#oh i swear if he laughs at cyno's jokes it IS SO OVER FOR ME

[erabu-san]

I enjoyed every second of this quest

[This art has platonic intention. Thank you for not tag ship!]

[monicahar]

“how much do you love me?”

in which you question the extent of their love out of the blue.

characters; scaramouche, cyno, tighnari, alhaitham, kaveh

; gn! reader, fluff, crack, uh, idk just sumeru men sexy. first time writing kaveh too!

SCARAMOUCHE stares at you. boredly. unamusedly. unimpressed. er, disappointed even. he's having trouble deciding if he should ignore you or not for deciding to distract him from his paperwork. he decides the latter with a sigh. “do you want me to be brutally honest?” brutally honest? is he hinting at some implication that he doesn't actually love you?! what the hell? with gritted teeth and a newfound insecurity, you nod with uncertainty.

“go for it.”

a smirk creeps on his lips as a dark expression etches itself on his face, staring at you with a level of seriousness. “i'd brawl with celestia for you.” his hands find yours, clasping it tightly in his as he breathes a vow—a promise, even. “if you were somehow taken away from me, even i am quite unsure of what kind of being i'd become.”

ah...you sweatdrop at the dedication he's willing to offer. he sounded a bit scary, borderline creepy but it's just scaramouche being your sweetie pie, haha! nothing new, am i right? anyway, he does seem to love you quite a bit—you're unsure if you should be relieved or not.

his other arm lazily warps around your shoulder as he presses his cheek against yours, his eyes shutting in content at the warmth of your skin. “but then again, there are times where i just kinda wish to throw you off a cliff. you can be quite annoying sometimes, darling. ”

“you—!” he rudely cuts you off with a press of his lips against yours, effectively shutting you up.

CYNO ponders the question for a bit too long—you're afraid that he might've taken the question a bit too seriously. he could've just said something bland and cheesy like “more than anything” and you still would've swooned like a teenage girl. after all, who wouldn't? the general mahamantra—well, if people weren't so busy fearing him, they probably would've been admiring his pretty face instead.

“i love you a lot, that's for sure. though i'm not quite sure how to measure it...”

oh, dear cyno. your heart clenches at his thoughtful words. “haha, i thought you were trying to find a joke to go along with my question or something.”

“why would i do that? my love for your isn't something to laugh about,” he pauses, eyes flickering towards you for a moment, a glint you know all too well present in his eyes.

“though,” he starts with a small grin, “if you want to hear a joke or two, i've got the ones just for you.”

it's plural?! oh no. D:

TIGHNARI doesn't peel his eyes away from the research paper before him, nonchalantly replying in a heartbeat—“i love you enough to date you, apparently.”

you outwardly huff at his boring answer, staring at the ceiling boredly as you lie in his bed. tighnari isn't quite the charmer, you guess. but then again, you probably wouldn't have dated him if he wasn't being his sassy self. “is that so.” your tone comes out more disappointed than you intended.

unbeknownst to you, his ear twitches at the lack of enthusiasm in your tone. his gaze finally removing itself from the papers in his desk to look at you from over his shoulder. he sees you staring at the ceiling, sprawled out all over his bead while humming a random tune out of boredom.

“you didn't get the meaning behind my words, did you?”

your head turns to him in utter confusion, your gaze meeting his unamused expression. “huh?”

a sigh leaves his lips as he turns back to his desk, resuming his paperwork as your gaze burns into his back.

thinking he had dismissed the subject completely, you pout at the lack of explanation, opening your mouth to ask what he meant before he abruptly cuts you off with another twitch of his ears.

“fennec foxes mate for life.” he says as a matter of factly.

oh. :o

ALHAITHAM peers at you with a raised brow. “are you asking for an exact estimation or?” this dude you swear—

“it's not like you can calculate love, dummy.” you slap his arm lightly as you huff out a laugh at his words, “i'm simply asking for a metaphor. or at least, what's the most you'd do for me out of pure love.”

“care to give an example?”

you press a finger to your chin as you walk beside him, “hmm...i love you enough that i'd give up my position in the akademiya if it meant to spend more time you!”

“that sounds unreasonable.” he replies without hesitation, a concerned frown forming on his face. “you should work on your time management instead of giving up your studies—”

“i-it's just a reference for what i would do for you, calm down...”

“i can assist you. i'll help you make a schedule right now if you want to.” he whips out a piece of paper and a pen from nowhere, surprising you greatly. where'd he get that from?! “here, you wake up at around 7 am, right? give your studies about 8 hours of your day—the average time a scholar needs, then you can spend about 4 to 6 hours with me daily without problem. in our time together we could go out and eat, maybe even do your homework so you could add an extra hour with me if so—”

sadly, you never got an answer. :(

KAVEH immediately goes “i love you more than anything in the world!” yes, it's bland and cheesy like i mentioned earlier. and yes, he's going to be proud of it too. extra points for the confidence(?)

would definitely press kisses onto your face afterwards, hugging you tightly in his arms. “ahh, you're so cute that it's impossible that i'd choose anything else over you.”

