escordvi | [semi-open] august island retreat

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[semi-open] august island retreat

Who: Alhaitham + Hideaway Crew
Status: Opened primarily to the Hideaway crew
Where: Mainly The Roost, but other places depending on things~
What: One not a cat man who is totally not sulking whatsoever
Warnings: Probably gay the moment Kaveh gets involved somewhere. You know the drill.

A) up in the gardens (roost gardens)

[After a certain disastarous night out (in Alhaitham's personal opinion, anyway), it becomes clear that something needs to be done to diffuse the building tension and stress that Alhaitham has not been managing very well at all. Thus, a decision is made for them to head over to the Roost to stay there for at least a little bit, with the hope that the physical distance and the change in environment will help with the matter.

Thus the two of them appear back on the Roost somewhere in the first week of August, potentially having dragged a certain Inazuman with them as per Kaveh's insistence, but other than that not really saying anything about it or making much of a show of it at all. The only real difference is perhaps the fact that it becomes clear quickly enough that the two of them are staying here for a much more extended period of time, in contrast to their usual preference of heading back to their house in Eltrut.

Though perhaps the biggest difference is the fact that Alhaitham is staying around the island much more than he usually does, sticking around Kaveh when he's present and toddling off to his own business otherwise when not. That is not to say he doesn't do his fair share of work though, much like right now, where one may find him up working on the gardens of the Roost. Since he's doing manual labor he's shed off his usual cape and detached sleeves, so his arms ~~with their rippling biceps~~ is in full view for all to see as he helps with taking out the weeds, carrying plants over as needed and shoveling out new irrigation channels as planned out by Kaveh. He's usually not one to go out of his way to do manual labor, but some mindless tasks is what he needs right now to serve as a distraction from all the other things in his mind.]

B) an unwanted coupling (gryphon nests/locale)

[Of course, there is much more to the Roost, and the gryphons are part of it, and while Alhaitham also doesn't tend to make his way over here he does perhaps have a bit of a softer spot for the one that'd helped him back during the whole... incident with Garuda. It hadn't been too hard to find that particular gryphon, since it'd taken a bit of a hit that day too, but Alhaitham did his best to show his appreciation according to what he'd learned from the other crew members by gifting it some food and feathers that he'd found back in the stalls on Eltrut.

Unfortunately for him, this has somehow been interpreted as an acceptance of courtship or something along those lines, because that is the only reason as to why Alhaitham is finding himself being subject to the same song and dance he'd seen it do on Kaveh those few months ago.]

...no.

[Alhaitham does his best to be succinct here, hoping that his very simple and direct answer is enough to bring this whole situation to a halt, but apparently that does not seem to be the case. The gryphon only reboubles its efforts, preening itself far more boldly than before, and all Alhaitham can do here in response is to give the creature a patently flat look. Did they not already go through this before? Why is it still trying despite that? They should be more intelligent than this.]

C) everything in its right place (roost library)

[Alhaitham in the library is nothing new or exciting to write about, given his predisposition towards books, and the fact that Kaveh did make sure to build this place with most of his needs and specifications added with everything else. Thus, he is a common enough sight in this particular room, to the point where one could not be blamed for thinking he might simply be living in here.

But on this one particular occasion, when one comes into the library instead, rather than seeing Alhaitham doing his usual reading in the corner he is instead... removing all the books from the shelves. It can either look like he's taking them out from seemingly random spots or emptying a whole shelf entirely, but it doesn't change the fact that he is very much trying to do something, regardless of the time or day or how inconvenient it will be for anyone who comes it with the potential urgent need to grab a book or two from the shelves.]

D) everything else

[Feel free to wildcard up anything else if none of these prompts work! Special shout out to the sacabambaspis pool which is unironically Alhaitham's favorite spot but I couldn't figure out anything for. :c But know that he is very much there lmao.

