#00j || that's what they said. [asked & answered]

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

"You still owe me that drink, you know. I'm not counting our shared coffee and deserts with the traveler."

"You know, after going on such a long quest through the sands for me, I'm surprised you even want anything to do with 'deserts'." The joke was inevitable; Tighnari had served it to him on a silver platter, and it was the perfect weather for a good one, too.

But with that said, Cyno looks up to beam a rarely soft smile at the other. "It's a rare gift to see Master Tighnari make stupid and reckless choices... I feel guilty for putting you in a position where you felt you had no other choice. So yes, I fully intend to make it up to you. What would you like?"

[ghostofnibelheim]

💋for Sefirah from Khum'a... he might be a lil bit drunk.

Kiss My Muse! || Always Accepting~

@enemiesofinnocence

There was one aspect that was difficult to tolerate about the Miqo'te.

Turns out, the feline-like race is just as susceptible to the intoxication of alcohol as most of the other spoken races of Hydaelyn. That is not the concerning part. The concerning part is that they remain as quick and unpredictable as they can be when sober.

More clumsy and accident-prone, obviously. But still too fast to be stopped in time.

And when Khum'a's lips smack straight on his nose, Sefirah is immediately punched by the strong odor of ale in his breath. It's strong enough to make him slightly lightheaded for a second. And it burns. The samurai quickly retracts, blinking his stupor away as he gives his companion a scowl.

"That was my nose, Khum'a. It is not a place where mouths belong. Much less one so heavy with spirits."

[nanakithewarrior]

😥 - Trip and fall right on top of my muse

Embarrassing Starters || Always Accepting~

It wasn't like Cloud was particularly heavy for his standards. Nanaki was strong for an animal his own size, that much he'd been able to demonstrate back in Midgar when he'd carried the mercenary to safety all on his own. Sword and everything. His back could handle it.

What got him though was the surprise. One moment they were calmly proceeding along their journey, passing through an unremarkable patch of trees between the mountains... and the next, he had a mass of blond human dropping face-first on top of him. Nanaki's paws did not react on time, and his claws failed to find purchase, causing his four legs to slip and spread wise until his face and stomach were communing with the Planet in a much uncomfortable way. He could feel dirt clinging to the tips of his canines when his nose curled up.

Snorting, disgruntled, the Watcher pushed his head up to glare a yellow eye over the shoulder. "Snorting, disgruntled, the Watcher pushed his head up to glare a yellow eye over the shoulder.

"You know," He grumbled. "With half the feet to worry about where you put them, you'd think a human would have half the trouble keeping his balance."

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

For Syaoran Li! Sakura had been sprinting through the hallway, her breath short because of the rush. To no one’s surprise, she was going to be late for class as she had been up late the night before going after one of the Clow cards. When she arrived, the teacher hadn’t arrived yet, and she let out a sigh of relief and showed a bright smile, proud of herself for making it before Professor Terada.

As she entered the room, greeting her friends, she spotted Syaoran Li seated in his usual spot behind her desk. As he gazed up from his book to see her, she smiled at him and waved.

@herd-of-muses

The immediate instant their eyes met, Syaoran's were quick to dart away, pointing stubbornly at a completely unremarkable spot on the window panes, his hand curled into a fist against his jawline to support him into his best act of a completely uninterested and bored student sitting at his own desk waiting for nothing else but class to start. Definitely not a guy who'd up to that moment been wrecking his own nerves wondering what was taking Kinomoto so long to show up; whether she'd be okay after the previous night and if she needed help getting out of bed.

Totally not his case, at all.

And he made it clear by scoffing the second she pulled her own chair to sit before him.

"... Told you to stay home and rest if you needed it." He muttered under his breath. Just above a whisper, enough for her to hear. "What you did last night was risky; if you keep overdoing it, you'll wake up feeling worse and worse every morning. And then you'll put yourself in danger because you're too tired to think straight. Didn't Kerberos teach you anything?"