“is that so?” you ask innocently as you tilt your head, staring into his eyes. “would that mean you'll finally join me in the upcoming event that alhaitham will be co-hosting?” you almost laugh at the way his expression drops.

“aha—that's...”

“oh, c'mon! you love me more than anything, right? that also includes putting your hatred for alhaitham at bay just to keep me company, riiiight?”

“m-maybe there are a few exceptions—” he really doesn't want to see that guy more than necessary!

you lean closer to him, cupping his cheek with a smile. “even if i give you a kiss now?”

“—nevermind! i'll join you!”

yes, i hc kaveh is a simp <3

[spiriteddreams]

some meet-cute cyno fluff!! before i go cry over my midterm tmrw

the general mahamatra cyno doesn't put his trust in many people. he's learned the hard way that too many people will lie and backstab in sumeru, all for the sake of the pursuit of knowledge. he takes time before he lets people in, keeping up his fearsome facade until he feels comfortable to let down his walls.

and yet you came stumbling into his life, quite literally, running into him at the akademiya because you couldn't see in front of you with the stack of books piled up. papers flew into the air, books crashed on the ground, and a million apologies spilled from your lips as you scrambled to grab the fallen materials and ask if he was okay. scholars cowered and slipped away from the open hallway, whispering to themselves about how you would never see the light of day again, forced to to give up your position for running into the general mahamatra. cyno wants to roll his eyes at their words and snap back that it was an honest accident, but he's distracted when you say,

"you're cyno, tighnari's friend!" the grin on your face wipes away his previous thoughts. cyno. not general mahamatra. it sounds nice from your lips. admittedly, he's a little taken aback by the fact that you've simply gone and addressed him by name, but he won't tell you that it's a nice change, to be addressed simply as himself, and not a title.

"i am." he clears his throat, gathering some of the fallen books in his hands. "and you are?" he lets you introduce yourself, words tumbling from your lips as you fall into a mindless ramble about how you're close friends with the forest ranger and that you were simply running errands for him because he needed some books from the akademiya and didn't want to make the trip to sumeru city.

"i'm sorry i'm rambling." you look down sheepishly, "you make me nervous. wait, well, i mean you do, you're the general mahamatra! but tighnari said to not be scared of you, so, i'm trying not to." cyno isn't sure what to say to that, staying silent for a moment so he can let the words sink in.

tighnari said not to be scared of you.

he wants to laugh at his friend's words, but he chooses to offer you a warm smile, or as warm as he thinks his smile could look. you clear your throat at the silence and take a deep breath.

"i'm so sorry again for running into you like that, i promise i'm not always this clumsy!" you bow your head and move to step around him when his hand darts out to wrap around your forearm. you jerk backwards, the books piled in your arms wobbling dangerously. but cyno's immediately there, steadying them in front of you as he peers at you from around the books.

"could i meet you again?" he asks, watching as you stare at him, mouth parting slightly as if trying to process his words. that expression on your face is rather adorable, he thinks to himself.

"i know we're in the library, but i can tell you like me. you keep checking me out." cyno's rather proud of that joke but it makes your eyes widen. one second you're gaping at cyno, the next apologies are spilling out again. you can't help but feel that wave of panic washing over you. this was the general mahamatra for archon's sake! you apologize up and down and swear on the dendro archon that you didn't mean to be staring at him like that, but have you seen him and oh have you heard the rumours about him?

cyno places his hands atop of yours to stop your rambling, "it was a joke."

you pause, "a joke?" cyno presses his lips together. he's trying to choose his words carefully, despite the fact that he knows he sounds like a fool. tighnari would surely tease him if he found out about this.

"i was simply trying to lighten the mood." he clarifies, "but it seems as if i've cause panic instead. but my offer still stands, all jokes aside. could i meet you again?"

---------

two days later, cyno opens up a neatly folded letter sealed with green wax only found in the avidya forest.

cyno, for the sake of my sanity, and for everyone else's, please refrain from telling your jokes. (y/n) told me all about your encounter...

cyno flips the letter closed and rolls his eyes fondly. classic tighnari, stomping on his fun. but no matter, after all, he's seeing you in a day's time and he's absolutely certain he can sweep you off your feet with his newest jokes.

reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated! <3

[windwheeler-aster]

you want to talk about it now?

