ESPECIALLY if they don’t have a lot of lore already
like me w BF. he doesn’t have a lot of lore. so I gave it to him. and I love both my headcanon version of him and the canon version of him :3 same guy different fonts ykwim
pro/com/darkshippers or whatever u use DNI not 4 u…
edit: doubles of my mains DNI!! my mains are in my pinned
#SYN-: when he realized maybe he’s not supposed to be alone
#W.C.-: 0.6k
#T.W.-: headcanons
Tighnari had identified as aroace from the moment he turned ten.
It was simple- He’d grown up in a neighborhood where humans were half of his classes. Plus, the Akademiya’s students were also mostly made of plain old people.
The second he’d discovered the term, that was when he agreed to get his ear pierced. And that was when he started identifying as aroace.
He still remembered the feeling of the needle pushing through the sensitive cartilage, the weird pressure that was the clip being put in place. He could feel the little olive branch charm he’d chosen dangling against his temple.
Olive branch. A symbol of purity, and a symbol of peace.
Tighnari believed he would be pure for the rest of his life. He thought he’d be alone, with nothing but the peace of the forest.
And he believed that. For seven more years.
Until one particular day.
“It’s not that they grow due to the Electro currents,” Tighnari sighed, looking at the trainee to his right, “it’s that they grow in that area because the Electro currents can protect them. It’s simply coincidental that they can conduct the electricity.” He adjusted the box in his arms while the trainee fixed something in her notes.
The one to his left frowned. “But, doesn’t that mean that those lotuses you like also grow to be protected by the currents? Since they grow in the water,” he pointed out. Tighnari sighed.
How unfortunate he was to be a prodigy.
“No, the Nilotpala Lotuses do not grow in that area for protection. They grow in humid areas with adequate, more-than-average shading, as well as—”
Someone shrieked as they ran into him.
“Sorry-! I’m sorry, oh- I didn’t mean to- Are you okay?” She panicked, reaching out a hand to help him gather his things. Even though she was the one on the ground.
Tighnari hadn’t even registered that he’d dropped the box.
To him? Time was moving slower.
Soft, slightly messy hair. The color hit him first.
He was used to associating the color with decay— a light, cold brown. But here, it was bright, alive, hiding a face he, for whatever reason, so longed to see.
When she did look up, to make sure she didn’t bump him again, he felt something in his chest tighten.
Emerald eyes. Another striking color he wasn’t entirely used to. He’d held fireflies that weren’t as bright. And they—
No, no. Something was wrong. Not with her. With him.
This feeling was… Off.
Why were his hands sweaty, his eyes so wide? Why could he feel his skin crawl?
Why did it feel like he couldn’t breathe?
He watched as she carefully, anxiously, picked up his fallen things.
A scratch on her knuckle. From what, only Archons knew- Especially in Sumeru. Black leggings, dust smudged on her thigh. Tanned arms covered in freckles.
“I- I should be apologizing, not you,” he muttered so lowly that even he could barely hear himself.
He crouched down to help her, opening up files so she could tuck the papers away. Plant types, their reliance on other elements, whether they were edible…
“That’s the last one.” She smiled awkwardly, gently tapping Tighnari’s shoulder. He was still staring. He blinked, looking back down at the box, struggling to think of something, anything to say.
And usually, he was the wordy one.
“I- Thank you,” Tighnari spoke blankly as he picked the box up from the ground. She followed him up a few minutes after, barely bowing her head in acknowledgement. She smiled, awkwardly, “I’ll, uh… See you around.”
Tighnari watched her turn and walk away, down the street, finally letting go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding. One of the trainees elbowed him in the side, making him drop the box again.
“Looks to me like someone has a crush…” “I DO NOT—!”
#SYN-: yet another interaction that hurts his brain
#W.C.-: 0.3k
#T.W.-: headcanons, familial selfships
#A.N.-: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIGHNARI I LOVE YOUUUU MWAAAHHHHHH
For Tighnari’s nineteenth birthday, his best friends dragged him to some new restaurant in town.
“Why this one, again?” Tighnari sighed, looking at the menu. He really needed to find new safe foods.