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

"A lot has happened this year," Tighnari hummed, the corners of his lips twitching with a faint smile, as he presented the other with his favorite dish of hashweh, as he himself settled in across the table with his own helping of his favorite mushrooms instead.

His words were carried with the knowledge that the 'lot' that had transpired.. had been a complete understatement.

It was a year to this day when Cyno's proposal flew from his mouth, all in response to a playing card commissioned for him. A year had passed since the two had been slowly delegating responsibilities and altering their livelihoods, working in tandem to make everything work. New furniture adorned the once-solidary home Tighnari stayed in, with even more plans in the future to grow and prepare additions to make more space between the two of them..

That was only on the surface level of things that had transpired, and only between the two of them. Their circles had grown, new companions and adventures that had thrown a figurative wrench in one thing or another, duties unknown to them rearing from seemingly nowhere, coupled with shadows of their past nipping at their heels.

All throughout the revelations and trials that found them, they remained constant and as stubbornly perdurable as before.

Dual-toned eyes found Cyno's face while his mind wandered and reached backwards into his memory, a warm fondness overtaking his chest and squeezing tight. The man before him, no matter how frustrating he could be at the worst of times, had most certainly grown on him. That quiet boy with a piercing gaze had grown in many ways, persisting through greater struggles than he himself had ever been aware.. and yet there he sat, likely poised and prepared with some irritating pun laying in wait on his tongue like a snake.

He could almost feel his eyes rolling prematurely.

"Cyno," Tighnari addressed the other from across the small, shared table, "You remember last year, I bought you that card that.. didn't really serve much purpose as far as the game was concerned," as it wasn't technically a real card to be used, yet the value it carried was immeasurable.

"I don't have anything quite like that this year, however.." A hand moved only to grab something from within a nearby drawer, placing his casket of tomes out into view, "What I do have, is a deck that Collei and I have been working on together, entirely behind your back.. If you can beat me this time, we have both agreed to spend a day with you each, to do everything you want, as you would like. Do you accept the terms of this challenge?"

"Have I ever backed down from a challenge before? Of course you knew when you asked." Cyno smiled proudly to himself, holding his hand next to the plate, waiting for the perfect meal to reach the perfect temperature to be savored. Not long now.

And it was only fitting that this perfect moment is shared with the also perfect company. Looking back at Tighnari, his eyes were brimming with excitement already. A stark contrast to his composed features.

"I'd like to make these terms more specific however." He said. "After I beat you both, I want my first day to be spent with Collei, and my second with you. That should give both of us time to prepare properly."

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

“Are you scared of being hurt?” (Regulus)

Note: Muse was not specified, so I am replying to this with Cyno as the default option. If this isn't the interaction you were looking for, go right ahead and send a new ask with the muse you're interested in!

Way to break the ice. Cyno looked alert before the stranger, but not intimidated. He'd had his fair share of strange encounters in the past; however exotic-looking this guy may seem, what was one more?

"I'm used to pain, it would be unprofessional of me to be afraid of something like that. Particularly on the job." He said, tossing a look down the path he'd been following before the voice had forced him to an abrupt stop. Again, he watched the man in white.

"Is that meant to be some kind of threat? If so, you would have benefitted more from the element of surprise."

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

magical anon fairy is here; cyno is not allowed to wear his hat for 1 day

"Hold on a second...!" But it's too late, the fairy has spoken. With a cartoonish 'poof!' effect, the General Mahamatra feels his head much lighter. His hair fluffs up a little, goosebumps blooming at the back of the neck.

He feels so naked without it. How are people even going to recognize him now?

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

Why are you Hot.

"Hah... I've got a good one for this."

He'd come up with this joke all the way back when he was still a simple matra, but he'd never been able to say it. No one would call him 'hot'. Now comes the chance of the century.

"Because I'll be cold when I'm dead."

And nobody clapped...

