[ cyno very rarely laughs, even with tighnari, but he laughs now, light and soft, the sound almost like a purr in his chest. ]
How am I supposed to help it? It feels good. Perhaps you ought to get your mind out of the street gutter if you're thinking more of it; I'm entirely innocent.
Street gutter! The lip on you. I'd better not let you get away with it.
[ the mock affront! tighnari laughs. the sound is that of a bark in the night; his tail curls as he leans in to wrap his arms around cyno. his teeth mar his shoulder, a bite as light as it is playful. ]
[ it seems silly to even mention it, but he has never been tickled before. the valuka shuna are untouchable, in more ways than one. tickling is an act of social bonding. you wouldn't bond with a gift anymore than you would bond with a cow ready for slaughter.
cyno puts his hands against tighnari's waist, and tighnari yelps. the sound, entirely involuntary, reverberates through the little round hut they have taken shelter in like a popped bubble. his tail flicks madly as he rolls. tighnari's back hits the wall, his hands automatically rising to fend off the attack. ]
Cyno! [ he can't seem to stop laughing today. something warm cards through him. ]
[ tighnari's laugh is like a sweet chime, and cyno continues his onslaught as long as he can, tickling at tighnari's ribs and at his waist, pressing the attack when he retreats, until he's able to snag tighnari's wrists and pin him to the wall like a butterfly spread across a mat. ]
Do you yield?
[ he's flushed and panting with effort, his smile broad. for all the danger they are facing, this feels nice. good. ]
[ exterted, and panting with effort - two mirrors side by side, tighnari thinks, as exertion overtakes him. he allows his wrists to be pinned. the echo of fingers along his side is like fireants, their steady march up his body carrying with them the crimson of an incoming flush. first, his neck, and then his cheeks, and then the very tips of his ears as they warm.
cyno is smiling. the world seems both warmer and brighter for it. he can hear cyno's quickened heartbeat like the drums of war.
he can hear his own. ]
Cyno. [ he says again, in lieu of answering his question. ]
[ tighnari's fair skin does him no favors, and even in the dim light of the glow of forest flowers, he can see the way color bleeds into tighnari's neck and chest and cheeks. and then - then he is breathing cyno's name like that, in a way that makes his chest twist up and his skin tighten over his bones.
cyno's smile fades, but not from displeasure, and his eyelids drop a little lower over the molten wreaths of his irises. they're quite close. as close as they had been while they danced. cyno feels his throat constrict, his grasp on tighnari's wrists loosening.
this is not the first time he has felt this way - tighnari brings it out in him quite easily - this feeling that threatens to suffocate him. he asks again, softly, his voice like velvet. ]
[ reality, at the back of his mind, brimming: cyno's guilt, the lashing of tighnari's fate to his, the knowledge that this can be interpreted as taking advantage. a valuka shuna cementing his right to live in the world. this is the wrong time. it will not be the right time for some time. and cyno cannot afford to be distracted, not after tonight, not with azar as his opponent.
counterpoint: their opponent. tighnari is more than just a valuka shuna. cyno will learn, tighnari will learn. it will never be the right time, and - perhaps it is exactly what tighnari needs to ask for, for a future where neither of them will regret this moment.
cyno allows his wrists to free. tighnari looks at him. ]
I wouldn't. [ is what tighnari says, his tone crisp, clear, like fresh springwater. ] Not to anyone. But I am considering yielding to you.
[ and then: ] Cyno, I think I would like to kiss you. Will you allow me?
[ tighnari's bold words are a fist around his heart, squeezing, and cyno's breath rushes into the silence that lingers between them after tighnari asks that question.
no, it will never be the right time. not while tighnari is seen as his property, while cyno has resisted him for this very reason. he should say no, he should not allow this playful thing between them to blossom into something more - there are so many reasons he could list, reasons to shut this down quickly and smartly. cyno is a wise enough man to understand how terrible this looks on paper.
but he is also an instinctive man, a tender-hearted man, and he has been interested in tighnari since the moment he opened his mouth and a spark came out, he is sharp wit and beautiful rebellion in the shape of a man, and cyno finds himself more enamoured with each passing day. he has always followed his heart, and his gut. he will not stop tonight. at last cyno dips his head, pale hair tumbling free over his shoulders as he touches their brows together, his lips ghosting against tighnari's like an errant breath. ]
[ cyno is kind. tighnari knows this to be true. he curls until tighari's forehead presses against his, warmth against warmth. he tastes the word on cyno's lips. yes.