summary: cyno and you were just preparing to leave for a friend’s holiday hangout until you tried to bring up whether you two should go as friends or... something else, regarding the nature of your relationship

masterlist | advent calendar

pairing: cyno x reader

reader info: uses gender neutral pronouns (they/them), reader and cyno are in a situation-ship, and reader is not traveler

word count: 902 words (3 mins~)

genre: romance, hurt/comfort, friends to lovers

format: headcanons and blurbs

warnings: confrontation, arguing, swearing, and situation-ship/friends with benefits (sfw) relationship between cyno and reader

a/n: THIS!!!! WAS!!!! SO!!!! FUN!!! TO!!! WRITE!!!! literally, like, it all fell out of me in one sitting. wth. hope y’all enjoy reading this as much as i did writing it💖

cyno and you used to be just good friends

you laughed and joked, and generally enjoyed spending time with him (as he did with you)

though, as time passed by, the line between friendship and something more blurred

you two hugged when you greeted each other, sometimes kissing the other’s cheek if it had been very long

and you two were generally more... touchy than “just friends” were

but... neither of you wanted to label it as anything other than just two lonely, touch-starved friends looking out for each other

but friends didn’t look at each other for so long, turning bashful when they were caught red-handed

and cyno certainly shouldn’t get so worked up about going as friends or as something more if you two really are just friends

Cyno scrolled endlessly on his phone, tucking his other hand into his coat’s pocket. He waited by your door, dressed warmly for the blizzard that awaited you two outside, with a great amount of patience. When he looked up at you, all dressed up for the winter party, Cyno smiled. 

“Well, don’t you look nice,” he not-so subtly eyed you up and down. “Trying to impress someone at the party, hm?”

You rolled your eyes. “Can’t I look good for the sake of looking good?”

“Oh, sure you can. I just never knew you were capable of—”

“—watch it, Cyno.”

“You didn’t let me finish!” He held his hands up, surrendering. “I was just gonna say that I never knew you were capable of being more attractive than you already are. That’s all.”

You bit the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from smiling so hard. “Aw, thanks. And, if it’s any consolation, you don’t look half bad yourself, Cyno. Kinda handsome, if you squint.”

“Would it kill you to be nice to me?”

You pulled on your own coat, scarf, and mitts. “You know you like it.” 

“Uh huh. Sure,” he dismissed in a cocky tone.

It was now or never, you decided as you looked at him.

“Are you ready to go or…?” he asked, his voice trailing off as his eyes met yours.

“Well… Yeah. Actually, there is,” you replied. 

“Oh?”

“I was wondering if we were going to go to the party as friends or,” you inhaled quickly, and murmured the next part softly, “or as something more.”

Cyno’s face went slack with confusion. “‘As something more’? Care to clarify?”

“Y’know,” you examined your nails. “As… as a couple.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Cyno groaned. “You want to talk about it now?”

“Well, yeah. Because I don’t even know what ‘it’ is,” you retorted. “You’ve kind of just been playing around with my feelings for the last few months. You know that, right?”

He furrowed his brow. “I haven’t been—”

“Oh really? Then what are we, Cyno?” you exclaimed. “Because we aren’t friends— because friends don’t cuddle and look at each other like we do. ‘Friends’ don’t drop everything if the other is having a bad day, just because you’re worried about them. And friends certainly don’t fuck around with each other’s— no, my feelings— just because they’re lonely and—”

Cyno’s hand came onto your shoulder, instantly shutting you up. You looked over to him and were shocked to see a concerned expression on his face.

“You’re doing it again,” he murmured, gently.

“What?”

“You forgot to breathe,” he clarified. “I thought you were going to pass out if I let you go on for another second.”

You shook him off. “Stop that. Stop acting like you care about me.”

“I do though.”

“Then stop playing with my feelings,” you snapped. “Just tell me, Cyno. Are we friends or not?”

Cyno’s lips parted, but no sound came out. You felt your eyes burn and the back of your throat hurt, but you clenched your fists and remained strong. 

“Fine then,” you grumbled, shoving past him to the door, “I’m still going to the party, though.”

But before you could twist the doorknob, Cyno grabbed your wrist and flipped you around. In an instant, he had you pressed against the door with his face close to yours. With his tempting lips close to yours. So, tantalizingly close it hurt even more than the silence.

“You didn’t let me answer,” he growled.

You glared at him. “Your actions were more than enough to—”

But before you could finish your sentence, Cyno’s lips swallowed yours. You let out a surprised gasp, though it was muffled due to his lips molding so nicely against yours. Cyno’s eyes fluttered close as he tilted his head, then his hands found their place on your body. An embarrassing sound left you when Cyno pinched your waist, teasingly.

You two broke apart, panting for air as you stared at each other. A sense of understanding passed through you both, one that was mixed with love and the bliss that came with it.

“Want to skip the party and just head downtown for dinner?” you asked him.

Cyno nodded, interwinding his right hand with your left. “Should I text Collei that we can’t make it or should you?”

You hummed for a moment before you came up with an answer. “I’ll text her, but you’ve got to make up the excuse.”

“We got snowed in?”

“Good enough for me,” you said as you pulled out your phone. “Let’s just hope it’s good enough for Collei and the others.”

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[erabu-san]

I enjoyed every second of this quest This art has platonic intention, please don't tag ship