#:thread

Moshe had never been to Europe, so he had never been given the chance to look around a castle. Especially one as splendid at this. It almost made him forget that this was all fake, and he was certainly not in Europe. (Or was he? Cilestino was European. Who knew where they all were.)

Returning to the main hall, he felt like he could hear something... familiar. It brought him back to those days of running around in shorts and a sunhat, waving his net around to catch bugs and critters. It was unmistakably the sound... of a frog.

He looked down, and sure enough, there was one. A real frog. It had a crown on its head, which wasn't the weirdest thing he'd seen, but it was weird.

"Poor nar. I almost stepped on you."

He crouched down and picked up the frog. It ribbited, and Moshe, chanted back, "kero kero kero".

Hearing footsteps, he turned in their direction, hair swishing like a black waterfall.

@mpxnahyun​

there’s not many things that can actively convince geng to leave his house and go out in public, but when the coffee machine breaks down.. well, let’s just say he’s been waiting in line the full twenty minutes to get himself a properly prepared latte with extra cream on top.

so when he then picks it up, turns, bumps, stumbles, spills and loses that exact same latte all over again, desperation is heavy in his system. not because of the steaming hot liquid he’d managed to spread over his own arm, nor because of the stains that seemed to mark a nearby person’s pants, but simply because he was going to have to wait another twenty minutes before he could get an actual coffee.

“i’m sorry,” he utters, glancing up at the person he spilled on for a second before turning around to be able to look for the toilet in the coffee shop. a sign directs him to a door right behind the counter and he calmly starts walking. he’s aware of the surprised and shocked looks he’s being given, but decides to ignore them in favour of making his way over to the sink as quickly as he can.

despite the lack of really defining pain, the tap water still feels cool on his lower arm and he looks down at the damage done with almost empty eyes. just another wound to heal. nothing all too bad that he’d never recover from. all he needed to do was use the right ointments and wrap it up properly.

@mpyuanjin​

it’s been several years already that he’s been in mount phoenix, and he’s more than used to seeing the gods and goddesses roam the same streets as him, some of them even showing up in his tattoo shop.

then there’s the kids, demigods and goddesses like him left and right, populating the island with their numbers. geng occasionally wonders what it is with gods and making so many kids. he usually doesn’t let his thoughts linger too long on such things, however, considering the images that soon start filling his mind if he does which he’d rather avoid at all cost.

but there is nothing - no years of living on the island nor any interaction with anyone in the past - that could have prepared him from that one particular moment when he sees her.

he’s chinese, he knows his own heritage and he’s taken the time to read up on his knowledge on the gods and goddesses within his family. but no image does justice to the beauty that meets his eye when he lifts his head up to check where he’s going and comes face to face with perfection itself.

he stops instantly, eyes growing a little wider for a split second before he dips into a low, respectful bow upon her closer approach.

“milady.” the mandarin, although it seems long-unused, slips from his lips automatically and he stays in his dipped down position without falter. someone of her beauty and grace deserves the most respectful of behaviour after all.

@dakotaxmp​

if there is one thing geng is not so good at, it is human interaction. so when that girl shows up again with her bright smile, her wide eyes and her tendency to cling a little too closely on to him for comfort, he panics a little. he’s in no mood to keep up conversation with her despite the awkwardness she makes him feel at all times, but sees no polite way to get away from such conversation.

which is about the moment in time when his brain decides the best course of action to take at this point is to do that which is exactly what he’s trying to avoid; seek social contact. only not with the girl, but with someone else entirely. the first passer-by his eyes land upon, which ends up being a random guy.

he plasters a slightly brighter expression on his face, but can’t help his eyes from looking as spooked as he feels as he beelines straight for his victim and throws his arms around the basically stranger. “there you are!” he exclaims in what he hopes sounds like happiness and not the desperation that’s coursing through him.

if he has to exchange another word with that girl he might even lose control over himself, which would also mean letting go of his ability, and no matter how uncomfortable he is around her, that is not something he wishes upon her either.

“i’ve been waiting for hours! when you didn’t show up i decided i’d better go look for you. i’m so glad you’re here!” the last words are the only part of his sentence that are not a lie, geng clinging on tightly to the slightly shorter male he doesn’t think he’s ever seen before in his life.

@mpxruyi​

there’s a time for everything, even for considering getting some plastic surgery to get the scar on his face treated.

the man he’s sitting opposite of is a textbook image of perfection, though, and it’s making geng a little unsteady in his seat, eyebrows slightly raised at all times as he listens to the doctor speak.

his gut feeling is roaring at him to get the hell out of there, but considering it’s rather impolite to get up and walk out of a consultation you booked yourself, he decides to stay put and at least give this doctor the chance to finish his speech.

which luckily happens not long after, geng humming in understanding and giving a short nod of his head as he allows his eyes to wander over the information provided in the brochure that’s been tucked into his hands.

“sounds interesting,” he states in a neutral tone of voice, expression remaining as blank as ever, not revealing the slightest sign of his emotions.

@mpxhyojong​

it’s dark, what with night having fallen and the entire universe conspiring to bring him face to face with the male opposite of him.

despite their seemingly vicious stand-off, geng stands relaxed, his hands in his pockets and his eyes wandering. the light from the street lights flickers over his face occasionally, causing the shadows of his scar to deepen.

“i just really wouldn’t do that if i were you,” he says quietly, looking at the way the blond male’s hands are clasped around something heavy and blunt looking.

there’s another person in the alleyway with them, seated against the wall. drunk, tired or passed out. perhaps knocked down by the blunt object in the blond male’s hands.

geng just walked in on it, he has no real idea of what exactly is going on. he just knows that the look on the blond man’s face doesn’t look like anything likeable whatsoever and that he would prefer to be home right now, sipping tea and reading a book next to the fire. possibly watch some tv.

not stand in an alleyway in the bitter cold of the night watching this or the other strange appearance get involved in questionable actions.

@mpxwheein​

flowers had sounded like a nice addition to his apartment. that is until the first, second, third, fourth, all the way to sixteenth plant he’d decided to get himself had ended up withering away. something about his general being was apparently not compatible with flowering greens. seeing too many of them die wasn’t nice either and so he’d eventually decided to go ask for some advice from the most knowledgeable person on mount phoenix.

that’s how he ended up in wheein’s flower shop, standing next to a series of strong, tall house plants that were ‘very strong’ and ‘would probably live up to his expectations’ as wheein was telling him. nodding his head lightly a few times at the explanation, geng tries his best to keep the friendly smile on his face while his patience for being among people lessens with every passing minute.

something about this girl is making him highly uncomfortable. most probably it’s the innocence she seems to exude with every breath she takes, but he can’t entirely pinpoint if that’s truly it.