#mpryo

@mp-ryo continued from here:

Why is he back in front of this man he doesn't know. Why the universe decided to make this happen, to put this asshole in his way he actually wants an explanation for yet the second he hears that the older lied his first instinct is to ask why.

Ryo narrows his eyes looking right back at Sveinn, trying to get a read out of him. “Alright...I’ll bite.. What did you lie about.”

it’s not ryo’s fault, really, that the entire misunderstanding happens, rather it’s the fact that he’s not holding a phone to his ear while on a call and that his gaze is fixed quite solidly on the familiar face ever since the second it came into his view. that and they were about to cross each other on the sidewalk right when he spoke. in fact; he was right about to nod at his old acquaintance.

so he watches the eyes narrow and then the young man pausing just to answer him, which has him pausing as well, but then cocking his head to the side. “hold on just a second,” he says the next moment, bringing up a hand to tap the mute button on his earpod and then focusing fully on ryo.

@mp-ryo continued from here:

Ryo was quick to reply to the statement that was randomly thrown at him while enjoying his walk around the city. It has him stop in his tracks, turning to look at the Goddess with a little grin. “Ive had my share of pain, maybe I’ve finally hit perfection.” He shrugs.

“I feel that only a Goddess would know of what makes perfection, no?” The raven suddenly asks, but not in any malicious way. The boy knows better, always show respect to the Gods and the Goddesses around.

airmid merely smiles at his words, a smile that shows she thinks the words are nicely spoken, but not any more true because of it.

“even goddesses get it wrong sometimes,” she replies after a moment, and although her voice holds no specific emotion, it’s clear she’s speaking from personal experience. “a lot of the time even, i’d say. of course, after many years of living one would think they’d learn from their mistakes but...”

she shrugs, lets the rest of her sentence hang in the air between them unspoken. a moment later she reaches out and touches him, a single finger against his forehead. “i don’t think you’ve reached perfection,” she tells him in a more serious tone of voice. “but i don’t think that’s necessary either.”

@mp-ryo

it’s quite early in the morning, the tea shop having only just opened, but that is exactly why he goes there so early, to avoid the great crowd of people that goes there in the afternoon. sadly, however, it seems there’s also quite a crowd to be found already in the mornings as well and his effort is rather wasted.

still, he takes a seat at his usual table from before, gaze going over his surroundings to take note of the little changes, the tiny differences since the last time he’d been there - many months ago by now - and then his gaze flickers over to where the japanese god would usually be found. he’s not there now, and it temporarily soothes him.

somehow, despite the man’s utter friendliness, sveinn had never been super comfortable in the moon god’s presence.

@mp-ryo continued from here:

Time off to heal wasn’t ideal but it was something that was needed. Just a small break from work, a little time to get things ready for Yule would be good for him. Ryo was still waiting for either Felix or Hyuna to come text him, even try and find him now that he’s not going to be in Babylon for a week. The smaller could feel a headache coming on just thinking of the conversation that was going to be.

The raven sighs walking down the street in his usual feminine clothes. The gentle sway of his large parachute pants and his oversized hooded duster coat made the petite male look like he was floating along. Luckily now that is was colder on the island it was easy to hide all of his bruises but one, the gnarly bruise on the right side of his face. Ryo did his best to work with the magic touch of make up but it was still noticeable. What also doesn’t help is the band-aid sitting on his cheek begging to be pointed out.

His first day off calls for some indulgence. Ryo found himself walking into Mukashi - Kara Sweet Shop, needing something comforting like the taste of wagashi and matcha. Something he wasn’t expecting was to bump into someone on their way out. The demigod apologizes with his soft voice but the stranger didn’t seem to take him seriously, judging eyes looking the raven up and down. Ryo has seen it all before, the judging stares, more so on the island than back in Japan. As expected the stranger makes his comments, criticizes his gender, and the petite demigod just holds it all in. Really Ryo was just about to walk away until he saw the silver-haired figure set up to the stranger out of no where. In a spit second Ryo knew it was Sveinn. Quickly the smaller stops the older, gentle hand on his chest looking up at him. “Please don’t..it’s nothing.”

he’s just wandering the city for a change when he spots a familiar face, the younger male someone he hasn’t seen in quite a while. he doesn’t make any move to go up to him, though, simply continues on doing his own thing. they’re not friends, after all, don’t owe each other anything. that doesn’t mean, however, that when he turns around to see the younger male being treated badly by this or the other asshat, that he’s going to let that just happen. especially not when he sees setsuna almost meekly let it happen.

he’s next to them with a few quick strides, right as the younger male turns to leave, and he’s about to give the rude stranger a piece of his mind when there is a hand on his own chest, the one whose side he was for some reason taking now stopping him from doing so. he looks down at the hand on his chest, then over at the slender male as he speaks to him.

