Cyno clicked his tongue in irritation, as he reviewed his most recent assignment brief via his Akasha Terminal.

As convenient as the Akasha was, Cyno still liked to commit key segments and phrases to paper. He smoothed out a piece of paper before himself and began studiously taking notes. However, one particular phrase that popped into his mind via the Akasha Terminal gave him pause.

Students are to engage in cross-disciplinary study alongside at least one student from each Darshan.

Cyno wrinkled his nose and simply scribbled group project.

"This is ridiculous," Cyno vented out loud, slapping his charcoal pencil down with an expression of supreme disgust. Groaning, he ran a hand through his long silvery hair.

A familiar honeyed voice reached Cyno's ears.

"Cyno cutie, what seems to be the matter?"

Cyno rocked back on his chair and tipped his head back to see Lisa surveying him with her bright green eyes, her lips curled in that perpetually amused smile of hers.

"Ah, Lisa, apologies," Cyno said, shortly, jerking forward and slamming his chair back on all four legs. He aimlessly leafed through one of the papers his teacher had recommended, as an excuse to not elaborate further.

Lisa stood behind him and picked up Cyno's notes on the brief that he had discarded in his fit of disdain. A bright giggle escaped her lips.

"Oh Cyno sweetie, is this what all this fuss is about? A group assignment?"

Cyno wrinkled his nose irritably.

"It's not funny. Group assignments are just ... insufferable," Cyno scowled, curling his lip, "Not to sound arrogant but ... all the ones I have worked on in the past, it has been both less stressful and more efficient for me to simply do it myself. Half the people I end up paired with are just completely useless!"

Lisa dangled Cyno's notes on the brief in front of his face with a mischievous grin.

"So, your problem is that you can't find others who share a similar work ethic to your own?" Lisa asked, tipping her head on one side.

Cyno made to bat the paper away and Lisa snatched it upwards in an instant, giggling delicately.

"It's not just that ... " Cyno said, trailing off with a frown.

I know I'm not easy for others to work with, either.

Cyno had never been particularly good at communicating or working with others. He spoke his mind without hesitation and had difficulty figuring out how to make his features assume something friendly or even approachable.

He would overhear other students sometimes.

"Where does he get off, acting like he's better than us?"

"He's so blunt and monotone. Doesn't he feel anything?"

"It couldn't kill him to be just a bit friendlier."

"I'm terrified of him. Did you see the way he glared at me?"

"He's impossible to work with, he barely communicates with anyone and does the whole thing in a few days, before any of us even have a chance to contribute!"

He would also hear the way other students would abruptly cease all conversation when they walked past each other in the halls. A heavy awkwardness would settle on Cyno's shoulders and he'd be paralysed by indecision: should he wave, attempt a smile, make eye contact, or crack a joke to break the tension? Whichever one he tried, it seemed to just scare them more and they'd scurry away hurriedly.

Why must interacting with others be so difficult and exhausting?

Cyno found himself wishing bitterly that interacting with others came as easily to him as it did for Lisa.

"I'm better off alone," Cyno said, breaking his silence with a frown, "I work better on my own and others work better without me. So perhaps I will just have to hunt down some lazy students who won't care if I do the whole thing. It's easier than trying to work with others."

"'I'm better off alone, huh?' Cyno sweetie, that's a bit dramatic. I'm sure you can find someone who shares your sensibilities?" Lisa replied, a concerned frown creased her forehead, "No one should be all alone in this world."

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Lisa. But trust me, one such person who "shares my sensibilities" probably doesn't exist," Cyno replied, gathering his materials up and rising from his seat with a weary sigh. Lisa carefully tucked the

brief notes amongst the top cover of one of Cyno's books. Cyno nodded his thanks with a gruff grunt.

You can't possibly hope to get it, not when you have the charisma to get along with others so easily.

"I might know someone who could help you out with your dilemma? He's working on the same assignment as you, actually," Lisa said, as Cyno was turning to shelve the books he no longer needed.

"Really now," Cyno said, unable to prevent the scepticism from leaking into his voice.

"Yes! His name is Tighnari, he's a student of the Amurta Darshan and I hear he's also been on the lookout for group partners. He's an absolute sweetie, insanely adorable," Lisa replied.

