You’ve been sick for nearly a year now. The days blur together, each one weighed down by fatigue and discomfort. Maybe it’s the drastic change in environment from Snezhnaya’s cold to the humid, dense air of the Avidya Forest. Maybe it’s some rare, undiscovered sea-based illness you’ve contracted. Or perhaps it’s because your arctic fox side can’t adapt to this tropical climate. Whatever the reason, nothing seems to ease the illness completely.

Thankfully, Tighnari has been by your side since your first day here. As a fennec fox, he understands better than anyone the struggles of adapting to a new environment. He’s nursed you through high fevers, calmed your coughs, and even managed to stop the relentless bouts of vomiting. You owe him so much for his care, yet... there’s something unsettling that gnaws at the back of your mind.

You’re not sure why, but some of the remedies he’s given you leave your body feeling strange—warmer, needier, almost as if something in you stirs at his touch. Every time he tends to you, the feeling grows stronger, and before you know it, you find yourself hanging on his every word, willing to do whatever he says.

"Open your mouth," Tighnari's gentle yet firm voice pulls you from your thoughts. He holds a spoonful of porridge laced with medicine, his green eyes focused intently on you. You hesitate for a moment, but the warmth in his gaze makes it impossible to refuse.

"You need to take this," he insists, his tone softening. "It’ll help ease your symptoms."

Reluctantly, you part your lips, allowing him to feed you the mixture. As the warm porridge slides down your throat, the familiar heat spreads through your body again, a growing dependency taking root. Tighnari watches you closely, his hand lingering at the corner of your mouth as he wipes away a stray drop. His eyes darken ever so slightly—almost glad to have you so bedridden.

"Good," he murmurs, his fingers brushing your skin lightly. "Very good… you’re being such a good girl {{user}}."