Roleplay Abiogenesis2 - Tumblr Posts

📂~

diluc can sing, he just chooses not to — not in front of people at least

"Did you come here trying to hide from me? I think you know what this is about." Cyno is standing there, arms crossed, and the air of a thorn determined to stick at Kaminari's side no matter how hard he tries to get rid of it.

If thorns had eyes, arms and legs, and exotic-looking headwear, anyway.

"Show me the baby stout."

he's so deep in a book, trying to find something useful. a book about gandharva ville's forest rangers doesn't provide any useful information, but kami's still reading every word, in case something does pop up.

because of this, he doesn't notice cyno approaching. nor does he register the general right away. it's only after cyno finishes speaking that kami slowly glances up, staring through him for a few seconds, before registering that he's still in the akademiya's library.

"YAAAA!" kami screeches, jumping backwards. the book drops from his hands, a dull thud echoing off the walls nearest them. "don't scare me like that!" kami snaps, instinctively reaching for his vision.

"who told you i have a stoat on me?" even as he asks that, he knows the answer. of course it was nahida. she seems to get a kick out of always pushing cyno and kami to work together. even more irritating, because she somehow knows how soft kami actually is for cyno.

still, he slowly reaches up to grip the brim of his kasa. "no touching," he warns the general. lifting the hat reveals the tiny animal, curled up and asleep atop his head. "he's safe from bastet up here. pulling the hat back down, he glares at cyno, as if cyno is the one responsible for kami having the stoat in the first place.

"do you know how to care for wild animals?"

"I'm sorry, when you sneak up on and startle someone, they cannot exactly control where your precious property lands," Kaminari replies indignantly. He's already reaching down to pick the book back up when Cyno beats him to it. For the best, because bowing his head to look down is just making the helpless stoat start sliding. So, he straightens back up, putting his kasa back on. More, to keep the animal in place and back to feeling safe.

"I put him under my hat to keep Bastet from jumping at him!" He's crossing his arms now, glaring at Cyno. Though, Kami knows Cyno has a legitimate point. He can't keep arguing the same points when Kami himself was JUST looking for some other solution that didn't involve keeping the stoat under his hat. "She, for some reason, thinks the stoat is a toy. I'm trying to protect it. Unless you want to explain to my cat why she cannot."

It's a hypothetical extra -- something Kami is aware that Cyno will probably take literally. This man still tries to engage her in genius invocation. He digresses though.

"I don't think I want to sit through Collei trying to give me a lecture using an impression of her master. I don't think I'd be able to keep a straight face, even if she means well." He stops to think about this entire conversation.

"...Maybe you're right. Let's go to Gandharva Ville and see what Tighnari knows. I don't think I'm going to find much information here in a library anyway, and I still don't know what stoats eat."

@oficeandwind || Continued~

"That is no way to treat the property of the Akademiya. Be more careful, unless you're looking forward to incurring the Scribe's wrath."

Few things on Teyvat could ever bring Alhaitham to look up from his books, and one Cyno was certain about was the mistreatment of another book. The only reason he'd rather warn Kaminari was being fully aware that the Scribe wouldn't let the General Mahamatra hear the end of it, either.

With a nasal huff, he bent down to pick up the dropped tome, glancing up from his knelt position to spy the little critter so cozily nested in the most inappropriate of places.

Another pet snuck within the premises where it was forbidden. As always, Kaminari was on a streak of breaking the rules of the Akademiya. Cyno was no stranger when it came to the privileges that some specific individuals could be blessed with inside this place -- being one among said individuals himself -- and this would normally put him in a position from which he could not judge.

... But he was the General Mahamatra, so judgment was exactly his job! And as such, he knew that privileges came with responsibilities. This further liberty granted to Kaminari should come at a price.

"I know someone who does, so I do have some shared knowledge." He began, glancing over at the cover of the book to assess the subject before raising one hand to point rather dramatically at the Wanderer. "And what he'd tell you is that the underside of a hat is no place to keep one, even if it seems to like it."

He paused to let those words sink in, and then added, perfectly stoic.

"If you want, I can try saying that in his own voice, but Collei does a better job than me when it comes to Tighnari impressions."

@roleplay-abiogenesis2 | FROM

Chongyun's head is swimming, foggy from the heat from the jungle, and even more so with the added heat from the now deceased pyro slime. They feel gross, each step feeling abnormally slow as they follow Cyno.