in the face of such rock-sure certainty, what more can tighnari do? there is a tomorrow wherein consequences will need to be weighed, feelings to be catalogued and voiced, a long way to caravan ribat and a new complexity to navigate. but that is for tomorrow's tighnari to consider. today's tighnari allows the warmth in his chest to seep. tighnari's hands slip themselves into the soft, pale waterfall of cyno's hair. the long, dark lashes of his eyes cast themselves into the green of his eyes. he tilts into the warmth of his inviting lips.
much as he had announced he would do, tighnari kisses him. ]
[ tighnari's mouth meets his own, and a rush of heat comes with it, threatening to overtake him. in the grand scheme of things they have not known one another long, and yet in many ways it feels as if tighnari has always been part of his life. always been beside him. coming home to him makes that opulent palace bearable, and he is the first real friend that cyno has ever had.
he's certainly the first person that cyno has really wanted to kiss. he has kissed before, but that is a story for another time; right now, the world is narrowing down to this moment, to this sweet, gentle space, this slice of the universe where the walls are lit by the glow of delicate flora, where leaves rustle beneath their bodies, and crisp, cool forest air curls against cyno's shoulders. this is all that there is.
tighnari's hands slip into his hair, and cyno's arms close around him, sweeping him near as he tilts his head to better facilitate their kiss, slotting their mouths neatly together. it feels so simple. so easy. effortless. as if they've kissed a thousand times before. ]
[ you could not be trained for beauty without knowing beauty. he had thought cyno beautiful that day on the balcony, trailed in the colours of a titian sunset, outlined with dark lines of kohl. he had seemed justice made into the form of a man. perhaps tighnari needs to understand, now, that the set of his shoulders had seemed lonely for it. justice stands alone. you could not be friends with justice. you could not tickle it. you could not have it teach you to use a bow, and you could not put your hands onto its back and work out the knots of tension the way you would knead flatbread. justice is a pedestal that they had once put cyno upon, a cage by any other name. justice cannot be so warm, a gentle sweetness wrapped around him with all the kindness and safety of a sun's warm rays.
that justice made into the form of a man is called cyno. tighnari kisses him. the tilt of his head sweeps cyno's lips against his. he tastes like zaytun peaches and springwater. he tastes as warm as a living sunburst and as cool and ravishing as the stars. if you told tighnari that he himself had been trained for this, he, too, would be surprised - the kiss is kind in the way that kisses had never been. kissing cyno is easy. they slot together like two pieces of a puzzle; as if they've kissed a thousand times before, and since.
cyno is justice made into the form of a man, but before that, he is simply a man. you could love a man. tighnari leans into him, an open-mouthed smile for an open-mouthed kiss, and he begins to laugh. ]
[ this close, cyno is buried in tighnari's scent, overwhelmed by it. he smells of dust and sweat and horses, faintly of blood, but below that his aroma is the same as always, a scent that brings cyno home - sweet lotus and fresh rainwater, the smell of plants and the earth after a storm. the smell of comfort, of strong hands at his back, of a smile to greet him.
and then the syrupy tension of the moment is breaking apart when tighnari begins to laugh, his mouth curving against cyno's lips, leaving him momentarily puzzled. yet tighnari's laugh is warm and infectious, and cyno soon finds himself smiling as well. ]
[ tighnari, fresh on love and warm for it, shakes his head. the tips of his ears curl down, skimming the crown of cyno's head. cyno, who is pressed to him, nose-to-nose, mouth-to-mouth, the colour of his eyes a glorious titian sunset. ]
No. Your jokes are, but your kisses are fine. [ tighnari brings their foreheads back together. his hand finds rest against cyno's nape - sure, warm, and safe. ] I'm very happy right now.
[ bringing the jokes into this.. shot to the heart. cyno's not sure he's capable of being unhappy in this moment, however, so he allows it to slide. their foreheads touch, and cyno's hand smooths against tighnari's bare back, thumbing at the gentle dip of his spine. ]
So am I. [ it's so easy to nudge their noses together, to breathe tighnari's air. later, perhaps, the weight of it will settle onto his shoulders, the uncertainty borne of the power dynamic between them, but for now.. for now, there's only warmth. ] You make me happy, Tighnari.
[ for now, there is only warmth - and the matching beat of their hearts, drum-quick and tender. tighnari smiles. ]
Would it surprise you to say that you make me the same? I suppose that we're well-matched in that regard.
