[closed] 🌱🏛️ quiz, vol. 03

[indispensable]

Who: Alhaitham & Kaveh
Status: Closed
Where: Their home in Eltrut, the Roost and some other places
What: Just roommates being roommates
Warnings: 🏳️‍🌈 and also mild NSFW warnings, don't say I didn't warn you.

&

APRIL/MAY 2024

→ 🌱️ mixed emotions, fixed devotions
→ 🏛️ in the shade of trees
→ 🏛️ gentle song and treasured memories
→ 🏛️ I want to feel your heart right now
→ 🌱️ you keep waiting for something called love
→ 🏛️ the only truth that has existed

code | gif 1 | gif 2

Comments

an 'anonymous' response | early/mid april | mild nsfw ahoy

[indispensable]

[To say that Kaveh was being subtle at all would be a massive understatement, honestly. If the fact that he didn't even bother to answer the first two questions on his survey wasn't already obvious enough, his responses to said questions had easily been the cincher. Why Kaveh even bothered to be anonymous if he was going to be so blatantly obvious anyway is beyond him.

Still, despite the failed attempt at anonymity, and the parts of his responses that Alhaitham makes a note to poke his senior about when he least expects it, the rest of what he says resonates with Alhaitham in a way that he hadn't quite expected at all. In retrospect it perhaps should not be so surprising, given his awareness of Kaveh's feelings for him, but it is still something to see it written so clearly to him now, under that thinly veiled veneer of his usual brand of irritation. To see all of those, and to read them—and especially the part where Kaveh said that Alhaitham felt like home...

It's hard to describe, exactly, the deluge of emotions that'd come over him them—an unfathomable sensation no words can truly describe. All Alhaitham had known then was that he needed to find Kaveh and speak with him about this, regardless of whatever comes out of it.

And as it turns out, what comes out of it is something that neither of them can truly regret.

If ever asked about it, Alhaitham would blame it on the flush that'd come onto Kaveh's face as soon as he went to tease his senior about the blatantly obvious response that he'd left on his survey. He's never been good at resisting his urges when it comes to almost anything with Kaveh, and this instance had been no different. He'd honestly meant to stop at a single kiss, but then Kaveh went to wrap his arms around his shoulders to pull him back in and, well. Despite what people may think of him, he is just as human as anyone else, with his own wants and desires, and Kaveh has always been irresistible in every possible way and then some.

Now, a fair amount of time later, they lie satisfied in bed, the afterglow still radiating off the both of them. Alhaitham is quick to pull Kaveh into his arms as soon as they're both settled, taking his much deserved reward after having had to deal with the necessary clean up from their... activities.]

Next time, just tell me instead of going about such a convoluted manner. [He huffs out the admonishment, but there's no hiding the fondness in his voice as he nuzzles into Kaveh's hair.]

kicking this one off with sin huh

[empyrean_mirror]

[It's not as though Kaveh had really anonymized his response to hide it from Alhaitham. Not really. Mostly, he hoped not to be so obvious to people like Heizou or Sherlock, by being anonymous and several days late. After all...as a senior scholar, shouldn't he respond to this research?

...Honestly he hadn't actually meant to hit send at all, but he'd clicked it in a moment of impulsivity. For once, that's turned out quite well for him, even if he's still a little sore after being cleaned up. He'd never expected Alhaitham to respond with such...enthusiasm.

Responding so vigorously and immediately...really. This man is bad for his heart.]

If you're going to respond like this, maybe I'll make it more convoluted. You certainly aren't doing much to discourage it. [He cracks an eye open, even as he arranges himself to be more comfortably draped across Alhaitham's chest.]

You have work to do if you want me to be direct, don't you?

is it really sin when its set after the sinning

[indispensable]

[Alhaitham has no qualms at all about Kaveh making himself more comfortable—and in fact even encourages it, mostly by humming his approval once Kaveh has settled back down, one hand coming over to run it down the other's back, idly petting him.]

And I've been working very hard. Do I not deserve a break from time to time?

[Asks this guilelessly, and without batting an eyelid. He is indeed still busy trying to figure out his 'research' when he can, but even for a personal project he knows the importance of rest. He won't be able to fully commit to it if he keeps on chugging without pause.]

this assumes they cannot sin again

[empyrean_mirror]

I'm not saying you don't. I am saying that you have to complete the work before I reward you for it.

[Which is a roundabout way of saying Kaveh is terribly embarrassed by the whole thing and he's not saying those things again until he hears them back, a reasonable demand from a man with self-respect and not a desperate need to have everything confirmed lest he embarrass himself by misunderstanding.