They're about to mentally slip somewhere. Whether it's giving into the yang energy pulsing dangerously in the back of their mind, or falling into a dead faint right then and there, it's hard to tell which direction Chongyun is going to take, and the only thing keeping himself grounded is the sound of Cyno's voice just ahead, offering verbal directions for Chongyun to mindlessly follow.

"I'm..." Chongyun begins. The energy needed to speak is more than they have at their disposal, and they feel even more weighed down, even as they pick up globs of slime from their belt and flick it away. "...here," they finish, almost in a whisper. He still hopes it's loud enough for Cyno to pick up on.

They're close to the water; Chongyun can already feel the cold waves lapping against his skin. Just a little further, they tell themself.

"I'm keeping up," He says, a little louder. His head hangs low as he focuses his remaining energy on each footstep. "We're almost there, right?"

it's ALWAYS a relief to see cyno. even if the general is coming out of seemingly nowhere, and causing chongyun to jump with the tiniest startled scream, like right now. chongyun thinks back to their first encounter of meeting properly, and it's hard to imagine or even comprehend the visceral dislike they once had for the general. cyno's become someone so dear to chongyun, NOT having him around almost feels empty.

"i suspect fowl play," chongyun counters, fingers brushing along the hilt of their claymore to calm themself down. who cares what their actual mission is? it's going to be a fun adventure all the same. or about as fun as one would have, when your travel partner is a general with odd humor. "i wouldn't put it past you to bawk at the potential danger. at least i'll be there to protect you."

@oficeandwind || Continued~

"The weather is clear, without a cloud in the sky. The stars always seem to shine brighter when the moon is dark."

Cyno greets the exorcist with these words, emerging from the shade of an alleyway just at the edges of the more brightly lit central street in the center of Liyue Harbor. Hopefully Chongyun would forgive him if he appeared like a ghost. The General had found the idea only fitting.

He rested one hand on the hip, smiling faintly at the other. "Since work has brought me around this part of the world at the right time, I thought it'd be only fair to come and find you to make good on our promise. Unless you're planning to... chicken out?"

"you―" kami growls when cyno walks off. kaminari knows he's meant to follow, but he's doing so with aggravation. he's huffing and muttering to himself under his breath. while NORMALLY, kami would find cyno's puns hilarious (or as hilarious as they can be without actually making him laugh), he's not in the mood for it now. kami's mind is still distracted on trying to learn about stoats and how to actually care for them.

"you're officially banned from telling jokes," kami retorts. he has zero actual authority to carry out such a punishment, and even nahida would overrule him; she'd probably even go the extra mile and order cyno to annoy kami in every manner the general finds fitting. "i have... i can get tighnari on my side. banned."

"Maybe they enjoy a healthy breakfast, like fruit jam on a slice of stoat-sted bread."

Immediate. Spontaneous. Absolutely lethal. Was that a cold chill breezing through the room just now?

"I'm talking about toasted bread, of course. But stoat and toast sound quite similar. You served me that joke on a silver platter." Cyno took a moment to huff a chuckle under his breath, before walking off, ready to get a move on. He was on a mission, after all.

@roleplay-abiogenesis2 / cyno

They're on the edge of the desert, and Chongyun is already out of the car and staring off into the endless sea of sand. This is definitely going to be one of those camp-out kind of nights, not that Chongyun is complaining. It's going to be a fun adventure regardless, and he's taking a few pictures to remember this moment.

They're pausing for now; Chongyun still fully intends on taking the car out further into the desert. He'd considered hiking inward, but it'd be easier to drive in and find somewhere to park. Though, Chongyun will also give the choice to Cyno, in case he has better ideas.

Then, they turn back to the car to let Anpu, the Shiba Inu, and Chang'e, the husky, out of the vehicle to let the dogs run around. "Hey, Cyno?" Chongyun asks. "You're ready for exploring, yeah?" They turn to their boyfriend with a large grin. "No cameras, no filming, just the two of us and our dogs."

They bend down to pet Chang'e. "Also, did you want to hike out and camp overnight, or drive further out and just camp out in the back of the car?"

