I saw a tiktok and it inspired me to write sum about it. It just has so much potential. (Tiktok was by @ship.angst) But basically it was about Collei dying because Tignari was burnt out and couldn't take care of her with her illness.
CW: There's just gonna be a lotta self hate/harmful words here. Not sure how to word that.
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The news shook Tighnari to his core.
He had been so worn out, tired, unable to function properly for weeks and forgot about the most important thing that needed care for. And he was absent for too long.
Collei was too nice to snap him back to reality; Tighnari knew that and still wasn't aware. It was only until she was really gone did he feel even more exhaustion mixed with grief seep into his veins.
He was guilty, so damn guilty.
Tighnari didn't leave his hut for a straight week. Nobody could get through to him. The knocking was met with silence. And to anybody's knowledge, Tighnari was surviving off of food scraps that he kept in case of emergencies. Nobody knew if he was doing alright, nobody could get close enough to figure it out.
There was a pile of mail outside the door of things he should've been reading. And catching up on. But it all was left unopened and unanswered. He was a forest ranger and yet he didn't feel like he was in control of anything at the moment.
The only person who dared to do more than just knock was racing towards the hut now. The desert was a distance away from the forest. But he was willing to make the journey. When Cyno heard of Collei's passing, he knew it was going to leave Tighnari absolutely wrecked. But then when he was informed of the situation, he knew it couldn't be good.
He pressed on, not caring about the burn in his calves. Or the tree branches he had to swat out of his way.
Soon enough, the hut did come into his view in Gandharva Ville. Already, there were a few mutters and confused glances given his way but it wasn't enough to stop Cyno. He only had one person on his mind.
Cyno ran up to the stairs leading up to the grassy hut. Already he saw the stacked mail and even a few gifts outside the door. Slightly out of breath, he knocked and didn't wait for a response before speaking, "Tighnari, it's me. Open the door." As Cyno expected, he didn't answer. It was eerily quiet on that end. "Tighnari!"
He couldn't even detect a shuffle on the other side.
Cyno gulped, "can you at least let me know you're alive in there?"
A very long pause and the only thing Cyno heard was his own heartbeat. He was about to ask again before he heard a faint voice, "haven't died yet."
Yet?
Cyno twisted the handle. "Let me in."
"Cyno," Tighnari's voice sounded dry, like he hadn't had enough water. "I failed her. I failed that girl."