Because he still could be! How could he be so vain as to assume the answer before it's stated? ...Even if Kaveh cannot think of any other explanation for this behavior. He just can't think of why he would have been the one who moved this man so much. What has he ever done to deserve it?

...He's been thinking and quiet too long, hasn't he? Oh no.]

I know better than to assume you'll work at anything but the pace you deem correct.

they won't... surely they won't... right...

[indispensable]

Hmmm.

[There's a hum of agreement from Alhaitham there, if only because there's not really anything that he can disagree with his senior there. He continues to run his hand up and down Kaveh's back, stroking down his spine and feeling how his fingers run over the knobs with each pass.]

Are you sure you want to wait until then? You're hardly any better in restraining yourself. [There's a brief tease to his words there, but only because he knows that his senior can't deny he's saying. Kaveh initiates their trysts just as much as Alhaitham himself does, these days, and its not like Kaveh ever asks him to really stop during the times where Alhaitham does get things started. Of course, Alhaitham is the same, but again—he's never been one to deny himself of the things that he enjoys. And doing this with Kaveh is very high on said list of things that he likes.]

In The Shade of the Tree | First Tide Festival

[empyrean_mirror]

[Kaveh had been thinking about this since he'd first heard about the festival.

The idea of a Tree that blooms once a year, and a sacred promise made under it...well, it's terribly romantic, but also feels like the kind of story they'd tell in Sumeru, so it's terribly nostalgic. So of course, Kaveh had purchased the potions (they're almost certainly just themed drinks, aren't they?), collected picnic supplies, and cajoled, wheedled, whined, pleaded and demanded Alhaitham come with him. He'd picked a time close to midnight as the tree blooms (with the promise of bribery and that there'd be far fewer people there at that hour) and set out their food and the potions. And if he'd worn the faerie silk cloak and maybe tied his hair a little differently and been a little nervous about it, well.

It's not like he expects anything. Alhaitham moves at his own pace, especially when it comes to research. But he can't say he doesn't have certain hopes. And even aside from that...the distraction from the rest of the month's....troubles is welcome.

All of this is to say, he's quite fidgety, now that he's under the tree's branches.]

[indispensable]

[Festivals have and will never be a thing for Alhaitham, but he would be living under a rock if he hasn't heard anything about the tree at the very least, and Kaveh's house is anything else but a rock.

...aside from that, Dehya's advice hasn't exactly been lost since she offered it to him, but actually putting it to use had been another thing entirely. It's one thing to figure out the 'right mood and setting', and then another to... say the stuff he'd told Kaveh before? Alhaitham frankly still doesn't know how that's going to work out given the context of everything that happened after, but he figures he can cross that bridge when he gets there. There's no point dwelling about it anyway when everything else is still up in the air.

But perhaps inevitably, Kaveh ends up being the reason why they go to the tree at the end, the outing born from a fit of restlessness stemming from recent events. That much isn't new, since they'd done their fair share of late night sojourns in the past when they were students and needed the break from their studies. So in that sense all of this is somewhat nostalgic, at least for him.

He wonders if that sense of nostalgia is why Kaveh had opted to dress a little differently than usual, considering what many of said late night sojourns tended to lead into. Alhaitham would ask, but its clear that his senior is being antsy and anxious about something which is... well. He may not know much about romance, but even he would be blind to not see the mood that is trying to be set here, especially with the romanticism that comes with the stories of the tree itself.

Is tonight where Kaveh wants his answer, then? The setting is certainly right for it, but to say that Alhaitham himself is ready would not be accurate. Sure, he'd been trying and testing a few things on his end, but none of them had felt right. He knows better than to try and rush this, not with how important it is, but if Kaveh really wants to hear something tonight, then...

He takes a moment to pat at the spot of his coat where a certain piece of paper has been tucked in the folds of it, ensuring that its there as he glances at their surroundings. They'd arrived at the tree, and just as Kaveh had predicted its late enough that there isn't much in the way of people... but still enough that it feels like the best spots to sit have already been all taken.

He drops his hand then and looks over to Kaveh with a questioning look. They're here now, so its up to him to call the shots.]

[empyrean_mirror]

[Kaveh sees that look, the way Alhaitham glances at the crowd, though he is curious about how fidgety the man is being. No matter. Kaveh is a child of Sumeru City, and there's one trick that no one else here seems quite willing to do.