"I'll be okay," he reassures Cyno. When Chang'e butts her head up against Chongyun, he's bending over to scratch her behind the ears. "I froze a few waterbottles before we left, they're in the cooler in the back." In the desert, it probably wouldn't take long for the water to melt, but the coolness would still keep Chongyun's temperature regulated.

He's more excited to get out there and find ghosts. Right now, Chongyun's energy is high ― the spiritual energy radiating from the desert is giving him energy he never thought he'd feel in so long.

"We're in for a huge treat," Chongyun continues. "There's a lot of something out there, just waiting for us to go explore." They walk around to the boot of the car and open it, revealing all the camping equipment that Chongyun packed. "I say let's hike out first, get a feel for the area, and then come back to get camp setup somewhere. What do you think?"

Chongyun is also slipping their phone into their pocket. No filming, they'd reassured Cyno, but Chongyun is still going to take pictures and film for themself to keep record of. With the desert brimming with activity as is, such an opportunity should not be passed up.

He'd nearly lept out of the car before it even stopped when they had arrived out into the desert proper. Few people in Teyvat City enjoyed this harsh environment like Cyno did. He'd stood out in the sun and taken a good, pleasant, long lungful of the air. Like he was smelling flowers only he could see.

It felt like coming home, in a strange way. Who was it who'd said he had to have been a scarab in his previous life? Maybe it was Collei.

And just as he was delighted to be there, he now felt that joy doubled with the presence of his loved one. At last, he had someone to share his favorite things with, although not without some worries and maybe a little nagging for reassurance.

"I'll never say no to camping, you know what I'm like." He said, briefly holding Anpu by the paws when the Shiba jumped up to lean against him for a close-up smile. His master returned the grin, and rubbed Anpu behind the ears before nudging him off to move closer to Chongyun. "But are you sure you're feeling up to it? It's not quite evening yet. I don't want you to get sick before we're even there."

He tapped his chin in thought, then proposed.

"I could carry everything, so you won't have to overexert yourself."

@roleplay-abiogenesis2 | for cyno, because chongyun x cyno feels <3

"― if you could just let me, UGH!" chongyun can be heard complaining just outside the akademiya. it's already a warm day, and he's not above dumping the last of his water over his head to cool off. if only the guards would actually let him INSIDE the building! that cooler air would definitely help. "i'm here to see cyno!"

"the general mahamatra?" one of the guards asks. they look at each other with matching frowns, before the vocal one turns back to chongyun. "i'm sorry, but no one sees the general mahamatra. he's a very busy and important man."

"i know!" chongyun tries to peer around the guard to get a peek inside. "we're friends, please!" he even goes as far as to wave his hand when he THINKS he's spotted cyno just inside. "cyno! please help, they won't let me in!"

"hold on!" the guard moves his staff to block chongyun's path. "we can't just let anyone inside to harass the general! we're going to need proof of friendship!"

chongyun groans, dragging a hand down his face. "i promise, we're friends. we've met before! he'll even vouch for me!"

@roleplay-abiogenesis2 | FROM

at the accusation of HIDING in cyno's office, kaminari is bolting upright, gripping his kasa in one hand. instinctively, he's landing atop one of the shelves and glaring down at cyno, as if being too close to the general is offensive. really, kami is just embarrassed over being so completely called out over his actions.

"you speak of such boring things," kami mutters, putting his hat back on his head. "i was not searching for you in drawers, nor did i miss you." it's not true. he speaks lies, and even more uncomfortably, kami is distinctly aware that cyno might be aware of that, too.

"for your information, i was looking for research on inazuma." he doesn't NEED research. "i needed to write another paper to correct another idiot in the akademiya, and i thought your office might have notes on the subject."

all things considered, kami is glad for the lie. it's easy to say he's going to write papers on inazuma, as he's done many times in the past, but to come up with that on the fly? the truth is, kami is just embarrassed to be caught SLEEPING in cyno's office, when he probably shouldn't have been there in the first place.

there's a snort from chongyun at the initial joke, but they remain silent until cyno gets stern, which THEN allows for the guards to step aside and finally grant access.

chongyun is in no mood to be so polite to the guards, so upon crossing the threshold, chongyun turns and crosses their eyes at the two guards, even going as far as to stick their tongue out. just because chongyun is a prestigious exorcist doesn't mean they're above being petty while already suffering from the heat of sumeru.