"Tighnari, huh?" Cyno huffed, rearranging the books in his arms.

Cyno racked his brains. He had a vague memory of overhearing some classmates discussing him: he was extremely intelligent, a fast learner, strict yet good at instructing others and always willing to lend a hand.

"I've heard of him," Cyno said, noncommittal.

"I think you two will get along quite well. I'm usually a good judge at this sort of thing," Lisa said, smiling softly.

Cyno frowned, analysing her expression, attempting to figure out some hidden meaning to her words, yet he couldn't decipher anything.

"I'll take it under consideration," Cyno said stiffly, "Thank you, Lisa."

"He's around right now, if you would like to talk to him. I just saw him right outside the Akademiya, talking with some students. I can show you what he looks like, if you want?"

"If you must," Cyno acquiesced.

Lisa reached up and pressed a finger to her Akasha terminal. A moment later, Cyno saw the image of a young man projected into his mind.

His mouth popped open in surprise and the books he had been holding fell out of his hands with a noisy clatter. Tighnari was clad in similar Akademiya robes to Cyno, yet he had such a singular appearance that Cyno could not help feeling mildly surprised he'd never run into him before.

Tighnari had dark blue hair with streaks of bright green. His eyes were a fascinating mix of deep burgundy and light green that were remarkably striking. What took Cyno most by surprise were the large fennec fox ears and long bushy tail. His ears and tail looked remarkable soft and he had a small, delicate smile on his lips in Lisa's memory.

Pretty.

I wonder if I could find a joke that could make him smile like that for me.

Cyno blinked and shook his head rapidly, dispelling the image of the young man.

You absolute idiot, don't go thinking such things about someone you've never even met.

"As you see, you shouldn't be able to miss him," Lisa said.

"R-Right," Cyno stuttered, gathering his study materials back up into his arms and beginning to mechanically shelve what he had no further use for, "He just ... wasn't quite what I was expecting. I must admit ... I'm a bit curious."

Cyno fixated on the book in his hands as he shelved it, refusing to look at Lisa. He felt somewhat ashamed at his own admission of curiosity.

"Well, I best be off, I don't want to miss him," Cyno said gruffly. He hastily turned back and dumped the rest of his materials unceremoniously in a canvas tote bag he brought with him, before turning on his heel, his mind buzzing.

"I hope it goes well, Cyno cutie!" Lisa called after him.

Cyno scarcely let himself be hopeful that this "Tighnari" would be able to work well with him.

Cyno rapidly cycled through any accessible information in the Akasha concerning Tighnari, as he strode briskly to where Lisa had said he would be. So intense was his focus that he barely noted the usual stares he attracted or the whispers about the intense expression on his face. To the other students that Cyno walked past, his expression was so fiercely focused, they felt he had some murderous intention and cleared out of his way immediately.

As Lisa had said, Tighnari was a student of the Amurta Darshan. He was particularly invested in studying the medicinal properties of plants and considering how he had only been in the Akademiya for a year, he had already submitted numerous breakthrough papers in his field. Cyno couldn't help but be impressed.

He's no slacker, at the very least.

Cyno could access a few of Tighnari's papers through his Akasha and skimmed them as he strode past the fountain in the Akademiya's foyer. Tighnari's words had an elegance, beauty and precision to them and were penned in a smooth, flowing script that Cyno could read with ease. His reports were accompanied by remarkably detailed and well labelled sketches of various flora. There seemed to be careful deliberation in every letter of his script, nothing like the messy scrawl that Cyno released in frantic bursts of energy, as ideas exploded into his mind and left just as suddenly.

Cyno stepped through the doors of the Akademiya and rapidly scanned his surroundings. The man who Lisa had projected into his mind stood leaning on the balcony, conversing with another female student. Cyno felt nerves flood through him like ice, cooling the heat from the frenetic energy he'd had just a moment before. Tighnari stood there, outlined faintly in the golden sunlight. His ears twitched instinctually at the low groan the Akademiya doors made when Cyno pushed them open. His gorgeous bushy tail swished, punctuating his words as he spoke to the other student next to him. His eyes gleamed gently in the sunset and a faint smile touched his lips.

