[closed] 🌱🏛️ quiz, vol. 01

[indispensable]

Who: Alhaitham & Kaveh
Status: Closed :]
Where: Everywhere (wherever the prompts take them)
What: A pair of roommates get very busy in the month of February
Warnings: The warning you need in seeing two men pine for each other so hard they grow an entire forest.

&

FEBRUARY 2024

→ 🌱 a tale of birthday shenanigans
→ 🏛️ dragonapping aftermath
→ 🌱 treading grounds, both new & old
→ 🏛️ zombie mermaids, round 3

code | gifs

Comments

FEBRUARY 11TH | BEAUTY BANDITRY

[indispensable]

[Despite the time that he has been here thus far, Naughtilust has never really been a place that has caught Alhaitham's interest in the slightest.

Certainly, he knows the existence of the place and yes, he knows why its there, but for him those things have more or less been nothing more than near-negligible information for him to have. Needs of a sexual nature have never been his top priority by any means, though he knows it is not the same for others. Kaveh, for instance, tends to be far more upfront with his desires from what he remembers—something that Alhaitham doesn't really quite experience, certain unnamed incidents notwithstanding.

...all of this is to say that this particular job that they have taken has been somewhat surprising on many levels—from the nature of the stolen goods to the discovery of the culprit himself, alongside his motivations.

Which now brings them to the present, as they are back to exactly where they've started: right smack in the center of Naughtilust itself, their culprit looking somewhat smug and pleased after voicing out his conditions for returning the stolen goods, as if convinced of the fact that he will have his way.

It's that, combined with the fact that Alhaitham at this point just kind of wants this job over and done with, that he simply says—] Sure.

[There is a pause now as the crowd that has gathered to watch this drama unfold find themselves caught off guard. Surely this supposed specimen of full on masculinity did not just agree to let himself be dolled up with make up? Most others like him would not at all!

A murmur breaks through the crowd now but Alhaitham pays it no mind, arms crossed over his chest as he waits to see how the other party wants to enact this supposed challenge of his.]

oh here we go

[empyrean_mirror]

[This wasn't--exactly how Kaveh wanted to spend this particular day, but picking up a job meant they could spend more money on meats and he'd agreed he'd let Alhaitham buy a decoration with his share, with no complaining until the 11th was over. This bringing him onto the Naughtilust was...a little harrowing, but at least no one here recognized him.

He didn't quiet expect Alhaitham to agree to the demands made of them so quickly, but now that he had....

Kaveh sighs.]

Bring me a clean, damp cloth. [He says to one of the onlookers, and then picks up some of the palettes.]

Mmm...green or blue?

[They didn't have the shade of red both of them favored, so he decided it'd be better to compliment Alhaitham's eye color.]

rubs hands in glee

[indispensable]

[Alhaitham glances over to the palettes when Kaveh holds them up for him to see. Not that it really amounts to anything, since Alhaitham has long proven himself to hold none of the same sense of aesthetics that his senior possesses. Even so, between the two choices that Kaveh picks out the decision is fairly obvious.]

Green.

[Did you even think he'd actually pick blue for even a single second, Kaveh.]

the gay...the gay is happening.

[empyrean_mirror]

[He didn't, but he also knows it's important to present Alhaitham with choices or he starts to get cranky. So he just hums and nods, and takes a couple of his hairclips out of his hair, stepping forward to brush Alhaitham's bangs back and out of his face.]

...This is starting to get long. We'll need to trim it later.

[Kaveh remarks it almost to himself--his own hair is honestly much more in need of a trim after four months--but he'll take the cloth he's been brought and set to gently washing off the kohl Alhaitham is already wearing.]

the gay we all deserve

[indispensable]

[Being able to choose certainly helps, and unconsciously Alhaitham is able to relax a little when he feels Kaveh's fingers thread through his hair in order to brush his bangs back.]

Mmn. [A small hum to acknowledge Kaveh's words even if they weren't quite meant for him, and then Alhaitham slides his eyes shut when Kaveh goes to wipe off the kohl that Alhaitham puts on every morning, easily trusting his senior to do what is needed to accomplish their goal here.]

the gay we've fought for...

[empyrean_mirror]

[There's a lot of murmuring and tittering from the gathered crowd, as Kaveh gently washes Alhaitham's face clean and then uses the dry side of the cloth to clean away the dampness before picking up the selected palette.]

...I'm showing off a bit to make our point, so bear with it.

