cashewlater | for @suffusion

for @suffusion

[ the forest is quiet.

cyno knows these woods like the back of his hand. he knows all of sumeru, has trekked nearly every inch of it - nearly - for he fears no beast, nor the darkness of the unknown. his work takes him all over the land, through the deserts and forests alike, and though he works for no one, he does not hurt for mora, for cyno is the most gifted hunter and tracker in sumeru. no quarry has ever escaped him, and he has never failed to deliver on any job. this job will be no different.

it isn't an easy hunt. not only is this area of the forest unfamiliar to him, but his prey is sharp and smart, with an incredible sense of hearing. cyno's footsteps are all but silent, but the sensitive ears of the witch can detect him even at his most stealthy. it's fine. he's brought in difficult prey before. if stealth could only get him so far, he has other methods, though he must take care - should the rumors prove true, this witch is powerful, tricky, wise, and cyno could easily find himself on the wrong end of his quarry's wrath. but he was ready for a fight, if it came to it, and it would.

for five days he simply watches. listens. the witch hears him, he knows, but cyno is well hidden, and cannot be found. he scales the trees and watches from the branches, stock still, his clothing camouflaged, his pale white hair tied up and rubbed with charcoal to keep it from standing out. for hours he sits, vigilant, watchful, learning the witch's patterns and strengths, behaviors, taking their measure, and even that is not easy, but cyno learns over time that his adversary favors the bow and dendro magicks, that they know the forest well, and make use of all of its parts. in the end, cyno can only hope to overpower them by force and speed alone, striking fast, getting in close before the bow can be drawn on him. it'll have to be enough, with the element of surprise unavailable to him. but he'll use the tools he has.

his eyesight, for example, sharp in the night. his keen sense of smell. his own good hearing, and his powers of observation. his patience.

cyno strikes in the night, when the witch is far from their hut, gathering samples of bioluminescent moss. he's fast as a bolt of lightning, moving comfortably in darkness, taking them from behind and knocking them to the loamy earth, with his spearhead at their throat. ]

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[ oh, that brief sight of an almost pout has a soft chuckle escaping the vampire. he knows, he knows. the sensation is always so pleasing - he really has nothing to worry about in the end, but he does anyway. despite how many times they've had moments like this... he would rather be safe. still, he soothes that minor pout with a light nudge of his nose against a fluffy white ear until he pulls back entirely.

though the sight of that stare, he quickly looks away, knowing that moments like this can strike sudden emotional reactions. he would rather cyno not do anything he regrets again. because that's what tighnari has believed moments like that before to be, to not consider it being anything else. knowing it can't be.

he peeks back, lips settling with a soft smile. ]

That's good.. [ his tail idly thumps against the grass beneath them. even though there's such a temptation to take another bite. a temptation he pushes away, ignoring it. ] I feel much better now. Mmm.. You still need to eat as well, right? Helping you is the least I can do.

[ tighnari looks away, and cyno is relatively sure that he knows why. it's the same reason he's always looked away when things have gotten a little too heated between them, a little too.. close. yet even still, cyno continued to watch tighnari's profile, admiring the way the silver moonlight outlines it, tracing the slope of his cute button nose. ]

I do, yes. Even moreso now, I think.

[ after giving a decent amount of blood to his vampire friend, here, cyno is going to need the nutrition in raw animal protein. he remains still for a few seconds longer, so he can keep looking at tighnari, before he finally begins to move, pushing himself up on his hands. ]

I'm used to hunting alone, but I suppose you can keep up well enough.

[ a light chuckle. ]

You should know better than to underestimate a well-fed vampire.

[he says, with his tone lighthearted and airy in tease. his gaze twinkling a little as he glances back over with an amused swish of his own tail. however, the moment cyno moves does tighnari push up himself. though he gives a quick stretch when he does - he really did forget how satisfied he begins to feel after feeding off cyno. reenergized and content.]

Mmm, I'll follow your lead.

[ at least in his bat form, he can offer good support from above or even some guidance- but he knows cyno's sharp senses with smell for one will be more than enough for the werewolf. admittedly there's a bit of excitement to hunt together again, the nostalgia of it causing his tail to wag. ]

[ cyno can't help but chuckle softly; gently teasing tighnari comes easily. he knows full well exactly what tighnari is capable of, especially freshly fed; he'll be a boon on this hunt. cyno might be used to hunting alone, but that doesn't mean he likes it - hunting with others feels good, feels right, even if tighnari is a vampire, and not a wolf.

climbing to his feet, cyno nods. ]

Time to get to work.