For other peeps who are not a part of the crew but may want something with Alhaitham, feel free to drop me a comment on the Sail With Me post or hit me up in the discord server! Definitely open to potential MANTA board quests or whatever else that can work. :D]

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[Freminet follows without argument, which in turn sort of brings up a multitude of thoughts within Alhaitham that he may or may not think about and/or explore later. For now all he'll do is to keep his focus on their task of taking down the rest of the these flying sheep, which do indeed become a lot easier to handle once Freminet's Cryo powers get their wings clipped and grounded.

...this, however, does leave the sheep with a considerable amount of pain, so its probably no surprise that they start charging towards them as soon as they can. But a bunch of charging sheep is far easier to handle compared to when they're flying, and the Vision on Alhaitham's shoulder flares in its telltale sign before he uses his flicker, using his skills to make quick work of them.]

[The more that Freminet thought about it, the more he wondered just how powerful he was. Practice, he says, but it must have taken him quiet a considerable amount for him to be like that. Of course, it just made him wonder if he shouldn't charge head on considering he wonders if it would be a matter of time before Alhaitham might notice something...

Regardless, he used his vision to continue to throw more ice toward the sheep. He really didn't want to hurt them as he tried to make them stay in one piece. Placing a wall of ice around one of them, maybe that would make them stop.]

[Despite how things may look the last thing that Alhaitham is doing is to fully put his back right up against a known member of the Fatui. Regardless of his personal opinions about Freminet as a person it doesn't change the fact of his chosen affiliations. Sure, the choice to do so might have not been wholly voluntary as Kaveh kept stressing onto him, but the end result is still the same nonetheless, as far as he's concerned. Should Freminet have tried anything at all, Alhaitham wouldn't have hesitated to return the favor no matter what.

But at least that doesn't seem to be the case, and soon enough most of the sheep have been dealt with. Alhaitham notes that along the way Fremninet had seemingly decided to keep them trapped with walls of ice around them to keep them from moving. Those Alhaitham didn't make the effort to kill, since keeping them stuck there is effectively the same as neutralizing the threat that they present. But given the fact that it is ice, its also not going to hold up forever.

He says as much after dealing with one of the last sheep.] Is that your plan? To keep them trapped like this until they starve?

I...

[No, he didn't intend to. He just hoped that it would get the sheep to stop attacking the others. He didn't want to kill something unless he absolutely has to. He didn't want to create anymore harm than he already had to. Looking at the trapped sheep before him, he didn't have time to think before a couple more were coming their way.

In a desperate attempt to get calm himself, he found himself putting up various ice walls around said sheep to just momentarily stop them in their track. As he did so, he lets out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding.]

...I didn't mean to but I suppose so.

[Because what other way could he address it? Even so, it didn't stop him from flinching at his own words.]

...

[Alhaitham is quiet then from the way Freminet had responded, both verbally and what he chose to do next with his actions. The rest of the sheep get trapped in those ice walls that he creates, so the immediate pressure is taken off them for now and thus allowing Alhaitham to turn his attention over to the young teenager. The Dendro blade in his hand vanishes, scattered fragments of Dendro energy quickly dissipating now that they are no longer needed at the moment, and Alhaitham uses that same hand to run it through his hair as he lets out a sigh.]

...if you have something to say, then do so.

[Unlike Kaveh, Alhaitham is not really one for dancing around anything, for better or worse. He doesn't know exactly if Freminet actually has anything to say to him at all, but he wouldn't be surprised if he did. Better to just give the chance right now instead of having to continue to see him fumble and cower while keeping it all within him. He's seen for himself how that doesn't tend to end well.]

[The thing was, he had so much he wanted to say, he didn't know which was one the best choice. Should he even talk about what happened? Should he even describe the anxiety he felt knowing that Alhaitham probably could attack Lyney or him easily? Or should he even say that he just wished that they would all get along in the end? He didn't even look at Alhaitham in the eyes, he gaze was downward.]

...I was hoping to keep the sheep in place as keeping the others safe.

[He really didn't want to kill unless he just had to. He wasn't working for the Fatui at the moment, so he didn't have to worry about harming anything. But if he had to, then he will.]