"thank you, general." while chongyun's actions are less than polite, his tone is still courteous. he turns his whole being toward cyno to focus on him, now that the coolness of inside is helping chongyun's head to clear some. "i apologize for my impromptu visit." after that, chongyun pauses to pull up his canteen, taking a small gulp from it. just because the building is cooler inside, and the temperature is helping, doesn't mean that chongyun doesn't still feel dizzy.

"i have a commission, this time far closer to gandharva ville." he's letting himself relax more now, less formal. "so you don't have to worry about me doing something stupid. i was wondering if you wanted to tag along for that. you were the first person i thought of for company, and i wasn't sure who else could help me navigate the rainforest." chongyun isn't entirely sure he wants anyone else. cyno makes for really fun company, after all.

"i'll pay you half my commission funds, and let you tell all the jokes you want, if you agree." a mischievous smirk is on their face, watching cyno's own expression closely.

"What seems to be the problem, here?"

So focused on stopping the Liyuan intruder at the entrance, neither of the guards had sensed him coming from behind, his attention successfully caught by the exorcist, who had indeed seen right and spotted him.

Both of them were caught by surprise and jumped slightly in startle, nervously half-turning to look back. It took a few awkward seconds for one of them to recover from the scare and speak up, a bit tense. "General Mahamatra! We were just sending this stranger on his way, but..."

"What's with that expression, then? You look like you have seen a guest." Cyno interrupted him, his face serious and sharp.

"Ah-?" The guard fell silent... and the densest of silence fell over the small group. If Chongyun listened close enough, they'd have probably caught the noise of gears spinning rapidly in both of the stationed men as they tried to desperately make sense of what the General Mahamatra had just said.

Their eyes bounced rapidly between him, and the Liyuan person, and each other.

Finally, it was Cyno to break the silence, with a sigh. His shoulders dropped slightly in disappointment. "... As opposed to 'a ghost'? Because you were scared. You look like you have seen a guest."

"... Ha. Ha ha."

The most jarring and dreary laugh came from one first, then the other joined in a very fatigued chuckle. While both still looked like they had just escaped a public execution.

"I get it, ha ha ha!"

"It's twice as funny because Chongyun here is a prestigious exorcist." Cyno explained, unperturbed.

And then his gaze narrowed with a dangerous glare.

"... And my guest. As I've said three times, now."

"A-apologies!" Immediately snapping out of their chuckling, both guards stood at attention and stepped widely to the side, making room for the two to greet. "You may go in!"

chongyun frowns at the laughter as he bends down to refill his waterskin. while he knows he SHOULDN'T take offense to it, as it's likely not personal, chongyun is doing exactly that: taking cyno's laughter as mockery. at least, until cyno explains himself. it's still not any better than the initial assumption. it's still enough for chongyun's slight good mood to fade.

"i'm not so sure what's funny about walking into traps." chongyun scowls at cyno, impatiently dragging his claymore across the ground. it's just a small quip that's muttered under his breath, a bit of snark he wants to get out of his system. chongyun wants to move, to get going. even though the pair will be walking further into the heat, deeper into the rainforest and finally, to the desert, chongyun doesn't like standing still for long. he wants to get to his destination, because at least the old temples in the desert will be inside for the most part. inside equals cooler.

"i don't have any better directions for you; i gave you all the information i have at my disposal." he wouldn't have minding spending a few days digging around sand until he found the one place he needed to be, but it'd be faster with cyno's help. chongyun just isn't entirely sure what more cyno wants to hear from him. it's the word 'vague', that has chongyun a little defensive. while chongyun trusts that cyno knows all of sumeru backwards and forwards, and can offer advice and help, chongyun doesn't trust him. chongyun also isn't stupid and naive to the point he believes cyno is offering his help out of the kindness of his heart ― there is mutual dislike here.

cyno seems like the type of person to operate entirely on facts and logic, while chongyun operates on faith and spirituality. the two personalities could be complementary in normal circumstances. but in this case, chongyun can't help but feel like cyno keeps trying to interrogate him for some information that is going above his head. something he maybe missed earlier in the conversation. or maybe chongyun is still too out of it to get a proper judgement of cyno's character. his words of waiting for a storm to pass sound a little more ominous than they should, but chongyun's pushing it out of his mind for now. he's tired of talking for the moment.