[ silently, he shifts again, skin giving way to soft, shaggy fur as his body warps into the beast again, paws to the earth, and without another word he's moving through the forest, knowing tighnari will keep up. it isn't long before cyno is on the trail of a young buck upwind from them; if tighnari flushes it out for him, he can easily give chase. ]

[ a nod is all tighnari gives before he follows after. the shift into a bat is much smoother and with ease, taking advantage of his fuller energy to sweep upwards and follow by air. occasionally high-pitched squeaks leave him, but mostly silent, testing their surroundings as they make their way but ultimately trusts cyno's guide.

when he realizes cyno is on a trail does he move on ahead. it isn't long until he catches sight of the young buck, sweeping down to shift back with a quiet land of his feet onto the earthly grounds. though, tighnari doesn't bother hiding himself, not trying to be quiet- not when he wants to intentionally usher it in the direction of his companion.

and so he purposely steps onto a fallen branch, the noise echoing a shattering crack that spooks the buck in cyno's direction to flee from the vampire. that should be enough for cyno to secure his hunt. ]

[ and of course, tighnari does his job perfectly well, flushing the buck out without a problem, and cyno, who waits downwind in the shadows, is ready.

he leaps from the brush, a blur of white fur as he lunges forward; this is his only chance, if he misses, he won't have the stamina to hunt this same buck down again, not when it's been alerted to his presence. without a pack, the element of surprise is something cyno needs to lean on heavily.

the buck goes down. cyno's powerful jaws close around its throat with an ugly, sickening crack, and together predator and prey roll into the grass, the buck gone still. a beautiful animal, cyno thinks, but he's got to eat.

and eat he does. cyno begins to feed immediately and quickly. they're deep in the forest, but the scent of blood may still carry if the wind kicks up, and a packless jackal doesn't need to be caught with his meal. and a vampire friend. so he tears into the still warm flesh immediately, eating his fill, cracking bones with his powerful teeth to lick the marrow clean. ]

[ once cyno takes advantage of the element of surprise, tighnari allows him the privacy of his feeding - taking to the skies again in a quick smooth transformation to fly high above and survey the area. the scent of blood will definitely drift and he would rather neither cyno nor he get caught unawares.

fortunately, he sees nor hears anything nearby, nothing attempting to come their way, all silent outside the occasional moan of trees creaking quietly with the soft breeze. he allows the wind to guide him around, patrolling until he's sure the werewolf has more than enough time to eat his fill to return to him.

wings slow in his descent and he carefully emits a soft squeak while he lands on top of cyno's fluffy hindquarters still a small bat. ]

Don't get sick now. [ not that he blames the jackal for eating fast, it would be bad for either to get caught but he reassures him. ] It's only us here for miles as far as I can tell.

[ cyno enjoys his meal quite thoroughly while tighnari keeps watch, something he is immensely grateful for. he's at his most vulnerable when he's feeding, and the scent of blood could easily attract other werewolves, should the wind carry it right, but with tighnari in the trees around him, listening closely, cyno trusts that he is safe.

a nice feeling. it's been awhile since last he felt so secure.

by the time tighnari returns and lands on his furry rear, cyno is laying comfortably in the grass, gnawing at a thick bone with his back teeth. he's nice and full, and enjoying this femur very much. as only one jackal, he can't eat the entire buck himself, but that's all right, it'll be left for the forest scavengers to enjoy. ]

I won't, I won't. [ tempting though it is to be a glutton. cyno licks his bloody jowls. ] Thanks for looking out. I know I can trust your ears.

[ the small bat moves further up the jackal's back, not at all wary as the other's sharp fangs crunch around the buck's femur with the sound of bone cracking. ears twitch atop his head, always aware of every sound around them to alert him of the slightest sign of danger. but it continues to be quiet, only them. ]

No need for thanks. It's the least I could do.

[ by now tighnari would have certainly changed forms again but after a quick flight around.. it's more comfortable just to relax like this and perch upon his companion's back. a wing extends, a lil bat finger brushing a bloody furry cheek. ]

Ever the messy eater. There's a lake nearby for you to wash up.

[ for all that cyno could crush tighnari like a grape between his strong jaws right now, he never would, so yes, the tiny bat is quite safe as he climbs up cyno's back toward his face. he lifts his head from the bone between his bloodied paws. ]

You try eating a raw, fresh buck and see how clean your face is afterward, snooty vampire.