[After all, the demand was to prove their skill, and Kaveh never backs down from a challenge. Still, he won't go too wild, knowing Alhaitham's preferences, selecting a deep dark green to line his eyes with a bright splash of teal under that sharp winged eyeliner...perhaps just a bit of jade over the tops of the lids.

His hands are steady as always, and so gentle, even as he rests one hand on Alhaitham's jaw to turn his head just so, when he needs to. It's rather nostalgic, honestly.]

the gay that will always be there

[indispensable]

[The warning is appreciated, and being aware of what Kaveh is planning now means that Alhaitham is perfectly prepared for the sensation of the eyeliner brush that strokes across the thin, somewhat sensitive skin of his close eyelids as Kaveh begins his task of applying the necessary make up on Alhaitham to appease their target.

...despite the fact that it has been a fairly long time since Kaveh has done this for him its surprisingly easy to fall back into the old patterns they used to have, back when they were so much younger. Alhaitham is steady and still as a statue as Kaveh does his work, and though the architect's fingers on his skin are as transient as the brush of a butterfly's wings it is more than enough for Alhaitham to follow his cues where needed, turning his head left and right as instructed without so much as a grumble or complaint.

There are many things that Alhaitham has opinions about when it comes to Kaveh, but in this there is nothing for him to doubt. He has full confidence in what his senior is doing and thus has no issue with following his instructions here, at least in this instance.]

Somewhere between February 13th and February 18th | The Aftermath

[empyrean_mirror]

[So, look. After Kaveh got snatched by dragons a...few times it was generally agreed that he'd go back to Eltrut and stay put instead of being walking dragon-bait. Kaveh really only had a few token protests about it--in truth he felt pretty guilty about the mess, so he'd mostly been behaving himself by tinkering on a variety of projects.

But the pantry waits for no man. Kaveh has spent the morning looking through the cupboards to put together a list...surely it's fine if he doesn't go wake Alhaitham up, isn't it? Sure, he's still got the magic coffee cup ready and he's not intentionally hiding what he's doing but...it's just down the street? They need groceries?? It's surely fine, right?

...Right?]

enter one manchild

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[Wrong.]

Kaveh?

[It'd been a mumble at first, but Alhaitham is now calling out for his senior properly once he'd fully rosed from slumber to see that the architect isn't in bed with him. That by itself isn't anything particularly new, but usually there'd be some sort of noise going on elsewhere in the house that'd let him know that Kaveh is still around. In this particular instance, however, he doesn't hear anything, and its enough to get him out of bed and wandering around the house as he tries to find where Kaveh might be.

(Not outside, hopefully. There are too many possibilities where Kaveh could be once he's outside and Alhaitham can't feasibly get to them all.)

Luckily for him—and probably not so lucky for Kaveh—Alhaitham quickly finds him at the kitchen, apparently in the middle of consulting the pantry. The sight of his senior immediately eases off the tension that had been building up inside him, and Alhaitham lets out a quiet sigh of thinly-veiled relief.]

There you are. [He murmurs, and now assured he goes to brush past Kaveh in order to pick up the magic coffee cup for a much needed drink to fully kick himself into gear. While lazing around is also good it also means that he can't keep an eye on Kaveh if his senior doesn't want to stay in bed with him, so he'll have to settle.]

his overgrown cat...

[empyrean_mirror]

Oh, you're awake already...

[Kaveh lets him grab the cup without complaint--he'd had his own coffee earlier, but he is continuing to write out the list of groceries they need. Frankly, it's a little long, since it'd been put off for a while...but going out to eat is probably out of the question, and it's not like Kaveh's going to call crewmates to bring them groceries.

Alhaitham's a reasonable, logical man. He surely understands this.]

Your sleep schedule's starting to look like mine used to.

can't be a cat when you don't pet him enough!!

[indispensable]

[As useful as the infinite mug of coffee is, Alhaitham has to admit that its one downside is that the coffee it produces is not quite to his taste—which, to be fair, shouldn't be that much of a surprise, considering how its most likely tailored to Kaveh's likes. But coffee is coffee and Alhaitham isn't going to complain about that, especially when he doesn't need to go through the trouble of making it.

He takes a couple more drinks, just so he can feel the caffeine really starting to kick in, only responding to Kaveh after placing the mug back down.] Well, its not like I have a job to report to here.

[...or much of anything, really, which Alhaitham certainly doesn't mind in the slightest, not when there are a multitude of other things about this world that has his interest. He doubts he'll be bored of them anytime soon either, which is always a good thing.]

bruh you have to ask for pets to get pets

[empyrean_mirror]

Don't let Cid ever hear you say that.