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

for once, their tasks are outside. kami is flying around from shop to shop, trying to gather things up for nahida's big celebration. he knows cyno is close behind, though kami isn't exactly paying attention. his focus is on filling out the list that had been given to him. cyno could be anywhere from right behind him to being all the way on the other end of town, for all he knows. the puppet is moving from place to place in a rapid hurry, feet barely touching the ground. is he flying, or just walking super fast? maybe some mix of both.

when he next turns, it's to smack right into cyno. how had cyno snuck up that close on him? it's not the standard bumping into someone scenario either; somehow, kami had managed to turn around in such a manner that their lips are actually meeting. all thoughts stop, all movement stops. he stands still, only vaguely aware that all the items in his arms are falling to the ground, no conscious thought given to holding them anymore. the only thing he can think about is the fact that he and cyno are actually kissing.

closing his eyes briefly, kami lets himself lean into the kiss for a moment. it's not bad, actually. there's something oddly delectable about the way cyno tastes― various spices mixed with the smell of old paper― that has kami wanting even more. unfortunately, a raised voice from somewhere in the distance reminds kami that there's still work to be done. feeling his face heat up (why does it always do that with cyno?), he pulls away, touching a finger to his lips.

"i. uh." licking his lips, kami bends down to pick up the dropped items. "we need to get back to the. to her. the place. you know." oh, this is awkward. he's never at a loss for words, he's never anything. kami prides himself on being cool, calm and collected at every given moment. "um. you want to help? or i can help you. er."

maybe they should kiss again. that would jump start his brain back into action.

he just doesn't know how to ask for it.

Too quick.

There weren't many people in Sumeru who Cyno could describe this way. In fact, most of the time it'd be the other way around. It was the General Mahamatra who would be considered too fast by most. A quick chaser, a quick catcher, and most importantly a quick punisher.

But the Wanderer was just as fast, and maybe this was why Cyno had been tasked with assisting him - sometimes more like watching him - and helping him adjust to life at the Akademiya. Who else could manage to keep up?

Kaminari had come into his life like a storm, and flipped Cyno's reality upside down just as fast. Sometimes, the matra now worried that the other would just as unexpectedly disappear forever.

Maybe this was the reason why he just couldn't stand keeping his eyes off of Kami for too long. Not always, but some days that feeling was there, like a bad omen. An anxious knot tied up at the pit of his stomach, much like that one time he thought he'd misplaced one of his cards, ending up spending the whole day turning his place inside out looking for it at the edge of despair. In the end, he'd realized it had simply got stuck against another card, causing the miscount during his shuffle.

Cyno would admonish himself that the memory should serve as a lesson, and his anxiety may very well have no reason to be. But in doing so, he overlooked the other implicit meaning there...

That he'd started to care about Kaminari, much more than his job required. He cherished him, even, and he'd never find out how deeply for as long as he refused to reflect further on the matter.

Maybe someone from above was trying to teach him a lesson that day; maybe the Gods had gotten fed up with waiting, and wanted him to face the truth... in a sense that was almost too literal. But the fact of the matter was that Kaminari was still being too quick, and so was Cyno.

One step too close was all it had taken, and his attempt to get a hold of the Wanderer with one hand on the shoulder had turned into a much more intimate contact between them. The General closed his eyes too, bracing himself for a more violent impact when Kaminari had suddenly turned towards him. But that pain never came.

Instead, there was warmth. Unexpectedly human warmth, even, that lingered on Kami's lips and his own. A soft touch, and the tickle of Cyno's own breath exhaling from the nose and against the other's face.

He did not even hear the voice that broke off the strange spell keeping them still against one another. In Cyno's ears, his own heartbeat drummed with the arrogance of a charging warhorse.

Even when Kaminari stepped back and started to pick up his dropped things, the desert-dweller remained concerningly quiet at first. His eyes blinked slowly, almost stupefied, following the Wanderer's movements only on the surface, but not really focused on them.

