Chapter Text
“Are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Of course it is, someone has to research it after all. What, are you chickening out on me, General Mahamatra?” Teased Tighnari.
The white haired man rolled his eyes and hoisted up his backpack.
Mud from the damp ground squelched between his toes with each step, making him miss the hot, dry sand of the desert. The Mawtiyima Forest always had a unique, earthy smell; a combination of the decaying plant matter and plethora of fragrant flowers and fungi.
The young Amurta graduate in front of him seemed utterly at ease in this environment, a welcome change from seeing the man struggle in the desert climate during the interdarshan championship. His tail swished languidly behind him, and his large ears twitched at even the faintest bird chirps. He stopped to examine the base of a nearby tree, bringing his face closer to analyse the scent.
“Damn we’ve just missed it, there was definitely one growing on this tree. I wonder what ate it…” pondered the forest watcher.
The pair had been trudging through the dense forest for at least an hour, in search of a rare breed of mushroom.
“What’s so special about this mushroom anyway? Do you need to be fun to find it?”
The younger turned around to face Cyno, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“Well it’s just that only a fun-guy can find it. Get it? Cos it’s a fungi, it’s sounds like fun guy.”
Tighnari let out an exasperated sigh and turned back around, swiveling his ears away from the elder.
“Don’t you get it? Fun-guy, fungi… it’s very funny you know.”
“Yes I get it Cyno, it’s just not funny. How about you direct your focus onto searching instead of lame jokes. Remember the mushroom grows on the base of trees, and is brown with a red rim underneath. In terms of why it’s special, it’s said to have been used in ancient Valuka Shuna rituals, however its purpose is unclear. That’s why I want to study it, and compare its effects on human and Valuka Shuna biology. It seems likely to be a form of hallucinogenic, so if you’re not comfortable with that please let me know. You don’t have to go through with this,” lectured Tighnari.
He has been planning this experiment for some time, and it was finally the season to harvest the fungi. The symptoms Tighnari and Cyno experience would serve as the dependant variable, the independent being a dose of the mushroom and the time elapsed and amount taken would serve as controlled variables. Alhaitham kindly volunteered to supervise the experiment and record the results, as well as monitor their health.
“If they’ve never been studied, how do you know they’re not poisonous? I’m happy to get high on mushrooms with you Nari but not if I get poisoned to death,” huffed Cyno.
Tighnari’s expression softened at this and he reached out a gloved hand to the general’s shoulder; a playful yet comforting gesture.
“Cyno, if it was poisonous I’d never even suggest we eat it. What do you take me for, some bright-eyed, newbie adventurer? Evidence suggests consumption is not fatal as the Valuka Shuna continued to live on despite its ceremonial usage. And anyways, in the case of rapid onset negative reaction to the mushroom, I will have some emetic medicine on-hand to flush it out of our systems.”
“I’m glad to hear you’ve planned it all out so thoroughly, but we don’t have much longer to try and find it. At this rate the sun will set before we’ll be able to make it back to Sumeru City, and I’m getting bitten to death by mosquitos,” grumbled Cyno.
“Well maybe you should’ve listened to me when I suggested you wear more clothing! What did you expect walking into a humid forest with your whole chest exposed?” Bickered the younger. He began to search through his backpack, ears twitching in annoyance. He retrieved a case lined with small vials of various liquids and powders, all meticulously labeled.
It may be strange, but Cyno always found the forest watcher’s handwriting rather endearing. A combination of short-hand that’s illegible to the untrained eye, and seemingly random interchanged use of print and cursive. It was vastly different to his own writing, which often looked like a chicken dipped its feet in ink and ran across the page in terror.
“Here, put this on the bites, it should soothe the itching. I have an insect repellent I made as well, but you only need a small amount as it can irritate the skin,” explained the botanist as he passed Cyno the mixtures.
“Thanks Nari.”
The pair spent the rest of the expedition in comfortable silence, surveying the bases of trees until they finally managed to find what they were looking for. It was an unassuming mushroom, and wouldn't have stood out at all if it wasn’t for the deep red pigment on the underside of its head.
The forest watcher carefully collected the specimen and placed it in a sealed container for the trip back to the city.
——————————
“You two are back later than expected, I was almost starting to get worried,” drawled Alhaitham monotonously. The two men had arrived at the scribe’s residence just as the sun made its retreat below the horizon and the air adopted a sheer chill.
“Thanks for making time for this Alhaitham, I really appreciate it. I believe this’ll turn out to be very valuable research,” greeted Tighnari.
“Honestly I should be thanking you for the opportunity to expand my horizons, this is my first time on a joint project under Amurta.”
“I wouldn’t be so formal about this if I were you, this isn’t an officially funded research project for the Akademiya you know? Just a grand scheme of Tighnari’s,” warned the general Mahamatra.