[Kaveh snorts, but pauses, tapping his pen idly against the paper in thought.]

Mmm...should we get actual coffee grounds? We'd have to get an actual grinder, too.

well then pet him senior :C don't go out

[indispensable]

[Alhaitam goes closer to Kaveh now, close enough so that he can peer over his senior's shoulder to see what he has written down for this supposed grocery list so far.]

I'm not carrying a bag of coffee grounds and a grinder by myself. [Because clearly the plan here is that Alhaitham is going to do all the shopping by himself, right?

...right?]

Later that evening | Aftermath of an aftermath

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[Needless to say, the rest of the day does not go very well for Alhaitham.

Still, even if one were to actually ask him how the aforementioned day went, Alhaitham would not be able to answer. Though he does not shy away from emotions or have the desire to turn them away (he can never, not really—emotions are, ultimately, a core aspect of humanity), it does not necessarily mean that he understands them in the way that Kaveh does. His senior, perhaps, might have a name to this thorny, prickly sensation that rests in his gut and lodges itself in his throat, but Alhaitham does not. The only thing he knows is that how uncomfortable all of this feels, and how much he wants it gone as quickly as possible. Yet he knows the only solution to achieve that is Kaveh himself, to settle whatever it is that has come between them.

It is not the first time they have argued like this. It will not be the last time they will argue, either. Alhaitham knows better than to expect otherwise, and yet...

There has only been a handful of times when he'd felt this discomforting sensation, and when it comes down to it he hadn't really so much as 'resolved' them as much as putting them aside and making a note to not tread down that path again. But even he knows that is only delaying the inventible rather than actually fixing the issue. It might be fine for now, but its nowhere near a foolproof method; if this song and dance happens enough times eventually there'll be a time where every path might easily lead to a route that should be avoided and all of this will happen again.

But what else can he do? He doesn't want to end up saying or doing anything that will only serve to activate Kaveh's misplaced sense of guilt, even if he has been getting better about that since the Interdarshan Tournament. Since he'd come to known that he has nothing to blame about himself in regards to his father's death, and things between them had been getting better in some ways...

Perhaps... perhaps he can take a chance, somehow. Things aren't the same between them as they were before—that much he can recognize, and their time in this world thus far has changed things even further. Back in Sumeru there'd been undeniably some sort of status quo that the both of them hadn't touched upon, but since arriving here it'd undeniably shifted in ways he doesn't quite know how to describe. And not so long ago it'd all felt fine, and now—

The streetlamps flickering on nearby draw his attention out from the swirling recesses in his mind. The lamps turning themselves on mean that its already nighttime, which means he'd pretty much spent the whole day outside after having stormed out not long after his argument with Kaveh. There's certainly a level of hypocrisy here in where he'd ended up staying out the whole day after telling Kaveh to stay inside, but that hardly matters as much as everything else that still lingers in his mind.

Whatever the case, and despite his still uncertain feelings on the whole situation, Alhaitham doesn't want to end the day on a bad note. So he goes to the bar where he'd gone to pick up Kaveh in the past when his senior went drinking with Lyney (he'd still gotten the address saved, even until now) and buys a six pack of the wine he remembers Kaveh had been drinking the other time to bring back.

From there the walk back to the house doesn't take very long, even if mostly unfamiliar since the last time they were still living in the provided apartments. But he gets there, eventually, and its hard to ignore the way his heart pounds once the house becomes visible in the distance and gets closer with every step taken.

...running away is not something he ever intends to do, however, so Alhaitham resolves himself and walks that last bit of distance to the front door, opening it up with his keys and then stepping in before he can second guess himself. He shuts the door behind him once he's in, putting the six-pack down on the floor so that he can take out his footwear first before doing anything else.]

stupid gay drama hours ft. alhaitham and kaveh

[empyrean_mirror]

[The house is quiet, quiet enough it might serve to make certain people anxious, but--Kaveh's shoes are in their spot by the door so he must be home. And the kitchen is stocked again, which does prove despite everything the man did go and get the required groceries--with the coffee beans and new grinder left out on the counter.

He never consciously means to, but the man can wield guilt like a blade.

Truth is, he'd gone after a while when it was clear Alhaitham wasn't coming back. And then when he went and came back and Alhaitham still wasn't home...well...Kaveh remembered all of a sudden that Alhaitham doesn't have to stay. That there are any number of options and it's not like he needed Kaveh's help with any of it. That was a cold thought, and he wanted to be angry, but he couldn't. Just cold, and a little scared. Had he already ruined everything? But all he wanted was to be told what was going on. Why had that been wrong?