"and...save the jokes for now. i'd rather get a head start on this trip." he can appreciate the joke thrown his way. chongyun even smiles briefly. when they rest later, chongyun will CONSIDER letting cyno be as funny as he wants, as long as chongyun hasn't fallen sick first.

with a hand gripping his vision to keep cool, he starts walking now, not waiting for cyno. though chongyun suspects that the general won't be too far behind him, either. if anything, cyno will rush to stay ahead of chongyun in order to be a proper guide.

@oficeandwind

[Just because you're used to walking into traps, doesn't make the fact that you keep on doing it any less stupid. Normal people learn from their mistakes... Or I sure wish they did, anyway.]

Tighnari's words rang in his ears as though the Watcher was right next to him to speak them. At that, Cyno couldn't help but erupt into a chuckle that he cut short before the bowing Liyuan.

"... Sorry. I promise I wasn't laughing at you." He said with a wave of his hand. "What you said earlier made me think of something funny someone told me before."

He did not elaborate on the matter further, not wanting to risk offense. Instead he returned the gesture and moved on, taking a few steps away from the creek to give the other room to refill his waterskin before they took their leave. His arms crossed over his chest.

"Though I'm afraid your directions are still pretty vague. What ruins get half-buried in the Great Red Sand change with each blow of the wind. It is very possible we might have to wait for a storm to pass before we find any... and maybe even spend some days digging our way in. The spirits of the desert aren't known for their... ghost-pitality."

kami is still holding out a vortex, ready to launch in in cyno's direction. he can hear, and see a commotion happening toward the entrance of the library, but most people had long cleared out. perhaps the noises within was drawing a crowd. he's balancing on his toes, eyes darting back and forth between cyno and the entrance, not entirely sure what to do now.

neither of them can risk an all-out brawl here. there's too many important documents and books, as well as research, and kaminari knows cyno well enough to know cyno would be furious with himself should things get even more out of hand.

the ONLY way to resolve this, or even make an attempt to calm cyno, and hermanubis down, is to actually be honest. kami isn't relishing this idea, he never wanted it to get out beyond what people have already known. his very presence is still a threat to the people of sumeru. not even nahida could keep the wave of righteous anger and scorn at bay.

"― it was me." kami's lowering his hands, letting the vortex fade away into a light breeze. even that too, is fading into nothing. he doesn't want to elaborate, kami knows cyno would understand the meaning. but, he's still shaken and scared of the general before him. kami had never seen hatred in someone's eyes to that extent before. even at the height of his power, his DIVINITY, he'd only been looked at with pity and sympathy. no one had ever hated him.

"the samsara cycles, the sages, the doctor, the research, and your reasons for exiling yourself." kaminari sighs, staring down at his hands. the aches in his back flair up now, a painful reminder of his failure, and the complete loss of everything he'd once clung so tightly too. it still hurts, it hurts so much. "it was to make me a god."

it almost worked. kami can still feel the divine knowledge pulsing somewhere in the back of his mind, just out of reach and TEASING him about what he no longer knows. it's easy enough to ignore and push away, but what kami cannot get rid of, no matter how hard he tries, is the uncomfortable truth that he'd been experimented on and placed on a literal pedestal, for nothing. not for nothing. nahida had given him a new lease on life, and with it, had come this vision he's so attached to. his heart.

"i am requesting that you do not use that eye to pass judgement on me," kami finishes. "buer and i have made an arrangement; i work for her to repay my debts, and she grants me the freedom―" he pauses. working with cyno certainly is no enjoyable task, and kami isn't going to pretend it's been a breeze so far. a storm is more accurate.

"―most freedoms. i would hardly say working with you is enjoyable." even if being enrolled in the akademiya allows kami to study things he never would have known or learned of otherwise.

"There is only one person here who is not in control." Cyno stepped forward, resolute. "It is you."

He'd warned him earlier, hadn't he?

The General Mahamatra would be a laughable figure, if one could simply wriggle free from his questions without providing an answer. And if those willing to answer with falsehood were to be punished, why should the silent be spared?

His head was throbbing so painfully and quickly that it had become a continuous, strenuous pressure. So focused on resisting it, Cyno did not even manage to distinguish the warm sensation of the Electro energy climbing up his spine and to his top again.

"You do not get the right to remain silent. And you do not get to walk away, either."

Bright flashing eyes had opened once more, while the cracked mask expanded over the General's head; like a beast closing its jaws around the wearer.