The scribe placed down his empty mug next to the sink with a raised eyebrow.
“All the more reason to help out,” he smirked.
Tighnari then set to work, delicately slicing and measuring out two 5g doses of the mushroom. It felt strange doing this kind of preparation in Alhaitham’s kitchen, but due to the scribe’s limited availability, performing the experiment in Sumeru instead of Gandharva Ville was necessary. Cyno wasn’t much better off in terms of free time, however he was never hesitant to jump through hoops if it meant helping out Tighnari.
“I’m glad we had to fast for this.”
The general’s comment snapped the forest watcher out of his concentration.
“Oh? And why would that be? I expected you to be complaining all day about your empty stomach,” teased Tighnari.
“Because otherwise we wouldn’t have mush-room left. Do you get it? It sounds just like much room-”
“Oh cut it out already!” Begged the forest watcher as Cyno turned to Alhaitham, demanding an explanation for his lack of laughter.
At last, it was time for the experiment to take place. Alhaitham made a record of all the pair’s vital signs, with assistance on how to use the equipment from Tighnari.
“Ok, just to reiterate before we begin; this experiment will span over the course of 2 hours. I will record your vitals every 10 minutes, and you are to report any symptoms or sensations you experience to me immediately. Per Tighnari’s request, the experiment will only cease in the presence of pain that poses severe health risk, or dangerous fluctuations in your heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, breathing or temperature. In which case I will administer the emetic drug and call in a medical team and the experiment will be discontinued,” announced the scribe.
The trio were seated in Alhaitham’s living room, Tighnari and Cyno sitting together on the couch, with the scribe across from them, in front of the coffee table.
“Ok then, let’s begin,” answered Tighnari. The pair picked up their portions of mushroom and awaited Alhaitham’s signal. A curt nod from the scribe and they placed the mushroom into their mouths and the timer commenced.
It was a rather bland taste, with a slight zingy undertone reminiscent of celery. In terms of texture, it was unpleasantly chewy and a tad rubbery.
Alhaitham monitored them closely for signs of an immediate reaction, fortunately neither of them showed any negative signs. Infact, 20 minutes went by and neither of them had a single symptom to report, nor any significant changes in vitals. It was only around the 30 minute mark that Tighnari spoke up.
“I’m starting to feel a bit light-headed actually, but like, not dizzy? It’s like my whole body is light, I feel like I’m gonna float away off the couch.”
Alhaitham also took note of the way his tail made small, restless movements side to side, often indicative of anxiety. The forest watcher’s brown and green eyes appeared glazed over and unfocused; the drug was definitely taking effect.
“What about you General, anything to report?”
The white haired man was leaning back on the couch, with his arms on either side of the head rest.
“Don’t call me that, we’re off the clock,” he grumbled. “Nothin’ to report anyways.”
Despite his claim, Alhaitham didn’t fail to see a matching distant look in the Mahamatra’s exposed eye. His speech was uncharacteristically slurred, reminiscent of when he’s a few drinks in at Lambad’s Tavern.
It was the first time during the experiment that there was a slight change in the pair’s heart rate and temperature. The levels weren’t at all alarming, but the scribe couldn’t help but feel uneasy, especially at Cyno’s lack of self awareness.
The way Tighnari grabbed onto his arm as he was strapping on the blood pressure cuff caught him off guard, and he tried to snatch his arm back. Upon looking at the young man’s face however, he was met with instant regret. There were tears pooled in his wide eyes, and he was pinching his bottom lip between his teeth.
“Sorry I just- I- I just don’t wanna float away, I’m s-scared,” stammered Tighnari.
Alhaitham flicked his gaze over to Cyno, who took the forest watcher into his arms.
“Shhh you’re alright Nari, I got you. You’re not floating anywhere, I’m right here,” whispered Cyno against the dark blue hair. The moment Alhaitham finished taking his blood pressure, he turned around and hid his face in Cyno’s shoulder.
“Everything’s too bright,” he complained. His fluffy ears were pressed almost flat against his head, and his tail swung low.
“Cyno, are you also experiencing weightlessness and sensitivity to light?” Asked the scribe. He was now compiling a range of symptoms from the younger, but had very little for Cyno.
“Hmm not really, if anything my mouth’s a little dry and I’m feeling sweaty,”
“Noted.”
The group remained in tense silence for what felt like an eternity, however the next 10 minute timer had yet to go off. Cyno shifted uncomfortably from time to time, and Tighnari continued to hide his face against the elder. The Mahamatra lifted off his headpiece and placed it gently on the coffee table in front of him, and cleared his throat.
“Actually um… we’re meant to mention any sensations correct? Regardless of whether they may be from the mushroom or not?” Queried Cyno, his gaze glued to the table.
“Yes, all of it is valuable data,” clarified Alhaitham.
“Well uh- I’m…” he stopped to clear his throat once again, and met Alhaitham with a serious look in his eye.