"And since when have you cared what goes on in my head?"

...Maybe he really does deserve this. Maybe he ruined everything beyond repair a long time ago. Maybe the universe just gave him hope as a reminder of the things he's never going to have again.

To say Kaveh has taken the day alone in the house badly would be a bit of an understatement, in other words. He can be found, eventually, curled up on the couch brought from home, listless and mostly unmoving, staring at the wear of the wears visible on the wooden back, fingers rubbing over a particular barely-visible stain and remembering the half-drunken argument at four am that had poured a glass of wine down the back of the couch in a fit of enthusiastic gesticulating.

...Clearly, he didn't hear the door open.]

the gayest drama

[indispensable]

[Considering how they'd parted ways in the morning Alhaitham isn't terribly surprised by the lack of any kind of greeting from Kaveh, or the silence of the house in general. If anything said silence only reminds him of the time in his life before he'd found Kaveh in the tavern that fateful night, where every morning and night had been just like this—too quiet, too cold, too much... nothing.

He didn't think he'd feel it again, after all this time—and in a world that is not even Teyvat, to boot, which only makes everything so much worse. At least back in Sumeru there is something of the familiar to comfort him. Here, there is none of that, save for a few snatches of things here and there, and then—Kaveh.

Once he's relieved himself of his footwear Alhaitham picks the six pack from the floor as he straightens back up, heading towards the kitchen first in order to put it away where he knows Kaveh will be able to see it. As he does that he sees that the pantry has been restocked, and a brand new coffee grinder is set on the counter. Guess Kaveh did go out to buy everything, after all.

The knot Alhaitham thought he'd managed to will away for the most part now returns with a vengeance. He stares at the newly acquired appliance for a bit before forcing himself to turn away. He'll... deal with that later.

Once the wines have been properly kept Alhaitham ventures out into the living room, where it does not take long for him to see where Kaveh has settled himself onto. The architect is lying on his side facing the back of the couch, a finger rubbing over a spot that he's staring at but seemingly doing little else. Alhaitham wonders how long he's been here like this, and if he's eaten at all; he's has only managed a few finger foods at best on his own end, his own appetite more or less ruined for the day.

It would easy enough to leave Kaveh like this is he truly desired it, for the both of them to continue stewing like this, but Alhaitham doesn't want that between them, so he goes to cautiously settle at the end of the couch, in the space where Kaveh's legs bend at his knees.]

...Kaveh. [He starts, quiet—almost hesitant. He wouldn't be surprised if Kaveh doesn't want to listen to him, but he isn't going to just give up before he's even tried.] ...have you eaten anything?

they're so stupid...

[empyrean_mirror]

[Kaveh jolts a bit, shocked out of his thoughts by the presence of a warm body and then a voice he hadn't expected to hear. Part of him, a part that always tells him he will wind up alone again, had already started convincing him Alhaitham wasn't coming back. Which, objectively, is completely ridiculous--they'd had worse fights, and hadn't it always been Kaveh who leaves?

...Maybe that's why this was so unsettling.]

What-- [How late is it? When the room get so dark? What the hell has Alhaitham been doing all day? And who the hell is he, to come back and nag at him after walking out like that? Bitter anger is right at the back of Kaveh's throat, but--he doesn't want to fight. He didn't this morning, either. So after being startled into turning to look at Alhaitham, he just...rolls back over.]

...I don't remember.

[There's no point in lying now. The groceries are put away but he hadn't bothered to do much else.]

they're discovering emotions...........

[indispensable]

[When Kaveh turns to look at him Alhaitham gets to see the state of Kaveh's face, which... is not the best frankly. He can see the how red-rimmed they are, the clear signs of tear tracks that weren't quite properly rubbed away, and his hair is in utter disarray from presumably having been lying down for most of the day.

More than anything else, seeing Kaveh like this only ignites Alhaitham's desire to grab Kaveh and pull him in close like how they've been doing every night in bed, and his fingers twitch with that want. He wants, but he knows that it probably won't be received well at all, and so he doesn't do it.

Kaveh stares at him for a moment then before rolling back over, his intention to be left alone clear. Alhaitham is left straddling the line between trying to push more or leaving Kaveh alone again... but as he said, he would like to not end this day on a bad note, and so he chooses the former option.]

...I'll get you something to eat. [He thinks about mentioning the wine for a moment before deciding against it; he doesn't want to... purposefully bribe Kaveh into forgiveness, at least not know. Alhaitham knows in a way he deserves this, since he'd been the one who ultimately lashed out.] Are biscuits alright?

maybe they'll discover communication one day....