He knew he should say something. But nothing he could think of felt appropriate. Instead, he ended up wordlessly coming down on one knee to help Kami pick up his items.

"..." As he did so, inside he could hear his mind's inner debate.

'Sorry'? That did not cut it. It implied what had happened was wrong. And that in itself felt... wrong. Funnily enough.

'That was my first kiss.' Wouldn't that come across as accusatory, or blaming? Cyno had read about the importance of a first kiss... in the light novels from Inazuma, anyway. Collei always scoffed when she ran into those scenes. She complained that they were overrated, and that she didn't get the appeal. Cyno had never paid them any particular mind, but now...

When had he stopped helping and just continued to sit there, on his knee, staring straight at Kaminari? From an outside perspective, it almost looked like the General Mahamatra was like a curled-up predator preparing to pounce on its prey. The jackal headdress was to blame for that impression.

But the intense, unblinking glare that burned in his irises? That was all of his own.

And finally, he broke his silence.

"Is that the best you can do?"

Later that day, he'd probably go to sleep wondering just where the hell that had come from.

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

"Hello I am here to remind you You are Still Short :)" *Innocently smile hehe~*

"That's a good reminder." The General Mahamatra is unbothered. Scary-looking, overwhelming, dreadful, sumpter beast of the Akademiya. He's been called all kinds of names. One more strike will not break him. Besides...

"It's so easy to forget, when criminals are groveling at your feet begging for your mercy every day."

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

“I love the way your face lights up when someone says, “It might be dangerous.”“ (from albedo)

Softer Love Starters || Always Accepting~

"Does it really? Hah... you might be the only one with the eye to notice something like that on my face. Most people seem to think I've got only one expression."

Cyno seldom looked into mirrors; and even when he did, he never had chance to see that bright smile at the corner of his eyes, vibrant with excitement in a way that made their natural dark amber hue more vivid. It was a look that came out only in the face of the purest promise of adventure and adrenaline. The eyes of a hunter on prey.

"I suppose with greater danger come better opportunities to show you what I'm made of." He confessed, arms both at the hips as he looked over the distant scenery: their destination was getting closer. "Maybe I am just a little too addicted to impressing you. I can admit to that."

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

Do you have any plans for valentine's day roleplay-wise Mun? Like, any specially sweet/dumb roleplay threads or something?

//Tough question. Probably not this year. I'm still digging myself out of my hiatus hole. Fighting writer's block is a daily struggle right now so I cannot really be in the position to make promises for anything.

There are a lot of threads I love and in particular I'd like to make my mutuals feel appreciated, but I'm not sure how to do it without overwhelming myself with a deadline. So, I think what I will do for Valentine's Day is simply to try even harder to dish out some replies.

Pretty underwhelming, I know, but it is the state of things right now.

Saru-mun\\

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

When Cyno would next return to his office, he'll be greeted with the sight of the wanderer sprawled out on top of his desk. papers and files scattered everywhere, because really, Kami doesn't care about any of that, NOR does he care about the mess he's made. Said wanderer is sound asleep on the desk, with one leg curled up, and his hat resting ever so neatly over his face.

When he'd stepped into his office after a long time away from the city, Cyno had immediately felt the rush of adrenaline of a soldier stepping into the battlefield. No, maybe calling it a crime scene was more fitting.

Hours of careful sorting and organizing had been thrown to the literal winds, it seemed. And at the center of this hurricane's remnants, to no one's surprise in hindsight, was the Wanderer. Had Cyno not known them any better, he could have even been worried about Kaminari's conditions. Sitting over there, unmoving on his desk - lacking even the natural rise and drop of a breathing back, something his eyes noticed but his mind was quick to reject - and with his face hidden, he looked more like a corpse than a worker napping on the job.

There were, indeed, quite a few ways Cyno fantasized to disrupt that sight. Many of these involved giving Kaminari the spook of his life, making him regret his actions sorely. But they all wiped away from his mind the moment he reached the side of his own ornate chair and finally caught a glimpse of the Wanderer's sleepy face.

