[open] september mayhem

[indispensable]

Who: Alhaitham and YOU, if they so choose
Status: Open
Where: Eltrut, Elah & Nilatast, mostly.
What: Catch-all/open log for the month!
Warnings: Kaveh.

A) let's mosey!! (elah / paladin quest)

[Given what the prize is said to be for this challenge, it doesn't take long for Alhaitham to be at the location of said event himself. The first few times are mainly to scout the venue—that is, the stairs—which are indeed just as long as described. The height that it reaches easily rivals that of the Divine Tree back in Sumeru, if he had to harbor a guess.

Regardless, while the stairs themselves don't intimidate him in the slightest, it is also a fact that there is a lot of them to go through if he wants to get to the top... thus Alhaitham can be seen trying the stairs a handful of times, with all those first couple of attempts not getting very far at all before he seemingly stops and gives up, uncaring for the booing thrown his way when he heads back down.

One particular day, however, it quickly becomes clear that something is up. The stairs themselves are the same as always, but every once in a while there's a bright green flash that appears every so often, making a clear trajectory up the stairs. And should anyone happen to be nearby during any one of those instances of said flash it becomes very clear very quickly exactly what Alhaitham is doing—he appears and disappears with every flash of his Vision, each use of his flicker bringing him to a spot higher than the last. Of course, since he can't exactly keep using skill, he does still have to do a fair bit of climbing as well.

There also may or may not be a certain wheezing architect with him who clearly did not ask to be here, but that's another thing altogether.

B) ruby seas under ruby skies (elah / paladin quest)

[There's certainly a fair bit to be done in the wake of Elah's return, and for better or worse Alhaitham does need the distraction. So its really because of that rather than any sense of altruism that he's out on the beaches helping out with the efforts to get the beached merfolk back to water.

Unlike others, Alhaitham has less of a qualm with getting his hands dirty, be it having to physically carry them from where they've been beached to the much less glamorous task of ending the lives of those who are too far gone to make it back anyway. At the very least he makes that happen quick; a swift slice of his sword is all that it usually takes to get the job done, though the clean up after is a much more messy affair.

For those who might have chanced upon one of these scenes, they'll see Alhaitham either cleaning or flicking off the blood on his blade after the deed is done before he looks down impassively at the freshly slain corpse of the merfolk, giving them a moment of silence before he starts with the necessary clean up.]

C) nilatast: in memorium

[There's only so long Alhaitham will let his past experiences hinder him, and that time is now. He's heard enough accounts of this underwater ruin and the many discoveries made within it to know that he has to see it for himself.

So he makes the trip down—most likely not alone—and with a couple of mothfish provided to him along with one of the pearl/gemstone powered devices, Alhaitham starts on his own (belated) exploration of the city. Though the main goal is to lessen the miasma that cloaks the city, he's definitely also going to take his chance to explore where he can and see what can be discovered. More than ever, he wants some answers to the continued mystery that is this world.]

D) his natural habitat (eltrut, surasthana cafe)

[Besides all of those places and events Alhaitham can, of course, always be found at Surasthana Cafe, never straying too far from his husband's side. And it goes without saying that the man has no shame whatsoever in engaging with PDA with said husband, so there's always that. Otherwise he's either napping in his usual spot or reading.

Strangely, not as much chess this month.]

E) the rest

[If nothing here strikes your fancy or you want something else, feel free to DM me on the journal or ping me in the discord server!]

Comments

A

[empyrean_mirror]

Why...in Celestia's name...did you need...to bring me up here with you?!

[They are like 4 flights up and Kaveh is already dying. Why did you do this to him. Why is he here. How did this happen.]

[indispensable]

Because I already had plans today.

[Plans that involves flights of stairs and a potentially amazing prize and he isn't going to let their current predicament get in the way.]

It won't be long before my Vision is ready. We can clear a few more levels then.

[But until then, more stairs they go.]

[empyrean_mirror]

Speak for yourself, oh my god.

[It's hard to say what's burning more, his lungs or his legs right now. Why did you DO this to him. What prize is even worth this?!]

Why does this exist? Who made this?

D.) If this works for ya?