Which is why he almost giggles before putting a finger to his lips--and then pointing upwards, into the broad branches of the tree itself. He'd checked earlier, and there is plenty of space to even spread out a blanket there. Climbing up trees isn't hard for either of them, after all, and if no one else will take advantage of that, Kaveh absolutely will.

Now, he didn't intend for teleportation to be part of this plan...]

[indispensable]

[Kaveh's response takes Alhaitham a little by surprise at first, mostly from the sudden playfulness of it—but it clicks to him as soon as his senior gestures upwards at the branches, and Alhaitham can't help but let out a small snort at this so-called 'plan'.]

If that's what you want, then make sure to hold on tight.

[Kaveh may not have intended for teleportation to be part of the plan but Alhaitham is absolutely assuming otherwise, which is why Kaveh gets that one warning before he's scooped up into Alhaitham's arms, picnic basket and all, and the world displaces around them with a blur as he brings them up to the closest and most solid branch that he'd spotted from his brief glance earlier.

He glances at his senior after reaching at said branch, giving the other a pointed look.] You're going to have to wait if you want to do this on another branch.

gentle song and treasured memories | between april 29th and may 2nd

[empyrean_mirror]

[To be honest, this had been a bit of an impulse.

Kaveh's logic had been something along the lines that if certain people kept insisting he did things other than work all the time, he was going to fall back on things he knows and likes. And if he's going to play music, rather than try and find a new dutar here, why not just get his, which is tuned the way he likes it?

And if he's going to get his, well, it's part of a matched set, he shouldn't separate them....

Of course, now, sitting on the couch and checking the tuning on his dutar, while it's match sits on the cushion next to him awaiting attention, Kaveh is now inexplicably nervous. What if Alhaitham thinks this was a waste of dubloons? What if he takes it as settling down roots, to keep bringing things from home? What if, what if, what if--

What if he tunes too tight and snaps a string. Ow. Good thing he got spares...]

[indispensable]

[It's one of the days where Alhaitham had decided to step out for a walk, for as much as he does like staying in the house and lounging about its really only half of the fun when he's by himself. Kaveh had left earlier in the morning, saying he had something on, and while that's far from the first time it has happened something about this feels... different, compared to the other times. Or maybe its just him.

Regardless, the fact remains true that staying around indoors isn't going to do anything else for him, so outside is where he goes to kill some time. They're still good on groceries for the most part but he could get a few of his more preferred things, and then he could perhaps poke about the nearby bookstore to see if anything interesting comes his way...

He does exactly both of those things, which end up taking a bit more time than expected, so when he comes back home he's not wholly surprised to see that Kaveh is back, as evidenced by his footwear at the rack.

What does take him by surprise, however, is the unexpected twang and snap of what is clear a stringed instrument—and not just a general one either. No, he can still recognize that distinct sound print even though it has been a while since the last time, and that realization is enough for him to quickly get out of his boots so that he can step into the living room and see for himself if his hunch turns out to be true—

—which of course, it is.

Rather than saying anything right out of the gate, however, Alhaitham simply stares at the familiar pair of instruments that are now present in the room—the one in Kaveh's hands, followed by its pair that sits right next to the other man.]

[empyrean_mirror]

[Kaveh is still grumbling to himself as he pulls the broken string free and begins putting the fresh string in place, so Mehrak is the one who greets Alhaitham first with a cheerful beep. Kaveh doesn't even look up from his task.]

If you have criticisms, they're going to have to wait for the next two minutes, I can't argue with you until this is finished.

[There's not any real heat to it, besides his obvious irritation at the broken string.]

[indispensable]

[Alhaitham gives Mehrak a passing glance in acknowledgement but doesn't say or do much else (look, the less he goes to treat Mehrak as a possible sentient being the easier it is to claim plausible deniability if it ever comes up okay), instead walking over to sit on one of the other couches next to the divan it is more or less fully occupied at the moment.]

After such a long period of disuse, did you really think that the strings wouldn't need to be replaced?

[He asks this with a mild but still rather pointed arch of his eyebrow.]

I want to feel your heart right now | after Garuda

[empyrean_mirror]

[Well, this is pretty uniformly shit.

To be honest, if he was asked about it later, Kaveh couldn't really remember much of how they got Alhaitham home. He knows Dehya carried him this far, and at some point a doctor was called to properly set Alhaitham's arm in a cast and sling. No one with healing magic isn't busy helping people far more severely wounded, so the best Kaveh's got is a bag of herbal teas for the pain. He hasn't brewed any yet, because here he waits, at the side of the bed, watching the rise and fall of Alhaitham's chest as a reminder that he survived.