[ he says with a chuckle, nudging at the little bat with his nose, before he's getting to his feet and sniffing at the air, scenting for water. it's hard to find with the thick bloody scent in the air, but cyno manages to find traces of cold water to the east, and begins trotting in that direction. ]

[ of course cyno wouldn't, which precisely shows how much tighnari trusts the man. after all, no vampire would willing stay in this form around anyone, not even a fellow vampire if they weren't very close clanmates. ]

Snooty? I'll show you snooty, you oversized pup.

[ how Dare. the bat huffs a squeak even as cyno nudges him with his nose, nipping at his muzzle in retaliation. but it is a gentle nip, the smallest of chomps. his wings flap a bit until he hooks himself onto the back of the jackal's fluffy neck and plopping his head atop cyno's own while he scents around.

unsurprising he catches on quickly without tighnari needing to point him in the direction, holding on while they make their way. ]

You heard me, snooty.

[ cyno's chuckle is a rumbling sound in his chest as he begins to trot through the forest with the bat on his back, unfazed by the tiniest of chomps. also it's really funny to imagine tighnari's voice is all high and squeaky as a bat.. even if it isn't.

it doesn't take them long to reach the lake that tighnari had mentioned, and cyno immediately lowers his head, drinking in deep, satisfying gulps. ]

[ another snooty remark earns a chomp to cyno's ear, a bit rougher this time around. cease, you little pup. also help don't doom nari to high-pitched squeaky voice!! he is but a small fluffy bean.

as cyno's head dips to drink, tighnari reaches a little clawed finger out to dip into the waters before he's rubbing it a little onto his own face. just a bit of cleaning himself. he sits up a little, ears swerving as he listens around - but nothing comes up. ]

Do you have any other plans tonight?

[ just a curious inquiry. ]

[ cyno drinks his fill, no reaction to the bite aside from the casual flick of his ear - your fangs are so tiny, tighnari!!

after he's had a good long drink, cyno begins cleaning himself as well, stepping into the shallows and wetting his paws, rubbing them against his face to clear the blood away. he's careful to move slowly, so as not to dislodge the little bat, to give tighnari plenty of time to keep himself balanced. we can't have the small fluffy bean falling into the water!! ]

Well.. I'd been hoping to catch up with an old friend, if he's willing.

[ cyno says, with a smile in his voice. ]

[ how kind of cyno, it doesn't go unnoticed as tighnari moves further onto the jackal's back to allow the other more ease and movement to clean himself. which is good - because tighnari was moments away from trying to clean that messy muzzle of his himself if he hadn't.

he gives a little stretch, the small bat loafing closer to the were's hindquarters again with a twitch of his ears. ...oh? ]

Is that so? I wonder... [ he lets it sit, as if actually contemplating the thought, before there's the smallest of nods from the bat. ] I think he can spare some time to catch up.

[ tighnari really is trekking up and down his back like a little soldier ant, giving his tiny bean body a workout. and of course he hesitates and lets the silence linger, as if he has any intention of saying no at all. which of course he doesn't. ]

Heh. How kind of him. Then it sounds like I do indeed have plans tonight.

[ they fall into it so easily.. their same old banter, as if no time has passed at all, as if it hasn't been over a decade since they were last together. a closeness like theirs is not easily broken, and time has not eroded their fondness. it feels.. nice. good. like a piece of his heart that had gone missing is now slotting back into place.

he continues rubbing the water against his muzzle, dunking his entire furry face into the water until the blood is cleared away from his snout and chest and paws. man, though, he should have kept that bone.. ]

Your place, or mine?

[ a lil soldier ant that is now a small bat loaf. his nose twitches with thought, ears wiggling until he droops more comfortably. seems no matter how much time stretches between them, they really fall so easily into the same habits. ]

Your place is probably best for now.

[ though tighnari lives alone, there's no saying when any of his clanmates or family could potentially show up. not that it happens often - but from time to time when tighnari gets distracted with his work, they do try to check up on him.

and well, admittedly, tighnari is curious to seeing cyno's place again. if anything has changed. whether he has moved since he last saw him, if there are any additional changes or is everything still the complete same? ]

Is that alright?

That's no problem.

[ yeah, that's probably for the best. cyno is without a pack, he won't have anyone that might appear unprompted to find the two of them spending time together, and while a vampire and a werewolf hanging out outside of professional circumstances isn't strictly illegal in the sense of the law..

societal rules state otherwise. werewolves and vampires have been ostracized or even killed for associating with the other, their ancient feud remains, no matter how the world has grown around them. better not to risk it, especially for tighnari, who does have clanmates.

stepping out of the pond, cyno has to deny the urge to shake the water off of himself, lest tighnari get launched into a tree. instead, he immediately begins trotting off through the woods and back toward the city. once they're on the outskirts, cyno slows. ]

I'll send you my address. You can fly up to the window, if you want.