[emberized]

[There's a new customer in the cafe today. Sort of. For all that the man is the only patron in the shop at the moment, coffee seems to be the last thing on his mind. He almost seems more invested in the corner with the chessboard, unwilling to leave that particular area or speak until prompted.]

"Sooo you serve coffee and. Kulfi." [He drawls, drumming his fingers absentmindedly on the table behind him.]

"You know you can't just slightly change the pronunciation of something and call it two different things, right?"

[If one didn't know better, it almost seems as though he is stalling.]

works for me!

[indispensable]

[New customers aren't anything novel; there's a fair number of one off customers who come to this place, but beyond that the fact is that Alhaitham doesn't really concern himself a lot with the daily workings of the cafe despite being here frequently and his husband being the owner of this place. He has no interest in running a business, and so he does not bother with the intricacies of doing such a thing.

What he does bother himself with, however, is the notion that kulfi is some sort of renamed dish rather than something that actually comes from Sumeru. More than enough to speak out loud.]

Kaveh didn't change anything. That's how its already called back in our world.

[He does however kind of say this while his eyes are still fixed on the book that he's reading, not even bothering to give the other a glance.]

<333

[emberized]

"So it's a taste from home?"

[Huh okay. Bit of a personal choice then. He's wisely going to keep his comments about a 'Kaveh' running a 'cafeh' to himself.

For a second, Axel isn't even sure the man with the book is the one who spoke, but there's no one else it could have been. His attention falls on them now.]

"It is another beverage though, isn't it?"

[He thought that's all they sold here?]

"You have to admit they sound a bit similar."

[What if a customer has a really strong accent?]

B

[ohwowzers]

[So Kieran has been following other Corsairs to find the mermaids, but he hasn't been doing so to hunt them; no, he's actually been trying to save them alongside his Politoed, who has been using his Drizzle ability to try and help keep them wet before they get to the ocean. He actually has one he's trying to get to the water, but even with Politoed with him it's a struggle. So making his Pokemon keep watch, Kieran wanders down the beach to try and find someone to help. But how can he find a Paladin without being accused of acting like other Corsairs?]

[Fortunately, when he rounds the bend, he sees a familiar face that he knows. Unfortunately, he's just in time to see the older man wiping blood off his sword.]

Ah..!

[Sorry, his question he was going to ask is gone because of the sight.]

[indispensable]

[Well given how the other party wasn't exactly trying to be subtle, it isn't hard at all for Alhaitham to pick up on their approach. He glances over just to see who it is, and once its clear that they're not here to be either a threat or an annoyance, he simply turns back without giving any other kind of acknowledgement, returning his attention to cleaning off his blade. At his feet is a freshly slain merfolk, blood slowly oozing out from its still body and forming a small puddle.

After a moment Alhaitham shifts, mostly to get himself out of range of the slowly forming puddle. Last thing he wants is for the blood to get onto his shoes.]

[ohwowzers]

[Kieran can't help but stare for a bit, looking from Alhaitham to the dead mer beneath his feet, then back again. He looks a little sick at the sight, but eventually, Kieran is able to speak again.]

What... happened..?

B

[telepathicignorance]

(One might expect Chris coming upon Alhaitham like this to be a disaster in the making... but when they come scrambling over some rocks to see the man standing over a fading corpse, they simply stare for a moment before shaking their head to snap themself out of it.

Better he had to do it than they did.

They can hear other minds calling for help, and after a moment, they turn. Then they pause.)

I can hear some that way.

(Inviting him to come and assist? Maybe. It sounds like there might be more than one, so they probably won't be able to help on their own.

Regardless, whether he decides to accompany them or not, they're gonna head in that direction.)

[indispensable]

[It does take a second for Alhaitham to place where he'd seen the other before, and when he does he can't say that he's thrilled by any measure. As far as he's concerned they made enough of a ruckus last time that Alhaitham just would rather not engage again if he can help it. Once is enough.

But before he can make a move to head off in the opposite direction they speak up to inform him of more beached merfolk in their direction. It's certainly unexpected all things considered, but Alhaitham is at the end of the day a practical man, and he recognizes that what needs to be done here is important. Its not like any of these merfolk got themselves deliberately stuck after all.