The purple drapes of smoke-like energy wrapped tight around his arms, with golden runes shining fiercely over their surface. From the knuckles of tightly closed fists extended sharp claws that crackled with energy.

No going back now.

"Judgment is upon us."

for a SPLIT second, kami wilts. he can clearly see the moment cyno's consciousness retreats, and hermanubis takes complete control over the body. that split second is all kami really has to reflect on how his words might come across, because hermanubis is now launching toward him with every intention of destroying him.

this ISN'T the scenario kami had envisioned. he hadn't actually meant to upset cyno to this degree, to the point where kami's witnessing an all out possession take place. (where's an exorcist when you need one?) he had hoped for more conversation and understanding, but evidentally, hermanubis and his stupid lust for judgement is going to dictate the terms now.

alright.

kami shoots straight up into the air, HOPEFULLY just out of reach. he's not dumb enough to think that he can't be reached by the current puppeteer. while kami hasn't actually seen cyno's skills in action before, he isn't the general mahamatra for no reason. the man has to be scarily good on the field and in battle. right now? kaminari is TERRIFIED. he's not breathing anymore, no longer wheezing out a painful breath. but he's not trembling anymore either, now focused on tapping into his anemo.

the call of the untapped electro within is also calling to him, practically begging for kami to tap into it once more. it'd be so tempting, so POWERFUL, and he'd easily render cyno unconscious with it. even as irritating as the general is, kami is not about to resort to old tricks to win an unwinnable fight.

"cyno, wake up," kami snaps, throwing a single attack out in his direction. "you're not this stupid, snap out of it!" it's probably no use ― there is no cyno currently, and this spirit is actually going to hurt kami if this keeps up for long. talking isn't going to work, only action will.

readying another attack, kami flies closer, hovering just above hermanubis now. he's building up wind speeds around him, before kicking downward, sending a very strong, almost solid gust of wind straight for hermanubis. kami knows he's strong, he knows what he's ALMOST capable of (even if he's still learning about what he can actually do with anemo), and he knows he can still take hermanubis in a fight.

he just doesn't actually want to, for fear of hurting the host in turn. cyno really doesn't deserve any of this. he didn't deserve kami and nahida withholding the truth from him, and he certainly doesn't deserve hermanubis taking over his mind and body.

already, kami is readying another attack: his favorite method of weapon, a swirling, almost black hole-like vortext in his hand. he's not remaining in place though, kami is flying backwards, launching himself toward one of the bookshelves in hopes that hermanubis won't actually damage them. who is he kidding? a vengeful spirit, hellbent on ripping him apart?

the house of daena will be a complete and total loss.

Was this the actual truth? Did he hear that right? Kaminari's words were reaching his ears, and yet Cyno felt he could not hear them directly. There was something in between, a vibration that drilled straight through his skull, and each message came as an echo, overlapping to other things... voices? Or thoughts?

The corruption of the Akademiya, the Fatui, the many ordeals he'd been through and nearly lost all he had for...

For him? Kaminari?

A God... Created by an Archon, and by an Archon resurrected. Protected, even, through secrecy and lies.

"... You shall not tamper with life and death." He heard himself say, without even thinking those words specifically. Or maybe he had... or maybe the spirit of the priest had.

A construct made whole to live amongst humans.

"You shall not interfere with human evolution."

A being built to be God.

"You shall not divulge secrets..."

But why? Why would Nahida betray him so? Was this the reason behind the closeness with which she kept the Wanderer by her side? The way she'd told him nothing? Casting judgment of her own and giving sentence, without him at her side?

What does it mean to be a General Mahamatra, if the God he swore to serve works directly against the Law he was given to enforce?

Feeling his soul sinking into the darkest pit of despair, Cyno no longer heard; no longer spoke. For the first time in his life, he wanted nothing more than to run away... from himself, and who he was.

And in that small step back he took in his heart, the crack in his headdress grew wider, spreading like a spider web, cutting through one of the glowing eyes of the jackal... and it was like a beast had just broken free of its leash.

With its claws extended, the Pactsworn Pathclearer was fully unleashed, and charged straight at Kaminari. Swinging, punching, chasing him with no regards for their surroundings or witnesses.

Seeking only to destroy and purge the abomination that stood before him.