“I have an erection.”
“…”
“…”
“…”
If there was anything Alhaitham excelled at, it was bypassing social norms. Was the awkwardness so tangible you could cut it with a knife? Yes, of course. However, he had a duty to record the results of this experiment, and he wasn’t about to neglect that responsibility due to some immature tension.
“How would you describe the… severity of your symptom?”
The scribe swore he could see the man in front of him swallow his pride in one big gulp.
“Severe.”
The silence threatened to consume them both, it took all of his self control not to glance down at Cyno’s lap to judge for himself. He needed a more detailed answer to determine whether or not it was a result of the drug.
He tapped at the paper with the back of his pen, and locked eyes with Cyno expectantly.
“Really? Do I have to- ah fine, but if you mention this to anyone you’re dead,” warned the general Mahamatra.
“It’s way worse than normal. I know it might seem natural as I literally have my partner right on me, but I assure you it never happens like this. It’s pretty painful and I don’t think it could even get any harder, and it literally hasn’t been stimulated at all.” The man was relieved at Alhaitham’s professionalism to say the least.
“I see, thank you for your honesty,” replied the scribe as he quickly made notes.
The 40 minute timer went off shortly after, and he had heard concerningly little from Tighnari.
Cyno’s blood pressure, temperature, breathing and heart rate remained largely the same, with a slight increase in temperature. Tighnari however, was now panting into the other’s shoulder and slightly shaking. The forest watcher was burning up, and Cyno glanced between him and Alhaitham with a worried look on his face.
“Tighnari what’s going on, what are you feeling?” Attempted Alhaitham.
“Hey Nari, we’re worried about you, can you talk to me please,” requested Cyno softly. The young man finally complied, and whispered something into Cyno’s ear, before Alhaitham heard soft sniffles.
He was crying.
This is not what Alhaitham signed up for. He was prepared for severe adverse reactions, maybe some supervision while they were hallucinating, but certainly not consoling a crying Tighnari while he was high off his face. What made it worse was Cyno wasn’t passing on to him what the forest watcher told him, in fact he was completely silent and taking laboured breaths.
“Please Cyno,” he heard him sob.
“Shhh hey- hey wait it’s okay. N-not here Nari, you’ll be okay.”
“I-I can’t, just- please,” he whined.
Now he was seriously concerned. Was he in serious pain? What couldn’t he do? Couldn’t move? Did the drug cause paralysis? Alhaitham’s mind was running at 1000 kilometers per hour and he waited on Cyno’s explanation with bated breath.
“Care to tell me what’s going on?” He drawled in an attempt to tone down the tension with his usual snarkiness.
Cyno’s eyebrows pinched together and his lips closed in a thin line. Whatever it was he looked very conflicted, not to mention the redness crawling up his cheeks.
“He um- look… he doesn’t want me to tell you, but I know sober Tighnari would never forgive me if I listen to him right now. He’d probably throw my TCG deck in a river. Right now, he is in a similar situation to me… painfully aroused. But his does seem a lot worse than mine, I mean you can see I’m not crying for starters. To be honest, with him in this state, my… problem is getting a lot worse. I think- I really think we should call the experiment quits, before something embarrassing happens,” stammered Cyno.
This was a lot to process. His two closest friends staving off a very intimate moment in front of him. The concept of abandoning the experiment and getting out of this situation was oh-so-tempting, but there was one problem.
He too didn’t want to face the wrath of Tighnari.
This situation met none of the pre established requirements to end the experiment; the pain wasn’t severely detrimental to his health, none of his vital signs had dangerously fluctuated, and the symptoms did not come on rapidly or with a negative reaction.
“Look Cyno, I agree with your call, however if you value your TCG deck, it’ll have to continue. This unfortunately doesn’t serve as a cause to stop. If it’s any consolation, this whole situation will never leave this room. It’s not particularly like any egos are on the line either, you are drugged after all, it’s not like you can help it.”
A disappointed sigh escaped his lips as he bowed his head in defeat. He had enough faith in his own self control, but poor Tighnari seemed very out of it.
Alhaitham felt like a bucket of ice water had been dunked on his head when Tighnari hoisted himself into Cyno’s lap and began rutting against his thigh.
“W-wait not here Nari, just- ah shit don’t,” stuttered the elder.
The scribe desperately wished he didn’t notice the way Tighnari’s knee was grinding against Cyno’s bulge with each movement of his hips, and the way Cyno’s eyes squeezed shut in pleasure with gritted teeth.
Thankfully this didn’t go on for long as Cyno mustered enough willpower to stall Tighnari’s movements with his hands on the younger’s hips.
“You’re burning up, we have to get this jumper off of you,” breathed Cyno.