The obvious choice is there and so Alhaitham takes that, putting his sword aside and following them to wherever they'd apparently heard the other cries. He won't like, he is a bit skeptical, but he also does have his ear pieces on and he's going to assume they have super hearing or something. Wouldn't put it past them, that's for sure.]

[telepathicignorance]

(Yeah whatever. Fuck you, Alhaitham. But also: They can hear their minds, dipshit.

Not that they'll say it out loud.

It's a pain to get where they're going, not that Chris seems to care as they cross a sandy stretch and then have to climb over extremely precarious and sharp rocks, passing by a body bashed to death--save the living first--in favor of reaching a low spot holding just enough water that two merfolk have managed to keep their gills and scales wet enough to not die. This tiny tidepool is, of course, surrounded by equally horrible, jagged rocks on every side, and the merfolk are large, bulky, covered in spines that may or may not be poisonous and it's hard to tell if they're even aware that possible rescue has arrived.)

Fuck.

(Now they gotta figure out how to approach this. They could recognize the thoughts well enough to find these guys, but they're also alien enough that it's hard to gauge how bad their condition is from thoughts alone, and moving them safely is going to be hard.)

Any ideas? (They have some, but again, it's hard to gauge the best approach here. Do these creatures need first aid? Would they be okay long enough to call for help?)

D

[bahati]

[Bennett was still fairly new to the city, still exploring and getting his bearings. Being familiar with your surroundings was important for an adventurer, after all! When you have a base of operations, you have to make sure you know everything that's at your disposal.

Today he's wandered into Surasthana cafe. Hopefully, Alhaitham wasn't enjoying his peace and quiet too much, as the young man wanders about the cafe showcasing intense curiosity, 'ooh' and 'ahh'ing at every little thing he sees.]

benny booooy

[indispensable]

[Alhaitham can't say that people oohing and aahhing in the cafe is a regular occurrence, but since he has his ear pieces on its just a simple matter of turning them on so that he doesn't get disturbed, which is exactly what he does.

But there's nothing to worry, for its not long before a certain floating toolbox comes over, letting out a welcoming beep! as it displays a ^_^ face. Hello new customer!! Are you here to make an order??]

[bahati]

Wah!

[Bennett lets out a shrill yelp as the toolbox suddenly floats into his personal space. The surprise quickly fades away when it doesn't seem to be hostile at least, and even looks kind of friendly!]

Err... H-hello! [Can it understand him? He isn't sure. Time to try, at least!] Uhh.... Do you work here?

D

[astudyinviolet]

[ The occasional snap punctuates the air on the cafe floor and coincides with a soft increase of eerie blue-green light from the corner. Perhaps it is easy enough to overlook in the hustle and bustle of the cafe. However, the phenomena continues over the length of several days to the current day.

A single geometric prism reminiscent of a leaf made of that blue-green light floats in front of Sherlock and commands his full attention. For the longest time, the prism leaf does nothing but remain motionless in the air. Then slowly... it starts to turn. Sherlock does not relent in his focus until the prism leaf rotates a full 360 degrees. At which point he loudly jumps to his feet and starts excitedly pacing with cries of ]

I did it! I did it!

[ He purposely made one of his light projections move! ]

[indispensable]

[Alhaitham of course is not ignorant to what Sherlock has been attempting, though he does not make any attempt to interfere or offer any advice of his own unless explicitly asked. For the similarities Sherlock's granted abilities may share with his own at the end of the day it is still quite different; and so there is only so much advice he can give. But more than that this should be something that Sherlock has to discover for himself, and he knows better than most how being spoon-fed any answers will not help in any measure.

So he watches, partly to see Sherlock's progress but mostly to ensure that the detective doesn't neglect necessities like food and water and potentially even a shower when it comes to it. Skipping over good hygiene does nobody any favors after all.

Anyway, on this particular day Alhaitham is reading as always, having gotten used to the sounds of snapping as Sherlock does his usual practice. He doesn't think much of it, only reminding himself to check on the detective after he finishes the current chapter of his book, but before he can get there the sudden exclamation has his attention.]

You did it? [He asks after a beat, looking up from his book as his hands are already absently marking off where he'd stopped to come back to later.]