He's even prettier than how he looked in the Akasha.

Cyno inhaled slowly and released a long exhale, attempting to calm himself.

The woman Tighnari was currently speaking to had long, curly dark blue hair which faded to a sky blue at the end. Cyno had also never seen her before.

Despite himself, and his better judgement, Cyno truly had felt a bud of hope embed itself within him, a hope that he could find someone who he could work with and get along with.

Bud wait, hold on.

Doesn't he study botany?

Cyno clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle the sudden chuckle. The noise attracted Tighnari's attention, his keen ears pricked to attention, then flattened irritably.

"Is something funny?" Tighnari asked, his striking eyes narrowed, thoroughly unamused.

"Yes," Cyno blurted as he walked over, attempting to find a way to explain the joke without embarrassing himself by revealing too much.

"Right, let me guess," Tighnari scoffed, pointing at his ears and at his tail, his expression darkening further.

"No no, that's not it!" Cyno replied waving his hands, frantically.

Wait, I've got it!

"I want to be your new buddy," Cyno said at last.

Silence, absolute silence.

The female researcher standing next to Tighnari cast a completely baffled look at Cyno.

Tighnari stared at Cyno with wide, uncomprehending eyes. Cyno stood there, attempting to restrain his laughter while also searching for any signs of realisation. When none came, he started explaining.

"Well you know, you're an Amurta Darshan student and you study botany right? And flowers have buds so - "

"Oh god, that's terrible. Is that actually what you were laughing at?" Tighnari asked, face palming.

Despite Tighnari's exasperation, Cyno thought he caught something on his face that could have been a hint of relief. His ears relaxed and pricked back up. Cyno was startled by the sudden motion and couldn't help stare at them briefly, mesmerised by each little twitch and movement.

His ears really are beautiful.

Those words burned behind Cyno's lips. But, as blunt as Cyno was, even he knew speaking such words would be unwise.

"Do you think it's funny?" Cyno asked, tipping his head on one side as he tried to decipher Tighnari's expression.

"Not at all," Tighnari sighed.

Cyno attempted to quash his disappointment at that statement and barrelled ahead.

"I'm Cyno, a student of Spantamad. Lisa recommended you to me. She said we could potentially work together?" Cyno asked.

"Oh! The cross disciplinary research paper, of course! Layla and I were just discussing collaborating on it," Tighnari said, his striking eyes brightening with realisation, "You could have just said that in the first place, you big lummox."

Big lummox?

Cyno fought hard to suppress the sudden blush that spread across his features.

Is this some kind of term of endearment used between friends?

I've never had someone use one for me before ...

"I - well - " Cyno replied awkwardly, "I thought my joke would help break the ice?"

Cyno's eyes darted to Layla's cryo vision and Tighnari groaned, running his hands down his face.

"Do you get it? Layla has - " Cyno started explaining.

"Yes, unfortunately I do get it. It's terrible."

Cyno felt disappointment burn through his stomach again. Perhaps he had imagined the sudden flash of amusement and relief that followed his other joke.

"What do you think of having Cyno join us, Layla?" Tighnari asked.

"I don't see why not," Layla murmured softly with a yawn, tucking a strand of hair behind her long pricked ears, "He seems like he could keep things interesting, at the very least."

"Does that mean you think my jokes are funny?" Cyno asked, turning to her eagerly.

"No, not in the slightest," Layla replied. She tapped her Akasha Terminal, "I just spent the past few minutes reviewing your work and it seems that regardless of what we end up doing, you could provide some interesting perspectives. Though ... I believe Tighnari or myself should do the actual writing, your script isn't the nicest to look at."

"You're not wrong," Cyno acknowledged.

"Alright then, welcome to the team, Cyno," Tighnari said, smiling slightly and extending a hand towards him.

Cyno blinked, baffled. Warmth flooded through him at the sight of Tighnari's smile and outstretched hand.

When was the last time another had gazed upon me with such warmth?

Cyno took Tighnari's hand and squeezed it, feeling the others callouses hands and enjoying the firm warmth.

"It's a pleasure to work with you both," Cyno replied, a small smile touching his own lips.