "You did the same with me, did you not?"

Lisa sighed, long and slow. She was tired, and she could tell he was as well. It'd be pointless to try and reason with him- and besides, he did have a point. She gave her junior a reluctant nod. "Fine, have it your way," she placed her hand softly atop his shoulder. "I think you should at least say goodbye to Collei before you leave, though."

Cyno closed his eyes, nodding slowly as he slung his bag over his other shoulder. "Thank you for understanding." Although his expression was its usual poker face, Lisa could hear the gratefulness in his words. Shrugging her hand from off his shoulder, Cyno promptly turned around, heading down the hall to Collei's room. He raised his hand to the door, pausing for a moment as he contemplated what to say to her.

"Collei," his knuckles rapped lightly against the door, breath stilling as he listened closely for her voice. "May I come in?"

A moment or so of silence passed, leaving him tense with each second that passed. When he heard a faint "Yeah," from the other side of the door, he could feel the relief ease through him.

With a soft click, the door slowly swung open, Cyno carefully flicking on the light before stepping into the room. "Hey," he whispered softly, carefully approaching her bedside. "How are you?"

Collei smiled weakly up at Cyno. "I've been better," she wheezed softly. Noticing the way Cyno frowned, she cleared her throat, opting to change the subject. "What's up with the bag? Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah." Cyno nodded his head as he brought his hand to Collei's forehead, lightly brushing his knuckles against her hair and pushing the bangs back.

"But it's so late at night," Collei pouted. "Do you really have to leave?"

"I'll be back by morning, don't worry." Cyno leaned forward, planting a soft kiss atop Collei's forehead. "I'll bring you something that'll make you feel better, alright?"

"Alright..." Collei nodded in agreement, though her face still expressed disdain.

"In the meantime, Lisa's gonna watch over you while I'm gone. She can tell you stories about Mondstadt, and all of her adventures with Amber."

Collei instantly lit up at the mention of her favorite Outrider. "O-okay!" Her excitement got the better of her, resulting in a brief coughing fit. Cyno held out a glass of water to her, to which she accepted gratefully. "I'll see you tomorrow," she smiled softly at Cyno, setting the cup on the bedside dresser.

Reluctantly, Cyno turned toward the door, sparing one last glance at Collei before shutting off the lights and exiting her room. He had almost made it out of the house, fingers brushing against the doorknob only for a voice to stop him.

"You know what they say about the Werewitch." Lisa hummed from the kitchen.

Cyno froze, his hand clutching the doorknob tightly. "What, that most people wind up dead when they search for him?"

"That, and also that he might not be as nice a witch as I am; so try not to make any deals with him." She added, a playful ring to her tone. "Good luck, Cyno. You better not leave Collei waiting."

Cyno huffed in response. With nothing else to say, he opened the door and was on his way.

-

Cyno arrived at the woodlands not too long after he left the house- but it was only after he ventured deep enough into the forest to encounter a thick fog encompassing the world around him that his journey actually began. In truth, he had no leads as to where the Werewitch actually lived, save for a cryptic poem he managed to stumble upon amidst his studies alongside a few context clues.

Those who dare to traverse the through the green
May end up naught but an unturned stone
It is only after the wolf is heard that the wolf is seen
And so too shall the Werewitch make himself known

There was a good chance that it wasn't legit- just a ruse made by someone random. But it lined up with the stories he'd always been told about those who looked for the Werewitch, and how they'd never come back. The Werewitch had to have been hidden somewhere in the fog, too- why else would he be so hard to find? He didn't have much to go on, but it was better than nothing. He turned around, admiring the way the city's lights twinkled in the distance, before turning tail and heading forward.

For hours upon hours he walked, allowing himself to follow the sounds he could pick up on in hopes of finding a lead to the Werewitch. He saw all sorts of creatures he'd never find in the desert- tree frogs, dusk birds, butterflies, even a rishboland tiger and her cub- but there were no traces of wolves anywhere within the vicinity. When his ears failed him, he turned to his compass, venturing north toward the border of Sumeru's forests and Fontaine's plains. Wolves were commonly found in northern Mondstadt and southern Fontaine- perhaps a few ventured into the forests. It didn't sound too unlikely, so he was willing to give it a shot.

It was a long trek to the northernmost forests of Sumeru- nothing he couldn't handle thanks to his years of traversing the desert; yet around halfway through his journey he felt himself starting to get discouraged. Was this really the right way? He knew it wouldn't be an easy task, finding a mythical being who had been in hiding for some time now, but surely there had to be something more to it aside from an aimless walk.

Cyno came to a standstill, bringing his hand to his chin as he pondered what else he could do. He recollected everything he knew about wolves (only to realize he didn't even know that much at all), how they traveled in packs and how they were nocturnal creatures. Perhaps they had yet to set out to hunt? Although Cyno had left a little into the afternoon, he couldn't properly discern whether the moon had yet to rise. It sure felt like enough time had passed, but the only way he could be certain was to wait and hope to hear a wolf in passing.