...he can't bring himself to move, so he waits. He needs answers to what happened today but--right now, he waits.]

[indispensable]

[Fortunately for Kaveh, this particular wait is one that does not stretch for much longer, for soon enough the architect will both see and hear the telltale signs of Alhaitham rousing back up from his latest medically-induced slumber. It's not something that usually would've been needed, but it hadn't taken long for the pain to fully set in after the initial adrenaline had faded from the chaos of everything that'd transpired, and once that'd happened lucidity had become a hard thing to grasp. The blissful oblivion of unconsciousness had been a welcoming thing by the time he'd been made to sleep, though he's pretty sure he'd felt himself holding onto something before he'd slipped under.

Its that same hand which twitches first, trying to grasp for something which is no longer there, and when he realizes that is the case immediately tries to reach further, only to stop and hiss at the pain that sears through one half of his body the second he attempts to move his broken arm, having acted on nothing else but old habits that do not take the present state of things into account. Alhaitham does immediately stop, but the damage has been done, and despite the pain having been a surefire way to wake up the rest of his mind now he needs a minute to recover from that less than stellar sensation.]

[empyrean_mirror]

Alhaitham?

[The sound immediately jolts Kaveh into movement, upon the realization Alhaitham is awake, and hearing that hiss has him even more worried. He leans foward, smoothing Alhaitham's hair back from his face, trying to settle him back down.]

Ahh, don't move. I'm right here.

[Alhaitham hadn't been terribly lucid when he fell asleep, and so Kaveh feels the need to reassure him they are not still in a combat situation. Kaveh's here, and fine.]

[indispensable]

[The warm press of a familiar had against his face is more than enough to draw Alhaitham's attention, and he tilts his head the best he can in order to better feel that warmth. The warmth that can really only come from one person, especially when he hears the voice that tries to soothe him.]

K'veh.

[He mumbles, rasping out the name of his senior, slowly forcing his eyes open so that he can see the other for himself even through bleary vision and know for sure that it is indeed Kaveh who is here with him. The stuff that happened up there in the sky, with whatever it is that Benedikta had become... there's still a part of him that feels detached from all that had transpired, but more than anything else, he just wants to be sure that Kaveh is safe. Safe and sound and unharmed.]

you keep waiting for something called love | ten-ish days after garuda

[indispensable]

[Honestly, this had been really just a matter of time.

Injuries aren't new for Alhaitham, but this is the first time where he'd been injured to the point when he'd needed this amount of bedrest. After all the worst he'd gotten was a concussion from his ploy with Azar, and that'd been managed quickly enough with some medicine from the Bimarstan and then a good night's rest.

Those same things, unfortunately, do not work as well when he has a broken arm, which is a fact that should've been obvious enough from the get go but it is surprisingly harder to keep such things in mind than one might expect.

Still, there is only so long a daily wipe down can manage to stave off the inevitable, and by ten days in Alhaitham feels just about ready to crawl out of his skin from how awful he feels over not having showered for over a week. The first few days had been easy enough to ignore, given the fact that he'd still been kind of floating in and out of lucidity, but as he'd recovered and in turn regained enough clarity of mind it'd become harder and harder to ignore the stickiness of his skin and the way his clothes have stuck to him. Not even Kaveh's shirt has been spared from that fate.

And as if that hadn't been enough, there is also the stubble that has come to set itself in since he obviously couldn't shave. And while its not as if he hadn't gone without shaving before, it definitely hadn't gone on to this extent—especially when it makes the entire bottom half of his face itch uncontrollably and he can't even scratch it properly because of his current state. It's frustrating beyond belief.

Thus, here he is now in the bathroom, watching with a scowl as Kaveh does all of his usual fussing and then some as his senior sets everything up for a much needed wash. As much as Alhaitham understands why Kaveh feels the need to double check on everything, its only delaying things further, and given that they're already right here he feels his own impatience rising. At this point Alhaitham just wants to get out of these clothes that he'd been wearing for far too long and actually be clean. Is that so much to ask for?]

fussy cat gets a bath

[empyrean_mirror]

Scowling at me will not make this go any faster.

[Kaveh's well aware how cranky Alhaitham's gotten about this, and truth be told, he can't really blame the man. Still, there's not much they can do about this--getting things ready had taken some time, and the shower, while big enough for both of them, isn't designed with the broken arm in mind, so Kaveh set about collecting all the necessary supplies before they're already wet and naked.