So innocent and serene. Was this really Kaminari, or just a clever look-alike? It was almost uncanny to see eyelids closed to conceal those vibrant and mischievous blues. The lips that were normally pulled into a smug display of mockery or curled into a bored pout were relaxed and softly closed together. An angelic painting of a dreaming beauty, and nothing less.

"... How typical of you." He spoke softly to himself, leaning over to rest with his crossed forearms on the surface of that same desk, gazing down on the Wanderer, like someone watching a sleeping cat.

'It's like you knew I'd feel this way from the start. You're the only one who always seems to get his way with me, even without meaning to.'

What a dangerous talent Kaminari had.

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

"Who dares trespass upon one's dominion?" Voice called from above, revealing the small form of the Adeptus standing atop the rocky entrance to their domain. Purple eyes observed the 'trespasser' with caution, long ears perking forward in attention as long wispy tail curled around their form.

Although they could not sense any ill intent or malice, the adeptus remained ever on their guard; danger could come about from anywhere.

"You are speaking with one known as Forest Keeper, mighty illuminated adeptus of Liyue. Not many venture out this far from the harbor, lest they seek only to cause trouble, or think themselves safe from watchful eyes. One is amendable, should you act proper, and explain yourself without blunder.."

His head had whipped up to look the moment the creature had made its presence known. Weapon held low in his right hand, the Sumeran trespasser remained silent and alert throughout the Adeptus' admonishment. A sign of respect and caution.

"So you are the guardian of this place. That makes it easier for me as well." The young man spoke in turn, raising his voice to be heard over the distance that separated them. His free hand reached to point on his own chest as he took care to introduce himself. "I am Cyno, General Mahamatra of Sumeru. I came here in search of someone; someone I was told was seen entering this domain not long ago. Perhaps you can tell me more about this person. Once I have my answers, I will be out of your hair."

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

Half of a grilled henna berry, prepared and wrapped in newspapers for easier handling is gently pushed into Cyno's hands. Candace offers a smile when she arranges her clothing and takes a seat next to him. "Seems like someone's brooding more than usual. Berry for your thoughts?"

Note: Related to the threads with @starscrxssed (Tighnari) and @mmriesoftvat (Collei)

From where he sat at the top of a cliff, one knee raised up to his chest while his other leg dangled freely over the edge, Cyno had kept his silence ever since his entrance in Aaru Village. This spot was nice. It gave him an open view of the area below, perfect to keep an eye on Collei as the children of the village tugged her by the hand in this and that direction to play and show her things around... and it was high enough for most of the noise to be muffled. Ideal to be alone with his thoughts.

No wonder that the Guardian of Aaru Village would see right through him and the nature of his impromptu visit so easily. When she sat next to him with an offering, he praised her joke with the timid shadow of a smile. But even that was quick to dissipate.

"I'm sorry for causing you worry. But thank you. I think I've lost track of my own meal schedule." If only that. His night back in the city had been sleepless. And not just because his bed had been occupied by the young girl he'd come with.

Her question was a difficult one to answer. Not out of reluctance, either. Cyno's mind was a storm and he was lost in it; where even to begin to navigate his own thoughts?

For now, he took time. Looking down at the berry gently cradled in paper between his fingers, he only said a few words before taking a tired bite of the fruit.

"Collei has much to learn about the desert still. I think it'd be nice if she made it a habit of visiting more often here. If that is not a problem, I mean."

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

he's finally found his kasa, all the way in liyue. so now he's back in sumeru after hours and hours, and he's just t-posing at cyno while hovering ominously in the air.

Things are back to normal. A true relief. Cyno too can breathe at ease, feeling like himself again.

So happy to be complete, he almost doesn't mind the treatment. He stares from behind his desk, sitting in his chair, with a serene face. His gaze goes up to the Wanderer hovering up above.

"Is that the same underwear you had yesterday, or do you just have multiple of that color?"