[ so they're not seen together. ]

[ of course, tighnari's own concerns and worries more stem on cyno's behalf. no matter how long it's been, no matter how much time tighnari has tried to push between for sake of feelings or safety and otherwise - he doesn't want to push cyno at any risk. a werewolf without a pack to protect them is a walking death sentence and it's always been a lingering fear that one day cyno may just vanish because of it.

so when he steadily agrees, there's some relief. and though he can take to the skies once again as they're on the move, he decides to hang low, even though a loaf of dark green and black stands out quite much against white fluffy fur.

his head perks, moving to sit up properly, wings giving a little shake as they stretch out. cyno brings up a good point, though it's easy to hide in the woods, it's much more obvious now that they're back on the outskirts. ]

Will do. I'll see you soon then.

[ and with that, he takes off, his small shape disappearing quickly into the dark sky as he blends in with the shadows and vanishes from sight. ]

[ cyno watches until tighnari is out of sight, before he slips back into his humanoid skin, and returns to the city.

on two legs it'll likely take him a little longer than tighnari to reach his apartment, so he moves quickly - though not too quickly - and returns home without incident. no one bats an eye at his passing, and the scent of vampire isn't uncommon to catch in this city of many creatures.

immediately, once inside, cyno flicks on the lights and opens the window to allow tighnari in.

cyno's loft apartment isn't particularly large, but it still feels comfortable. the entire plan is open, the kitchen, dining, and living spaces all open air and connected, and the style is modern, industrial, clean and sharp. it smells of cyno, like the hot sun and warm musk and fur, something deep and spicy. ]

[ fortunately tighnari is in no rush, even if he reaches the apartment quickly. while he waits, he can just perch outside, staying within the shadows so he doesn't stand out too much. he busies with grooming his fur in the meantime. it isn't until the sight of lights turning on does he perk up, inching closer with a slight peek.

as soon as he catches sight of cyno does he slip right into the open window, swooping in and shifting right into his regular form. he stretches after, emitting a soft groan while his shoulders rock a little back. ]

I haven't spent so much time in that form in ages.

[ as convinent as it is, it's strictly too vulnerable for him, but he's here now and he's already curiously exploring the apartment. his tail swishes as he does, intaking the scent of cyno that fills the home with familiarity. ]

What have you been up to lately?

[ tighnari swoops right into his apartment, and cyno smiles to see him. he doesn't often have company, unsurprisingly, but tighnari looks right here in these walls, like he belongs here. comfortable. ]

Mm. It's very cute, really.

[ tiny little big-eared bat loaf.. with the lil thumb claws!! adorable. with tighnari comfortably arrived, cyno moves into the kitchen to prepare a bottle of wine. ]

As for that, well.. I can't say I've had a very interesting time since school. Work. Spent a lot of time in the military.

You'd be the only werewolf to think so.

[ despite the years, he finds himself being put at ease here. feeling like he can let his guard down. but, it's always been that way with cyno. his ear twitches in the direction that cyno moves in, however he continues to explore around.

mostly looking for any personal pieces to peek at, like photos or otherwise, for the sake of his curiosity. since it's been so long.. he wouldn't be surprised if cyno has gotten some new relationships. though, as cyno shares he glances over, blinking a bit. ]

The military? Did you enlist yourself?

[ maybe he is the only werewolf to think so, alas, but how can anyone not be charmed by that tiny little bat loaf? chubby batnari.. cyno just wants to cradle him in one hand and pet his wee little head.

as for personal effects, there are.. surprisingly few. though the space looks lived in, it lacks those items that make it feel more like a home. no photographs or albums, no evidence that he's settled down with anyone. there are books, however, many on history and criminal justice, as well as potions, cooking, and games. also hints of his military involvement. ]

Yes, I did. I did well there, actually, was only just recently discharged. Thinking of going back. Or going back to school.

[ he'd fit in well, in the military. the structure was good for him, and he had a sense of belonging there that he'd never had anywhere else. he rose through the ranks quite easily.

[ the fluffy welcoming chubby batnari that only cyno may have the pleasure of petting and seeing...

perhaps another time. for now, tighnari inspects the lack of personal items. it's a good way of gauging more of his life without cyno's own say but it really is lacking. however, he does come to look at the books, fingers skimming along their spines as he reads the titles. ]

School isn't a terrible idea if there's more you want to do.

[ but if he was thinking about rejoining the military, that isn't a terrible decision if that's what he wants. ]

What kind of work have you been up to otherwise?

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