“it’s not nothing,” he replies instantly, though his voice is surprisingly calm for the speed and conviction with which he’d come walking over. “he’s being rude without any reason to be.” and really, he doesn’t defend people often, but there’s always a certain type of protectiveness inside of him for people he’s used as a muse. a hint of pride perhaps, unable to let someone else consider the objects of his art anything less than good.

the stranger’s angry gaze turns to him then but he levels it easily, straightens up to his fuller height and sets his feet evenly, solid like a tree with deep roots. “and an asshole,” he says then, obviously adding it just for this unknown man to hear. “if you bump into someone, you’re both not looking where you’re going. he apologised. move the fuck on.” it’s not really conscious, the way he stands ever so slightly in front of setsuna, becoming an impenetrable wall between the younger man and the stranger. apparently the latter thinks two against one aren’t really even odds - or maybe he only likes acting up when he’s not talked back to - because he only gives another huff before walking away.

@mp-ryo continued from here:

Something Ryo has learned over time when it came to Sveinn was that he was a man of very few words. Every once and a while the stoic man would pay for his time only to have a new painting done. The younger has come to terms with what Sveinn uses him for, he doesn’t mind but the silence is deafening and makes him uncomfortable.

So today, the raven had tried to pick the older’s brain asking questions here and there but behold, most have been ignored. “Aish..” he finally growls fed up moving effectively ruining the scene Sveinn was working on. “Can’t you say more than two words?”

“Not that I mind being your little doll here, but if you don’t talk I’ll bite.” he tries to threaten baring his teeth, but coming from such a petite male it was more amusing than anything else.

sveinn is pulled from his concentration on the painting when setsuna lets out a sound of displease and starts to move. he finishes the lines of colour he’s painting seemingly undisturbed before lifting his head, just in time to see the younger male bare teeth at him in what appears to be a threat but comes off as anything but. for a few, long moments he just looks at the escort with that same unimpressed look he always has, but then it suddenly breaks in amusement and he chuckles a little.

he’s still unphased as he starts to clean off the paintbrush, making sure no paint can dry on it and ruin his next strokes when he starts again, but it is clear that he is not going to go right back to painting when he’s done. and indeed, he puts the paintbrush down with the others instead, walking around his canvas to go over to the younger male.

“that’s hardly a convincing threat, aside from the fact that you will probably also make me pay extra for such special services rendered,” he counters, and for the first time since he’s started using the younger male as a model, there is something other than the usual business-like neutrality in his gaze. he closes the distance between them, reaching out to take hold of setsuna’s chin and tilt the younger male’s face up towards him. he gazes into the younger male’s eyes for a long moment, expression shifting back to serious, and keeps the eye contact to the point where it might become uncomfortable.

“i did not realise i owed you conversation during your time here,” he then says as he releases the boy’s face again, almost playfully - or mockingly? - letting his finger brush setsuna’s cheek in what could be interpreted as a caring gesture. he makes a good scene of sitting down next to the other boy then, taking his time to find an allegedly comfortable position before he focuses his attention entirely on the younger male again.

@mp-ryo

it’s been a long and doubtful process, but then sveinn is not a very social creature and does not wish to entangle himself in too much conversation to get what he needs. the only service mount phoenix provides to get yourself another person to work with, however, is the escort service babylon offers, and so that is what he goes for.

it’s a night like any other when he walks into the place with hands tucked into his pockets and his gaze even more brooding than usual. he gets the information on how things work from one of the people who work there, then casually takes his time browsing the available escorts, making sure to ask which ones of them he could take home with him.

eventually his gaze settles on a young male, striking enough on paper, but even more mesmerising in reality. he calls a cab first, then handles the rest of the details with the person who’s been giving him information from the start. he tells them to make the boy wear whatever he’s most comfortable in, then walks back outside.

angst sentence starters ,, accepting

his first instinct when ryo tells him to leave only seconds after he walked into the tea garden is to tear into the younger man hard. he does whirl towards him, but that is the very same thing which tells him the man might have a point, because he’s capable of grabbing this entire garden by its roots and taking it to war against its very owner. so he just stares at ryo for a few long seconds in which the younger man is glaring back at him in a very recognisable manner, and then his shoulders relax and he straightens up a little.

“yes,” he says slowly. “that seems like a good idea.” still, he can’t leave without doing anything at all, and so he holds up a hand palm upwards and grows several different leaves from scratch, all at once in the palm of his hand.