@windsfavored: "technically speaking, you can eat anything once." @roleplay-abiogenesis2: "… 'physiologically'. The word you're thinking about is 'physiologically'." - Cyno

"explain to me why people frown and poo poo us when we want to go lick the mineral. why does salt get a pass? who even licked it in the first place and said 'yes this is acceptable'? explain."

when the floor gives way, kami is horrified. he remains rooted in place, not sure at all what to do now. somehow, this is all going to come back on him, people are going to blame him for upsetting cyno, people are going to blame him for throwing out wind attacks. he needs to run, he needs to go hide, people are going to chase him out of sumeru, call for his head. there are so many ways that kami could end up, and none of them are GOOD―

"kaminari."

it's nahida's voice. her voice is just barely enough to snap him out of his spiraling thoughts, reminding him of where he still is. kami doesn't make any sort of movement, because now entrance to the library is opening, and people are poking their heads in. kami can hear the whispers and already-forming rumors, and even rising voices. all of which are wanting to know what happened. at the very least, kami is slowly lowering himself back to the floor, feeling ashamed, embarrassed, and terrified. his thoughts keep spiralling and imagining the worst of the scholars and students, and it's only lord kusanali that keeps him still. it helps to keep his gaze focused entirely on her.

she's walking forward, dendro already bursting from her like a gentle aura. it's not FIXING the broken rubble that swallowed cyno, but it's keeping people at bay. part of kaminari wonders if nahida is using her powers to keep people calm. part of that thought comes from the fact that the voices are quieting down; no one looks all that angry anymore, just curious. she's giving him a sympathetic expression (he loathes her for this), before turning to glance down at cyno.

"kaminari, if you please. can you pick him up and carry him to my sanctuary? we need to have a conversation." while nahida's voice is gentle, kami REALLY doesn't like the implications of that. the thought of getting close to cyno as well doesn't sit well with him either, making him feel physically nauseated and clammy. it's the same tension pooling in his gut that he'd felt so many times before.

if not for the dendro powers sweeping down to encompass cyno, kaminari would have disobeyed her for once, turning to flee sumeru instead and never return. instead, he's tentatively hopping down to the floor below, watching cyno carefully.

"are you alright?" kami's voice comes out a little more broken than he'd like. hoarse, wheezing almost, but he's reaching down to grab at cyno. "i'm―"

he can't say it. HE CAN'T BRING HIMSELF TO. but he probably needs no words right now. even with all the curious onlookers, he's still carefully trying to lift cyno, testing to see if he can walk. kami isn't entirely sure what nahida's dendro is doing with cyno right now, but he hopes it's calming the spirit inside.

The first gust of anemo energy is deflected, slapped away like an annoying insect before the Pathclearer's face. It shoots away like a bullet, crashing into a bookshelf and generating a spray of leather and scattered paper sheets.

The purple mask glares up with glowing eyes at the Wanderer; the spirit who has awakened is even older than Kaminari, and took offense to the strike. It will take much more than that to face the Priest's Judgment.

"Al-Ahmar has spoken, and His decree is absolute." Rumbles a thousand old echo that only vaguely seems to originate from where Cyno stands; a voice like the rolling of thunder at the center of a storm. "The arrogance of fools who play as Gods will meet punishment. Its product is bathed with sin, and will be cleansed."

There comes the second strike, stronger and direct from above. Clawed arms cross together to receive it, and elemental energy of opposing forces surges between both. The purple bindings that wrap around Cyno's hands glow, growing longer, tying even further around his body, all the way up to the shoulders. The spirit's form seems to threaten to swallow its host whole.

"Surrender to your fate!"

With a warcry, Hermanubis repels this strike too, but there comes the actual burst of energy Kaminari had prepared. It hits its target straight and squarely, crushing him and the ground on which he stands. Marble and stone crack and crumble, and the floor gives in beneath Cyno.

The floor underneath the House of Daena is part of the network of rooms and corridors assigned to the use of students living 'on campus'. It's a quiet and peaceful place, usually, but many of the late-night students had come out of their rooms to look up concern when the ceiling of the main intersection between dormitories started to shake and creak ominously.

There's an eruption of screams and shouting when that very ceiling finally shatters open like a gaping wound, and something violet and bright comes through and into the floor. Dust and debris block the view for a minute, until it finally settles in, to a tense and eerie silence filled with dread amongst all witnesses.