Cyno hummed softly as he started his usual routine of flipping through snd licking the first thing he saw. “Because. My cousin works here.” He deadpanned, “And I think we’re in her section.”
The silence was filled by Kaveh’s growled whispers and Alhaitham’s short responses, designed specifically to piss his boyfriendroommate off.
“Hey! Welcome in; what can I get for you guys today?”
Tighnari had already found Kaveh and Alhaitham’s go-to foods, so he went to order for them. But the words died on his tongue as he looked at the waitress.
It was her. Again!
She hadn’t changed at all — the same slightly frizzy hair, the same bright eyes. Freckles dusted her cheeks, stark against the soft red that never seemed to go away.
He tried swallowing the lump in his throat. He tried. But he inhaled his own damn saliva, instead.
One of his own hands slammed over his mouth, muffling the abrupt coughs as his eyes watered. Great…
She reached out, carefully rubbing her thumb against his shoulder. “You okay?” She smiled, concern and sympathy gracing her features.
Archons, dammit.
“I’m- I’m fine, just- Sorry, can you maybe not touch me-?” He hissed, more aggressive than he intended. She nodded and backed away a few steps, obeying his wish. Cyno glared at him before ordering for the table.
“Got it! I’ll have that out for you in about twenty minutes, boys. Bye, Cyno!” “Bye, Sprout.”
Tighnari looked at him, eyes wide. “How do you- How do you know her?” Cyno’s glare got sharper. ”That’s my cousin. You’re lucky we’re in public, currently, or else the attitude you gave a few moments ago wouldn’t have been excused so lightly.”
Tighnari’s ears pinned back to his skull. “…got it.”
thinking abt the amount of angst I put Till in in the canon au…heh.
tw for a very minor mention of abuse, plus something that sounds like suicidal ideation but that wasn’t my original intention
As you may know, I selfship with Till. how the story goes is that my self insert, Sprout, is immediately paired up with a boy, Duke. Duke serves as her “boyfriend” according to her guardian (Judihag), who puts them together for marketing. Duke is also in ANAKT Garden but ultimately Sprout is the one competing. ok? ok. now, Duke is an asshole. and he’s abusive. I don’t know how exactly yet but all I know is that he is abusive. Till is the one who comforts her after these. eventually, Till starts forming a crush on her despite liking Mizi. slowly, his crush on Mizi fades into a crush on Sprout. fast forward to the show, Round 5 happens and Mizi disappears. Till doesn’t have time to cry about that because Urak and Judihag got into an argument over which pet could sing more emotionally, and now he and Sprout are forced to sing together in an unofficial Round 5.5. Sprout quits mid-song and throws her wedding ring (even though she and Duke weren’t using married labels, Judihag gave them wedding rings anyway) because she HATES Duke and is sick of being tied to him, and Judihag demands Sprout to be killed on the spot for the disrespect. Till doesn’t have time to cry about THAT either because Round 6 happens and he has to sing with Ivan. so in the span of two weeks (assuming in-canon there’s a new episode/round of Alien Stage every week), Till loses his girl friend (Mizi), his girlfriend (Sprout), and his “boyfriend” (Ivan).
Till, canonically, likes art. every year he draws her ghost a new sketch of flowers. one year, he draws: edelweiss (his favourite; means “true love”), primrose (means “i can’t live without you”), specificslly purple hyacinths (“I’m sorry, please forgive me”), and lily of the valley (her favourite; means “you made my life complete”)
they’re all on one page, like a bouquet. it’s his letter to her ghost since he’s bad at words: “Hey. I love you (edelweiss), y’know. I wish you were here. Talking to people is harder without you around to push me to speak. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. I’m sorry you threw your ring to save me. I’m sorry you’re the one who’s gone and I’m the one that’s still standing when it should be the other way around (purple hyacinth x3). You really used to help me. You made everything feel… complete (lily of the valley). I’m sorry you’re gone. I don’t think I know how to keep going without you (primrose). It feels weird to try to, at least. You always had something to say back, something to respond with, something to offer if I needed advice. Now it’s silent. Too silent. I miss you. I love you.”
