you, outside my window.

bitterness

You stretch your arms high above your head, the tips of your fingers grazing the sky littered with twinkling stars. The door behind you slammed quietly, the warmth of Lambad's Tavern dissipating quickly. By your side was someone who you always called your friend, Tighnari, with his green fringe and swishing tail, he berated the guy next to him.

This... was always a part of the routine.

After a long day being an agonizingly tired scholar at the Akademiya were the agonizingly long game sessions of Genius Invokation TCG. All you had to blame was the General Mahamatra, Cyno, never disarmed, never without his polearm; those details were particularly the fact as to why you never enacted your poor vengeance on him.

Despite your quiet distaste for such an obscure "all-the-rage" game, you never turned down an invitation to play. No, it's not hard for you to admit that you ever come out of the Avidya Forest or the Lokapala Jungle just to spend time with these people you've grown accustomed to.

Oh, also the guy with the hat behind you. Don't mind him.

Tighnari's high ears flattened a smidge as he crossed his arms, "The number of cheating accusations from you is becoming excessive, Cyno. If one more is leveled against me... I won't hesitate to–"

Cyno takes a few steps forward, the cape of his hood flowing behind him, "I see you're underestimating my knowledge of this game..." He turns to smile at Tighnari, "I enjoy myself when I play with you. Heh, you certainly know how to keep me on my toes."

You subtly look at Tighnari and... Oh, who would've guessed? Your friend is already too stunned to speak.

Grabbing him by the shoulders you shake him gently to alert him to snap out of it. When you feel that Tighnari is back to his normal self you sling an arm around his shoulder, "I think that I started getting less predictable as well, right Cyno?"

"More practice wouldn't hurt."

Ah, what a short and subtle way to get your ego crushed. Count your days, Cyno... count your days.

"If it helps, it only took me an extra ten seconds to wipe the floor with your deck this time around," chimed in Hat Guy from behind you, a sneer laced in his voice. You gave him a half-hearted lopsided smile.

Ahead of the group is the General Mahamatra as he leads the group away from the entrance of the tavern to the middle of Treasures Street. The conversation that took place followed the same routine you had put in place. Step one, ask Tighnari to stay with him for the night as your schedule always has you set in the Avidya Forest the next day. Step two, wave goodbye to the other two nerds who are fans of the worst card game in history and slip away. Step three, talk Tighnari's ear off about the most interesting thing your mind has been itching to talk about...

Although, something took you off autopilot.

You sighed in irritation, "My professors have got to take me seriously for once, plant life in our region is so diverse but if we don't try to branch out then it'll all be for nothing." Feet trudging carefully down the beaten old path, Gandharva Ville rises in the distance. "Are they just going to have me sketch out every single plant, every single mutation of said plant, and conduct the most basic of experiments for said plant for the rest of my career?"

The fennec boy trudges alongside you, following with a 'mhm' after every sentence of yours.

"The Akademiya prides itself on research, not exactly on innovation, and that's just... such a dead end. I understand that the world is full of unsolved mysteries and questions, but that's because the world is constantly changing... If Sumeru stays relatively the same for long enough people will just start cracking out forbidden research projects, I tell you."