He wasn't too fond of the idea of waiting at first, but as soon as the thought entered his mind, the weariness in his feet that he had been ignoring for quite some time suddenly shot throughout his entire body, prompting him to take a seat on the damp ground. Setting his bag aside, he leaned his back against a rather thick tree trunk, stretching his feet and taking a moment to reflect.

"I'm never gonna find the Werewitch at this point." Cyno groaned to no one in particular, allowing his head to fall back against the tree he was leaning against. He couldn't even see the stars due to the heavy fog and the thick vegetation- the only thing that greeted his sight were the leaves of the tree above him.

After a minute or so, Cyno reached for his bag, rummaging through its contents. Unfortunately, he underestimated how hard it would be to find the Werewitch. Determined not to leave the forest until he was successful, he'd have to ration what he had if he wanted to last for longer than two days. Which was fine by him, he'd gone through days in the desert without food. He was sure he could handle this. He picked out a singular apple, zipping his bag shut and biting into the fruit.

It was only now, after he had settled down, that he noticed just how quiet the forest was in comparison to when he first arrived. Then, he could hear the sounds of chirping and little footsteps all around him. Now that he was further in, he sat in an eerie silence, with no one around to keep him company.

At least, he thought there was no one- until a sound of rustling nearby caught his attention, prompting him to sit upright. "Hello?" He asked, trying his hardest to see through the dense fog. He was able to locate where the sound was coming from, a little to his right, but whatever was making the noise was hiding within a thick bushel of nettles. Could it have been one of the wolves he was looking for?

Another rustle, soon followed by the sound of a loose leaf being stepped on as the creature emerged from its hiding spot. What greeted him wasn't a wolf, but instead a little fox, with ears as big as its head. Cyno had seen this type of fox before- a fennec, native to the arid deserts of Sumeru. But what was one doing all the way out here?

"Hey," He whispered faintly. He made no move to get up and approach it, merely watching the fox through squinted eyes while he chewed his apple. It was a little hard to discern from the fog- but instead of the usual sandy brown pelts he'd see, this fox's fur was mostly black, save for a few spots of green speckled throughout his tail. This wasn't a desert creature- this fox definitely belonged in the forest.

Oddly enough, Cyno felt compelled to extend his half-eaten apple forward. "You can have a bite if you want." He murmured, lowering his hand so it was hovering a little over the ground, just high enough for the small vixen to reach. "You little ones are usually always with others. It must be hard being yourself."

The fox inched forward, peering at the offering with wide eyes. Cyno felt himself ease up as he admired how adorable the fox was, letting his guard down as he inched his hand forward.

Suddenly, the fox surged forward, taking the apple in its jaws and scurrying a good distance away from Cyno. He would've been upset- but he never particularly cared for apples, and the fox looked so ridiculous, clearly struggling to hold a fruit as big as its head in its jaws, that the only thing he did was chuckle softly. "It's a shame you're not a wolf." He hummed, folding his hands over his chest. "Maybe you could've led me to the Werewitch."

The fox tilted its head to the side as Cyno spoke, similar to a dog. It stared for a while, blinking slowly, before turning around and disappearing back from where it came. Cyno sighed softly to himself, his gaze lingering on the nettles for a second before he decided he was done, slinging his bag over his shoulder and rising to his feet. The waiting game probably wasn't going to work. He'd better keep going north- the werewitch wasn't just going to show himself, was he?

Before Cyno could even move, he heard the same rustling from before. He turned to look at the spot, finding that the fox was already back. "Hello, again." He hummed, noticing how the fox still held the apple tightly in its jaw. "You should finish what you have before you come back for more."

The fox padded up to him, briefly nuzzling its face against his ankle before trotting back to the bush. Right before the creature disappeared again, it turned its head back to peer at Cyno, flicking its tail as if it were beckoning him to follow.

Cyno took a cautionary step forward. The fox didn't move, still staring at him with an almost expectant gaze. He took another step forward, and the fox remained still. "Alright," he couldn't believe he was actually going along with this. Then again, he was seeking a witch, of all people- this would probably be the least weird thing that'd happen to him. "I'll follow."

The fox made its way through the nettles, Cyno following a few paces behind. Although it was hard to see such a little fox, he could clearly make out its tiny steps. They traveled together through thickets and past streams, over rocks and under low-hanging branches of crooked trees, until, finally, they encountered a peculiar tree, curled up into a perfect archway with vines hanging down from its branches, acting like a curtain of some sort. The fox slipped past the vines, not waiting for Cyno. He stared at it for a moment longer before heading forward.