[astudyinviolet]

I did it!

[ Sherlock stops his excited pacing to all but dash to Alhaitham's side. Slower is the spinning light projection Sherlock has coming to meet with them. He's beaming with unrestrained joy and only blushes a little when he realizes that it is a facsimile of what Alhaitham uses. To keep things interesting, Sherlock had rotated through a number of different projections as he practiced, attempted, to make it move, and it just so happened that this one was picked when he purposely achieved it. ]

Look, Alhaitham!

[ He "holds" the projection in his hands as the projection spins. ]

A

[velocityraptor]

[ You know what's not fun? Climbing the stairs. Flight after flight, walking is so boring. Hawks isn't really out of breath, he's just bored out of his mind. His wings are too small to carry him, so walking it is. Ugh. There better be something good at the top.

A green blur passing him and then the owner appearing in front of him is enough to break the monotony. ]

Whoa! [ Hawks is surprised, but also impressed. ] You're fast, how fast can you go? [ He might be a little nosy. ]

[indispensable]

[Usually Alhaitham tries to time his flickers right so that he doesn't end up bumping into anyone else and draw unnecessary attention, but he knows better than to think his plan is completely foolproof. Case in point: this very situation.]

Depends on how long I have to wait.

[...and that's all he'll say before he simply walks off, now making his way up the stairs like every other schmuck as if he didbn't just randomly appear from wherever he'd been earlier (below, he was below, but that isn't important).]

[velocityraptor]

[ His unlucky day, Hawks is just a speed fiend on account of that being one of his biggest strengths. ]

Wait like catching your breath, or just because you need a clear shot at where you're going?

[ He just assumed Alhaitham wanted to keep walking, is he wrong? ]

C!

[gruffier]

[ Oh yeah, not alone he's not. Clive is a willing participant to accompany Alhaitham, if nothing more than to make sure your better half doesn't worry sick about you. Though there isn't any point in masking his curiosity about this underwater ruin. He had his own reasons for joining today, and discovery was high upon that list.

The man will light his own flame against the palm of his hand, creating a narrow view of a thinning tunnel before them. The air seemed thick here, but so far there were no noises other than the sound of their two pairs of footsteps. ]

Step lightly. The ground is uneven here.

[indispensable]

[Clive is probably just about the best possible option after Kaveh to follow him into this place, so Alhaitham has no qualms about that. In this place with countless unknowns, the strength that Clive has is a dependable assurance to have.

And since the other man has fire at his disposal, Alhaitham also has no problem with letting him lead the way, making sure to follow close behind while keeping his own senses sharp through the terse silence.

He makes a sound of acknowledgement to Clive's words as they move, glancing back for a second just to make sure there's nothing following them before turning back forward and in turn seeing how said tunnel is progressively getting smaller... if it continues to narrow itself like this they're going to have a problem continuing down this path.]

C

[beshackled]

[In one of the safe rooms, Erichthonios, clad still in the diving gear borrowed for the has one of the merfolk bound in aetherial shackles. They do not dig into the creature, but nor do they permit free movement. Filtering device kept by the airlock door, he speaks in low and soft tones, attempting to soothe the twisted creature as he gently works a paste made from the moth dust into skin and scale, movements slow and patient.]

There... No harm shall come to you under my care. You will be free soon.

[An iridescent blue glow rises from him as his hands pass near a gash, he pausing in the administration of the paste to tend to the wound instead, coaxing it to heal. So focused is he on his task, it takes him a moment to acknowledge that anyone else is there at all.]

Apologies, but I've been making use of this room. Are you here to rest, or are you on your way to explore the facilities here?

[indispensable]

[Though Alhaitham is well-aware of the fact that he is far from the only one exploring this place, it still comes as a bit of a surprise when he actually does encounter someone... or something? At the very least it seems to be a humanoid figure in that suit, though given the nature of this world it really doesn't say much.

Regardless, it only takes a moment for Alhaitham to put two and two together as his gaze darts between the bound merfolk and the glowing... everything.]

The latter. [He answers the question before he turns and heads over to where the supplies are. He'll just grab whatever he needs and be on his way once more.]