“Ah yes please, take everything off me~”
“Please don’t do that. Just his jumper and shirt should be sufficient to cool him down,” ordered Alhaitham. It was almost at the 50 minute mark, and the scribe was passionately dreading trying to measure their blood pressure and breathing.
“Hey Cyno, do you think you could take Tighnari’s blood pre-” he was cut off by a muffled moan as the botanist continued his ministrations now shirtless and with more vigor. His and Cyno’s lips were connected in a messy kiss and the general was making no effort to stop it, clearly too far gone. He pushed Tighnari down onto the couch and layed on top of him, creating more friction between them.
This was wrong.
So very, very wrong.
He was alone, watching two of his best friends grind on each other in his living room. He could feel the blood rushing to his cock, intensifying with each groan and whimper from the pair. It felt so dirty, so shameful, he had to do something, and fast.
Using his dendro vision, he constructed a temporary wall between the pair and pushed Cyno off of Tighnari. He positioned himself between the two and shoved Cyno to the far end of the couch.
“Don’t you dare touch Tighnari,” he all but growled in his lustful daze.
“Hey, hey Cyno it’s me calm down,” this wasn’t enough to stop the man, as he thrashed about in Alhaitham’s grasp.
“General Mahamatra Cyno!” Yelled the scribe, voice dripping in authority. He was the ex-acting Grand Sage after all.
He froze, eyes blinking a few times in recognition and his mind regained some clarity.
“Holy shit Alhaitham I’m so sorry” began the white haired man, a look of pure terror painted on his face.
“It’s okay, it’s not your fault. I just need you two to calm down a bit before things get out of hand, let me get you some cold water.” He was relieved to retreat to the kitchen to fetch the water, albeit fast to prevent things escalating between the pair again.
Luckily, the two men were still separated upon his return. Cyno was attempting to regain his breath, and Tighnari was on the other end, curled in on himself muttering incomprehensibly.
The forest watcher refused the drink and shrank away from Alhaitham, so Cyno gladly gulped down both glasses.
“I know how difficult this situation is for both of you so I won’t make you stay separated. However, my one request is that you please don’t touch each other, or yourselves, downstairs. Do you understand what I mean?” Proposed Alhaitham to the desperate duo.
“Yes, t-that should be doable. If things go too far again just- I don’t know- slap me or something.”
“Understood,” replied the scribe. He was now able to take results from both parties, and all figures were still within safe parameters.
The moment Alhaitham distanced himself from the couch, Cyno made his way back over to Tighnari and scooped him back into his arms. He made the decision to sit cross legged, with a pillow on his lap. This way, Tighnari could sit with his legs curling around Cyno’s back, preventing much stimulation in their groins. He found that skin to skin contact seemed to soothe them both, so he pulled their bare chests flush against each other, and ran his hands up and down Tighnari’s back.
“Ahhh yes~ touch me more, please Cyno.”
“Shhh I’ve got you baby, I’ll take care of you don’t worry,” reassured the general.
Alhaitham was mortified at the inadequacy of his noise canceling earpieces when blocking out the pair’s sounds. The device couldn’t pinpoint a frequency of sound to cancel out, as Tighnari’s high pitched whines contrasted Cyno low pitched moans.
He was at least spared from the heavy panting, well until he had to analyse their breathing. An indignant cry peeled his attention from the equipment he was preparing.
Tighnari had his head thrown back onto Cyno’s shoulder in bliss with his mouth agape as hands were tangled in his dark blue hair. Upon closer inspection, Cyno’s hands were scratching up and down the base of the forest watcher’s sensitive ears, the latter shaking from the stimulation.
“Mmm- ngnh yes, yes, yes- oh don’t stop~” moaned Tighnari wantonly. The noises only increased in frequency when Cyno reached his other hand down to squeeze around the fluffy tail, giving it slow, languid pumps.
“Oh- oh- ah- hAh fuck Cyno I- hngh… oh my ah- shit baby I think I’m- nnghAH~” he whimpered as he shamelessly shot his load into his pants, entire body convulsing from the action.
“Mmmm yes so good for me baby, always so good for me,” murmured Cyno as he planted kisses along the younger’s pale back.
Alhaitham felt sick.
He did not just watch that happen…
Except he did. He did watch it happen and the wave of arousal it sent sparking down to his cock was simply horrifying.
Worst part was now he had to go take their vitals as if he didn’t just watch his friend cum himself, untouched, on his couch. As if he didn’t involuntarily get off on it, as if this was all still professional and strictly scientific. Times like this he wishes he truly was an emotionless, desireless robot like people think he is. He had an unusual grasp on his emotions, however was still utterly powerless to the actions of his hormones.
He gathered his courage and brought the equipment first over to Cyno, as Tighnari was still recovering from his orgasm.
Just as he was about to place the blood pressure cuff, the front door swung open, welcoming a certain blond roommate.
“Haitham I’m home- woah what the FUCK is going on here?”