[ his tail flicks. tighnari breathes out, and lets himself rest there in the warmth of cyno's embrace. the gala seems terribly far away; everything does. ]
[ cyno's eyelids flicker as he lifts his gaze from tighnari's lips up to the forest of his eyes, and he does not deny himself the urge to lift his free hand, to run his thumb along the soft line of tighnari's jaw. he's always been beautiful, cyno does have eyes, but here, in this moment, he is captivating. would that this night could last forever. ]
I must admit I have.. little experience. I ventured a romantic relationship once, it did not end well.
[ cyno's hand traces a linen down tighnari's jaw, and tighnari smiles into it. he is in a solicitous mood. his tail gently rests itself upon cyno's leg as he considers this. ]
Oh? You've made me curious. Who else had caught your eye back then?
[ a deep sigh. his hand drops from tighnari's face to smooth over his tail. ]
She was a Spantamad graduate, beautiful and smart. I hadn't been a matra for very long. She was incredibly charismatic, and the first person to ever show any real interest in me, so I suppose I fell quite easily.
She was using me. As it turned out, her.. husband was incriminated in a smuggling operation, and they thought that I would be easily corruptible, as a fresh new matra. She attempted to convince me to allow her into the archives.
Needless to say, I've shrugged off any potential suitors since. How can I trust that their intentions are genuine?
You were used as a tool. As if you were a key that could be applied to any lock worth trying.
[ but little by little, his tail stills. tighnari considers this as he looks first to the titian sunset of cyno's eyes, and then to the set his shoulders. ]
You seem to have made peace with it, however. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I would be furious in your shoes.
It's simply my reality. It's one of the downsides to my profession - having to be suspicious of the intentions of others. So.. yes, I suppose I have made peace with it.
[ his mouth curves, a light chuckle in his chest. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
How am I supposed to help it? It feels good. Perhaps you ought to get your mind out of the street gutter if you're thinking more of it; I'm entirely innocent.
[ he's asking for it, he knows.. ]
no subject
[ the mock affront! tighnari laughs. the sound is that of a bark in the night; his tail curls as he leans in to wrap his arms around cyno. his teeth mar his shoulder, a bite as light as it is playful. ]
imagining the aranari singing kiss the girl
Biting me, now? I should have known that you would turn on me, someday, you feral little foxling.
[ and cyno is strong, it's quite easy for him to shift in tighnari's hold, flipping around to get his fingers into tighnari's ribs, tickling hard. ]
LMAO
cyno puts his hands against tighnari's waist, and tighnari yelps. the sound, entirely involuntary, reverberates through the little round hut they have taken shelter in like a popped bubble. his tail flicks madly as he rolls. tighnari's back hits the wall, his hands automatically rising to fend off the attack. ]
Cyno! [ he can't seem to stop laughing today. something warm cards through him. ]
no subject
Do you yield?
[ he's flushed and panting with effort, his smile broad. for all the danger they are facing, this feels nice. good. ]
no subject
cyno is smiling. the world seems both warmer and brighter for it. he can hear cyno's quickened heartbeat like the drums of war.
he can hear his own. ]
Cyno. [ he says again, in lieu of answering his question. ]
no subject
cyno's smile fades, but not from displeasure, and his eyelids drop a little lower over the molten wreaths of his irises. they're quite close. as close as they had been while they danced. cyno feels his throat constrict, his grasp on tighnari's wrists loosening.
this is not the first time he has felt this way - tighnari brings it out in him quite easily - this feeling that threatens to suffocate him. he asks again, softly, his voice like velvet. ]
.. do you yield?
no subject
counterpoint: their opponent. tighnari is more than just a valuka shuna. cyno will learn, tighnari will learn. it will never be the right time, and - perhaps it is exactly what tighnari needs to ask for, for a future where neither of them will regret this moment.
cyno allows his wrists to free. tighnari looks at him. ]
I wouldn't. [ is what tighnari says, his tone crisp, clear, like fresh springwater. ] Not to anyone. But I am considering yielding to you.
[ and then: ] Cyno, I think I would like to kiss you. Will you allow me?
no subject
no, it will never be the right time. not while tighnari is seen as his property, while cyno has resisted him for this very reason. he should say no, he should not allow this playful thing between them to blossom into something more - there are so many reasons he could list, reasons to shut this down quickly and smartly. cyno is a wise enough man to understand how terrible this looks on paper.
but he is also an instinctive man, a tender-hearted man, and he has been interested in tighnari since the moment he opened his mouth and a spark came out, he is sharp wit and beautiful rebellion in the shape of a man, and cyno finds himself more enamoured with each passing day. he has always followed his heart, and his gut. he will not stop tonight. at last cyno dips his head, pale hair tumbling free over his shoulders as he touches their brows together, his lips ghosting against tighnari's like an errant breath. ]
Yes.