As soon as he stepped through the vines, the scenery around him instantly changed. The fog seemingly disappeared, allowing for Cyno to see the luminescent tops of the Mawtiyima forest mushrooms in the distance. Before him was a little stream, with Nilotpala lotuses that almost glowed under the moonlight. The stream flowed into a little moat, with an oddly shaped cottage in the center of it, perfectly intact with light emanating from its windows. The fox jumped forward, hopping on a few stepping stones before leaping up the windowsill and disappearing into the house.

Cyno looked down at the stepping stones, carefully stepping on one to make sure it was safe. It held his weight just fine, and so he took those last few steps across the stones and toward the house.

When his foot touched solid ground, the house door slowly swung open, revealing a person leaning against its frame. "Took you long enough to get here," the person mused, looking at their oddly furry hand.

Opening his mouth to speak, Cyno found himself at a loss for words. He racked his brain for something, anything, deciding to finally ask: "Where'd the fox go?"

"You're looking at him." He pulled out his other hand from behind his back, revealing the half-eaten apple that Cyno had given to the fox. "Thanks for the food, by the way." He grinned, taking a bite of the apple. "I've never eaten such a sweet apple before."

"Are-" Cyno's mouth fell agape. He genuinely didn't know what to say. It checked out, though- alongside the furry, paw-like hands, he also had the same ears and even the same, bushy tail as his little companion. "Are you the Werewitch?"

"The Werewitch, huh?" The hybrid parrotted, raising an inquisitive brow. "Is that really what everyone's calling me now? No wonder you thought you had to look for wolves in order to see me," he scoffed, taking another bite of his apple. "To answer your question, yes; I am the witch you've been seeking. But I'm no werewolf. Or werewitch, for that matter. You can just call me Tighnari."

Cyno could only stare- two parts in confusion and two parts in awe. When he heard of the witch, he had envisioned an old lady of sorts. The man in front of him was the polar opposite of his imagination, with fair skin and gorgeous eyes. His fox ears looked much more fluffier in his human form, and he had to restrain himself from reaching his hand forward and touching them.

"Well?" The witch's voice snapped Cyno back to reality. "Are you just going to stand there like an idiot or are you going to come in?" He stepped to the side, gesturing with his hand for Cyno to enter his house.

"Good idea," he nodded, stepping into the little cottage. He turned his head this way and that, observing all the little trinkets and decorations that were neatly organized around the area. It was nice- a little small, but very cozy and warm inside. "Did you know?" he asked, turning around to look at Tighnari.

"I know a lot of things, dear," he mused, tail swishing as he closed the door behind him. "I'm afraid you're gonna have to be more specific."

"Did you know that I was looking for you?" Cyno appended his statement.

The witch scoffed. "Of course I knew. I hear everything," Tighnari pointed up to his twitching ears, a smug look on his face. "In fact, I can even hear your thoughts." He inched forward, watching the way Cyno tensed up. "And your heartbeat. You're a little nervous, no?" he cooed, bringing his tail forward and brushing the underside of Cyno's cheek. "There's no need to be so shy. If I had bad intentions then believe me, I would've acted upon them long ago." He crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his gaze. "I assume you would've done the same. So then, pray tell, what brings you out here looking for me?" Tighnari took a step back, his serious expression ebbing away into a more casual one.

Cyno blinked, and suddenly, he finally broke out of his stupor from how surreal the experience was. In an instant, he dropped to his knee, bowing his head to the witch before him. "Please heal my sister." He pleaded, clutching his fist. "I'll do anything- I beg of you."

"Woah there, no need to be so formal," Cyno lifted his head up, red eyes meeting Tighnari's own. "Let's talk about this like normal people," he suggested, waltzing over to the kitchen table and taking a seat, tossing the apple core into the trash bin nearby and beckoning with his tail for Cyno to join him.

"I apologize," Cyno mumbled meekly, standing up and promptly joining Tighnari at the table. He sat rigidly, interlocking his fingers and resting his elbows on the table. "My sister, Collei, has Elezear. She was doing fine for a while, but it's progressed at an alarming rate over the past few days."

Tighnari furrowed his brow, leaning forward and matching Cyno's stance- albeit without all the tenseness. "So, why'd you come to me?"

"She's had a-" he paused for a second, averting his gaze as his head lowered ever so slightly. "-A bad experience with doctors, to say the least." He cleared his throat, lifting his head back up and making eye contact with the witch. "I've heard a lot of bad things about you. But I've also heard about all of the wonders you can do. I know it's a lot to request, considering I've just met you, but please consider it."

Tighnari leaned back in his chair, nodding along and closing his eyes in consideration. "Earlier, you said you'd do anything, right?" He asked, peeking one eye open and watching as Cyno slowly nodded. "Do you really mean it?"

"Yes." Cyno nodded again, this time without hesitation.

"Anything?" Tighnari drew the word out, his eyes moving up and down as he observed Cyno.