There, coated in marble dust and bloody bruises, lays the General Mahamatra. Immobile at first, but then Cyno flinches. His lungs spasm as the electro energy wipes off of his body and his Vision returns to its dull inactive state. He coughs at the pain coming from his ribs and back, and his eyes weakly open to blink slowly.

What had just happened...?

the words from cyno have kami blushing an even darker shade of red. he can FEEL the heat building up in his ears. it's not an unpleasant feeling that's settling over his stomach. it's still embarrassing to be caught sleeping in the first place, though. cyno doesn't seem like the type of person to dole out soft compliments like this, so even kami will take them as they're given.

"you..." kami puts a hand over his mouth, trying to will his voice to come out steady, not broken with embarrassment. there's WAY too much to consider here. for one, he's still tired, and could definitely use more rest. probably not on cyno's desk though. two. he DID make a mess of cyno's office. it hadn't been done on purpose ― his anemo vision still takes a lot of getting used to.

"i suppose i could still use a little more sleep," kami finally amends, carefully hopping back down to steady flooring. "but you don't get to sit and stare at me the whole time. i will not be sleeping on your desk, but i'll stay in the office."

with those words, he bends down and starts picking up some of the scattered paperwork. "...and i was lying about the research. i just like it in here." as if cyno didn't already know this and call him out on it.

"I wish you'd stayed asleep. The sight was a much more pleasant 'welcome back' present than being insulted with such a bad lie." Cyno sighed softly, too tired, too busy and maybe, deep inside, too glad to be in Kaminari's company again to be as irritated as that treatment normally warranted.

Nonetheless, the Wanderer deserved the most deadpan stare from the General Mahamatra when he turned to bring the collected documents to his desk - tap-tap - and rest them neatly by the corner.

"Unless you've also come up with a good story about why the office of a matra would keep records useful to research about the Far East."

The implicit question was rhetorical, and he did not wait for an answer before his next words came out, like the gruff half-hearted bark of a dog too old to fuss about the rambunctious kitten.

"Get off my furniture and help me clean up while you think about that."

cyno has a sofa in his office? why had kami never known about this before? there's now even MORE of a reason for him to sneak into the office whenever he can (though cyno's desk is still his favorite perch), and even more reason to stay while cyno's working.

he stares at cyno for a minute, torn between continuing to help clean up the mess or diving right for the offered key. he COULD leave it all to cyno to grant cyno the rare offer of watching kami sleep, or at the very least, keeping an eye on him, or he could continue to be polite, and clean up the rest of the mess he'd made.

"you are insufferable." there is no insult meant behind those words, as he gathers up what's left of the mess and plops it down before the general. "absolutely insufferable, you tempter of naps." even with the faintest smirk on his face, kami casually turns to grab the key from the wicker basket.

"i'll even breathe for you this time," he says. there's a certain playfulness to his tone that hadn't been there before. a lightheartedness that could ONLY mean he's growing to trust the general far more than he had previously.

kami uses the key to pull out the sofa, and stares at it for a moment, running his hands along the length. it's soft, definitely better than the hard surfaces he's grown far too accustomed too.

"menace," kami whispers, before flopping down, face down, on it. his hat, of course, is carefully set next to him.

That was much better. A recalcitrant Kaminari was almost always entertaining. A compliant one was oddly satisfying, in a way that Cyno intimately would describe as a guilty pleasure.

Nothing like seeing criminals grovel and obey after he'd apprehended them, no. Surely control had something to do with it, but rather than seeing it as a manifestation of his own authority, Cyno regarded those little moments with the same fulfillment of seeing something naturally fitting where it belonged, like the slow opening of petals in a late-blooming flower after it was tended to with careful nurture.

"I guess the quiet makes it ideal for a nap. People don't come by often." He said, unable to fully contain the small smile on his face as he continued to work. Be it because of fear, or out of respect, even his own subordinates showed up only if summoned or when an emergency was on the rise. Cyno wasn't one to mind the quiet... and on occasion, he'd enjoyed a little shuteye too, after particularly long trips.

Should he share his secret?

Half-turning to look at Kaminari, he contemplated that thought for a moment, and then spoke. "There is a foldable majlis floor sofa inside that coffer by the window. The key is under the small wicker basket on the cabinet."