it only took 500 comments... wheezes blood
in the face of such rock-sure certainty, what more can tighnari do? there is a tomorrow wherein consequences will need to be weighed, feelings to be catalogued and voiced, a long way to caravan ribat and a new complexity to navigate. but that is for tomorrow's tighnari to consider. today's tighnari allows the warmth in his chest to seep. tighnari's hands slip themselves into the soft, pale waterfall of cyno's hair. the long, dark lashes of his eyes cast themselves into the green of his eyes. he tilts into the warmth of his inviting lips.
much as he had announced he would do, tighnari kisses him. ]
IT WAS A GOOD 500 COMMENTS... YELLS INTO MY HANDS
he's certainly the first person that cyno has really wanted to kiss. he has kissed before, but that is a story for another time; right now, the world is narrowing down to this moment, to this sweet, gentle space, this slice of the universe where the walls are lit by the glow of delicate flora, where leaves rustle beneath their bodies, and crisp, cool forest air curls against cyno's shoulders. this is all that there is.
tighnari's hands slip into his hair, and cyno's arms close around him, sweeping him near as he tilts his head to better facilitate their kiss, slotting their mouths neatly together. it feels so simple. so easy. effortless. as if they've kissed a thousand times before. ]
YELLS WITH U
that justice made into the form of a man is called cyno. tighnari kisses him. the tilt of his head sweeps cyno's lips against his. he tastes like zaytun peaches and springwater. he tastes as warm as a living sunburst and as cool and ravishing as the stars. if you told tighnari that he himself had been trained for this, he, too, would be surprised - the kiss is kind in the way that kisses had never been. kissing cyno is easy. they slot together like two pieces of a puzzle; as if they've kissed a thousand times before, and since.
cyno is justice made into the form of a man, but before that, he is simply a man. you could love a man. tighnari leans into him, an open-mouthed smile for an open-mouthed kiss, and he begins to laugh. ]
i love them..... sm....
and then the syrupy tension of the moment is breaking apart when tighnari begins to laugh, his mouth curving against cyno's lips, leaving him momentarily puzzled. yet tighnari's laugh is warm and infectious, and cyno soon finds himself smiling as well. ]
Don't tell me my kisses are that bad.
idiots... but also babies...
No. Your jokes are, but your kisses are fine. [ tighnari brings their foreheads back together. his hand finds rest against cyno's nape - sure, warm, and safe. ] I'm very happy right now.
no subject
So am I. [ it's so easy to nudge their noses together, to breathe tighnari's air. later, perhaps, the weight of it will settle onto his shoulders, the uncertainty borne of the power dynamic between them, but for now.. for now, there's only warmth. ] You make me happy, Tighnari.
no subject
Would it surprise you to say that you make me the same? I suppose that we're well-matched in that regard.
[ his tail flicks. tighnari breathes out, and lets himself rest there in the warmth of cyno's embrace. the gala seems terribly far away; everything does. ]
So, what now?
no subject
[ cyno's eyelids flicker as he lifts his gaze from tighnari's lips up to the forest of his eyes, and he does not deny himself the urge to lift his free hand, to run his thumb along the soft line of tighnari's jaw. he's always been beautiful, cyno does have eyes, but here, in this moment, he is captivating. would that this night could last forever. ]
I must admit I have.. little experience. I ventured a romantic relationship once, it did not end well.
no subject
Oh? You've made me curious. Who else had caught your eye back then?
no subject
[ a deep sigh. his hand drops from tighnari's face to smooth over his tail. ]
She was a Spantamad graduate, beautiful and smart. I hadn't been a matra for very long. She was incredibly charismatic, and the first person to ever show any real interest in me, so I suppose I fell quite easily.
no subject
... did she humiliate you?
no subject
Needless to say, I've shrugged off any potential suitors since. How can I trust that their intentions are genuine?
no subject
She took your trust and used it. That's despicable.
no subject
[ his thumb rubs gentle circles into tighnari's tail, soothing. ]
Nevertheless, that's the extent of my experience. I've not tried again since.
no subject
[ but little by little, his tail stills. tighnari considers this as he looks first to the titian sunset of cyno's eyes, and then to the set his shoulders. ]
You seem to have made peace with it, however. I don't know if that's a good thing or not. I would be furious in your shoes.
no subject
[ his mouth curves, a light chuckle in his chest. ]
But of course you would be. You're full of fire.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)