He felt as if the witch was staring into his soul- a little unnerving, but he nodded nonetheless. "Anything." He repeated with utmost certainty. He was more than willing to lay his life down if it came down to it- anything so long as Collei could freely move as she wished without having to worry about her ailment.

Tighnari sat upright, laying his palms flat against the table as he leaned forward. Once he was close enough, his lips brushing against Cyno's earlobes, he whispered his demands into his ear. "Take me out."

"What?"

The witch sat back in his chair, a slight smirk on his face. "Y'know, like, on a date." He elaborated.

"That's..." For the second time that day, Cyno found himself at a loss for words. "That's all?"

"That's all."

"Really?"

"What, did you actually think I was going to make you sacrifice an arm and a leg for your sister?" Tighnari scoffed, running a hand through his hair. "Do you really believe those stories? The ones probably come from the same people who made me out to be a wolf?" He took Cyno's silence as a yes, groaning in disappointment. "Okay, fine, maybe I'm a little petty- but I only scare off people who come with ill intentions."

Cyno furrowed his brow in confusion. "But what about-"

"-All the people who went missing when they came looking for me?" Tighnari finished his sentence. "Oh, they're dead."

Cyno's eyes widened in alarm.

"Oh my archons, don't look at me like I killed them!" Tighnari waved his hand dismissively. "Those idiots came into the forest with no supplies, thinking they could just waltz in and be back out the same day. They'd then get lost and simply starve to their deaths. Every single one of them died of their own stupidity- that's all there is to it."

The alarmed look on Cyno's face was no longer there- instead replaced by a more weary look. "Can I really trust you on that?"

"Well, I'd sure hope you could." The witch gave a playful flick of his tail. "Considering you're trusting me to heal your sister and all." Noticing the way his visitor looked more worried than he did before, Tighnari reached his hand forward, gently resting it atop Cyno's hands. "Look," The witch suddenlt paused. "My archons, where are my manners? I never even asked for your name."

"Cyno."

"Listen, Cyno; I meant it when I said I only give trouble to those who come looking for it. It's not my fault that everyone I've encountered happens to be up to no good."

"Really?" Cyno could feel Tighnari's paw pads against his skin. They were surprisingly cool in a soothing way.

"Yeah," Tighnari's ears lowered for a brief second, only to perk back up immediately. "Until you came along." He smiled softly. "You didn't try to hunt me as soon as you saw me, and you didn't ask me for something dumb." He rubbed his thumb across Cyno's knuckles. "I can tell you really care about your sister. I admire that."

The comfort that Tighnari's touch brought him helped him ease up a little. "Is that why you want to go on a date with me?" he asked.

"I mean, I guess?" the witch shrugged. "It gets a little lonely living out here all by myself," he admitted, pulling his hand away from Cyno's in order to fiddle with his ear. "And besides, you seem nice; I'd like to get to know you better. Oh, and you're pretty hot, too."

Cyno swallowed harshly, nearly choking on his own spit. "I beg your pardon?" He asked, bringing his hand up to his face in order to cover up the faint blush on his face.

"Oh, c'mon, I know you heard me." Tighnari huffed in indignation, setting his elbows on the table and narrowing his eyes. "I also know that you feel the same."

Tighnari had once again put Cyno under a spell of speechlessness, leaving him fumbling for a proper response.

"You may not be very expressive, but your body is very telling, you know?" The witch's lips curled into a wry smile- he was most definitely having fun with this. "I could see it in the way you looked at me when you first saw me. I know exactly what's on your mind." His smile grew wider, revealing his sharp canines, and Cyno could only watch as he pointed up to his ears. "You want to touch my ears, don't you?"

"Maybe," Cyno mumbled pathetically, unable to look Tighnari in the eye.

"So, how about this," Tighnari snapped his fingers, catching Cyno's attention and prompting him to look up. "Although I can't guarantee to fully cure her elezear, I think I have an idea as to how to halt its progression. In turn, you'll take me out on a date somewhere in the city. Oh, and you can also touch my ears. Do we have a deal?" He asked, extending his hand to the center of the table.

Cyno's breath hitched in his throat. Lisa explicitly told him not to make any deals with the witch. Yet, he thought back to Collei, and how happy she'd be once she was better, able to run around and play outside like everyone else her age, and he knew what he had to do.

"Guess you could say, it's a date." Cyno huffed, meeting Tighnari in the middle and shaking his hand.

"Did you just... make a joke?" Tighnari gave him an inquisitive, almost judgemental look, pulling his hand away.

Cyno bit his lip. "...Did you like it?"

"No."

Author's Note

Happy Halloween! This is officially the first AU in this series, woohoo! There will be many more to come! I apologize for a bit of a later upload, I had an incredibly busy weekend. Literally had to finish this at work LOL. It's a very long chapter to compensate for its lateness so I hope you enjoy!

Word Count: ~4.3k