[empyrean_mirror]

...Yeah, that's fine.

[Truth is, he isn't really hungry, but he'll take the offering for what it is, anyway. He can't rub at his face or try and fix the mess of his hair without sitting up, and he doesn't want to admit how upset he was because--really. It's pathetic, isn't it? It's just a fight. They fight all the time. It's one of the first things anybody in Sumeru knows about Alhaitham, and like maybe the third thing anybody knows about Kaveh.]

Near the End of February | 23rd-25th | Zombire Mermaids

[empyrean_mirror]

[Well, this was all probably a terrible idea.

The problem really was that the latest round of zombie mermaid sightings were, unfortunately, not far from their house, merely an hour or two boat ride from the nearest dock, and Kaveh, very reasonably (he feels) suggested they should probably deal with it themselves instead of waiting for them to migrate closer. Solve the problem, get the reward, absolutely do not get bitten, test the latest adjustment of Alhaitham's earpieces for seasickness before they have to go off on a grand adventure with Cid.

There's something else Kaveh would like to test, of course. He's not sure how well it'll work. Maybe if they're lucky he won't need to. But...well.

He is fiddling with something, as they head for the docks--Kaveh secured a boat to borrow after repairing the engine for a local, which he'd done free of cost because he could--and now they just need to go but. Well, he's a little nervous, okay? The undead isn't a thing in Teyvat.]

doing what homies do, take out the local wildlife

[indispensable]

[If Alhaitham were asked about this he would not be able to fully recount the series of events that have led him here, but at the same time there is no denying the reality of what is currently happening—and what they are about to do.

...at least this won't be his first time dealing with these creatures, and Kaveh has treated enough people from the bites that they give that he knows to be appropriately wary of them. As long as they stay careful and do it quick enough there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

Still, the sight of Kaveh's constant fiddling is a point of concern, since that is usually indicative that there is something nagging at his senior's mind. Usually Alhaitham is fine with letting it slide, knowing that Kaveh doesn't take well to being prodded about it, but given what they're going to do its best to go into it with as little distractions as possible.]

We don't have to do it today, you know.

[He makes this remark even as they get closer to the dock where their borrowed boat is at. The targets are still relatively far, and it'll probably be a while before they move; they can come back to this another day, when Kaveh doesn't have something on his mind to make him fidget about this badly.]

decimating the local ecosystem one mermaid at a time

[empyrean_mirror]

...No, it'll just be worse if we put it off.

[He sighs a little bit, and rubs at a temple. Alright, get it together, Kaveh. Let's get on this boat and do this. he even brought his own little earplugs! He's prepared!!]

The more we can test in one go, the less we have to worry about arranging later.

at least its something that the people want gone

[indispensable]

[Alhaitham sends over a brief, considering look at Kaveh's response, eyes flickering between his face and his hand as he watches the way his senior rubs at one of his temples and sighs. Part of him wants to protest a bit more, but its clear that Kaveh isn't going to back down—and truthfully, he supposes he doesn't have a really good reason to stop this either. There are a fair amount of valid reasons as to why they have to do this, after all...

He supposes all he can do now is to just be more careful, and ensure that things don't go completely haywire. They should be able to handle that much at the very least.]

...alright, if you say so. [A small nod here as he acquiesces, then a brief pause before he tacks on—] But you're free to change your mind at anytime.

what who doesn't want rotting murderous fishlady in the yard

[empyrean_mirror]

It's fine, I'm fine...

[He does sigh again, but it's time to get into the boat.]

Worry about yourself for the moment, I'm not good enough at steering these to make it a smooth ride.

[Technically, it is Mehrak doing the driving, but her ability to do so is limited by the one who programmed her, so...the warning stands.]

certainly not alhaitham, it makes him gag in the unsexy way

[indispensable]

[Alhaitham makes a face at the warning, as much as it is fairly necessary. Given his continued predisposition to motion sickness he has done his best to avoid as much sea travel as possible, but there is only so long he can avoid it for... it'd be nice if there was some kind of easy fix, but he supposes for all the convivence that this place has given, it also has some limits of his own.

Regardless, seeing as how this is pretty much their only mode of transport, Alhaitham can do nothing else but suck it up and deal with this. He lets out an aggrieved sigh of his own, already not liking this, but gets on board after a pause, making his way to settle down close to the front of the boat. With luck the trip over won't affect him too badly... but that's never a guarantee.]