The hard part is probably actually getting Alhaitham undressed, at this point. The shirt is easy, but the splint and sling....well, he's gotten the materials for a new splint, along with instructions, but the current ones will get washed in the shower with the rest of him before being changed. The sling will need to come off, though.]

...This might hurt a bit. Ready?

[Shirt off, then peel him out of his pants, then Kaveh can get undressed. He's got the water running and warm, and thank the gods he'd done unspeakable things to the water heater when they moved in.]

also that

[indispensable]

[Scowling won't make it go faster, but it'll certainly help with keeping him from doing anything else that will most likely make an actual mess. Alhaitham's impulse control is nowhere near their usual normal levels at this point in time due to the many things that are already testing his patience.

So rather than saying anything that same scowl simply deepens, Alhaitham ensuring that his impatience comes through clearly even as Kaveh finishes up with his preparations. The very last is the water, which he turns on and lets it run, making sure the temperature is fine before finally turning his attention back to Alhaitham, who is about three seconds away from stepping right into the shower, clothes and all.

But of course, Kaveh won't let him do that, but thankfully they're finally at the part where they can undress and shower; Alhaitham wastes no time in giving the architect a nod at the question, more than ready to get out of his clothes. He's just about desperate enough that he'll willingly bear whatever pain that comes if that means he can finally be free of these clothes that have been on him for far too long.]

the fussiest cat...

[empyrean_mirror]

I know, I know.

[Kaveh knows very well what the look means, so he doesn't waste any time. First the sling comes off, that allows him to carefully thread the shirt around the broken arm. Then the pants and under things, open and pulled down enough Alhaitham can kick them the rest of the way off on his way into the water. Then sidestepping the man as he presumably makes a beeline for said water, so Kaveh can get his own clothes off.

He's lucky they took the absolutely excruciating time it took to peel the man's gloves off while Alhaitham was still largely unconscious.]

the hangover: ultimate edition

[empyrean_mirror]

[Alright, let's review the facts.

The sun is shining through the windows this morning. The birds are chirping. A cool breeze blows off the sea, signaling a calm and beautiful day on Eltrut. Kaveh's head feels like someone drove a divine nail through his eye socket. His mouth is dry. The room spins.

He has absolutely no idea what happened last night.

Kaveh makes a gurgling sound to announce his displeasure and gropes around blindly for his shellphone, trying to keep his eyes closed from the accursed Light.

Perhaps if he can get his shellphone and crawl into the bathroom to die, the gods will have mercy on him?]

:D

[indispensable]

[Last night certainly had been... a lot, to say the least—and if anything is another reminder on why he really shouldn't allow Kaveh to be left to his own devices. At this point it nearly seems to be a given that something which can happen will happen the moment he so much as looks away.

But for better or worse, at least this particular incident has been less worry and more exasperating. The chaos on the Shellphones will eventually be forgotten by most, and the person he'd been drinking with (whatever his name was again—its slipping his mind at the moment) did make the effort to bring his senior back, so ultimately there'd been no harm done. Well, aside from the inventible hangover.

Said hangover is, of course, what Alhaitham had gotten out of bed to prepare for, being no stranger at all the the morning afters that follow his senior's drunken escapades. In fact he still pretty much has it down to a tee, given how he steps into the room not long after Kaveh had finally awoken. He says nothing for now, knowing how sensitive Kaveh is to just about everything right now due to said hangover, but he make sure to make some noise as he places down a glass of water, followed by a cup of tea. Of course those two will hardly be enough for the massive hangover that he knows Kaveh is nursing, but the rest will come as needed.]

hehehe

[empyrean_mirror]

Nngngh....

[That horrible groan was probably one of thanks. Kaveh's hand touches the glass and so he forces himself to sit up to drink it. Eyes still closed, of course, because the world is spinning horribly. he still doesn't know where his shellphone is. Oh gods, he doesn't even care.

He drains the glass of water in seconds. The tea, somewhat more sedately. It does help a little.]

hue hue hue

[indispensable]

[Alhaitham takes the empty glass once Kaveh has drained it of its contents, stepping back out while his senior works on the tea, returning shortly after with the glass having been refilled with more water.]

Breakfast is done when you're ready to get up. [He says, as quietly as possible while he places down the now refilled glass. He knows it'll still be a bit before Kaveh can manage it, and he is fully prepared to shoot down any ideas of eating in bed. They just changed the sheets and he isn't keen on getting them messy again so soon, regardless of the situation.]