I didn't think too much about letting it starve as I was trying to think of another option.

[Alhaitham can tell what Freminet says here is not exactly what he has in mind, but where in the past he might've attempted to try and further encourage the kid to speak his mind, now Alhaitham does not bother with that kind of grace. If that is what the kid chooses, then he isn't going to try and push for more.

As things are, all Alhaitham will actually do is to huff and turn away from him, glancing over to where the sheep are currently trapped.]

And what other options did you have? [He asks, perhaps not so very kindly.] You know that it cannot be let go. But keeping it trapped like this will do nothing but prolong its suffering.

[One can feed it, sure, but considering what its diet has mutated into... well. Alhaitham doubts its something that people would be particularly open to.]

Which is why I know I have to kill it.

[He whispered before attempting to walk up to one of the sheep. As he saw it struggle to get out, it served as a reminder of why killing it would be the best option. And yet, it didn't stop Freminet from hesitating. It was so easy to just send a couple of extra spikes to end its suffering and yet, he stopped himself from doing so.

As he kept staring at them, he knew he couldn't keep Alhaitham from waiting. However, there was just something that was stopping him. He didn't care if he was going to make him upset. He just...couldn't bring himself to do it. Not when he was reminded of what he did in the past. Not when he had to fight Mother and deal with how the rest of his friends were handling the information.]

[...frankly, Alhaitham can't even find it within himself to be surprised by this discovery once he puts two and two together, between the words that were whispered just loud enough for him to hear to the way he walks over to the hapless sheep with claymore in hand.

Despite using a sword himself, Alhaitham is familiar enough with a claymore to know about its distinct uses, alongside its advantages and disadvantages. The training and strength one needs to wield it, and how much of that can be made up for with a Vision. And perhaps more importantly, just how much damage a blade of this weight and bulk can do, even in the hands of somebody much younger.

Alhaitham runs through all those facts in his head and so much more as he watches Freminet, seeing him go all the way up to where the sheep is and then just... stopping. It takes a bit, but eventually the weight of his reluctance comes through very clearly, a sheer unwillingness to go ahead.

Of course, none of this has ever meant to be a test at all, so Alhaitham simply sighs.]

Not so easy to do it when you're not working a mission, huh.

[Unlike Lyney, Freminet was truthful and honest. As much as he wanted to lie, he couldn't. That was the reason why he was made an assassin, nobody would ever suspect him of ever doing such a thing. And yet, he had to wonder why Father or anyone of his family members thought it was a good idea when he was just so frail. Or at least, that's what he thinks.

He didn't mean to but he had to wince at his words. It seemed that Alhaitham knew the truth and all he could do was give a long sigh. He didn't even want to look at him or the sheep. He felt as though he let Father and Lyney down by having Alhaitham realize what his other job was. However, he also wasn't surprised. It was only a matter of time before he found out.]

...No, it isn't. I rather not kill anything unless Father or anyone from my family tells me to.

[In the back of his mind, he had to wonder what would happen next. Now that the tall scary man knows, would that change anything.]

[The honesty is, at the very least, appreciated right now for what its worth. And when it comes down to it Alhaitham can't say he's surprised with how things are out either; the whole point of an assassin is to be as innocuous after all. What better way to ensure that than picking someone who seems like the least likely candidate?

Of course, all of that doesn't negate the reality of what that same choice entails, as Alhaitham gets to see it for himself right now before him. He watches the young teenager for a few more moments before he goes over himself to nudge the kid away from the trapped cannibal sheep.]

Assassination is a very different line of work from the information gathering that your brother is so very insistent about. [He says, tone disarmingly light in spite of the words that are being said. Lyney had stressed rather heavily on the fact that all they did was merely information gathering—which, sure, he can certainly see the dangers that might entail with that, but its clear that what Freminet does goes a fair bit past self-defense.]

[That just made Freminet feel even more terrible. Knowing that his brother kept telling Alhaitham that made him wonder if there were some things he shouldn't have said. He felt as though he failed them in some way. Not knowing what else to do, he took a step back before forming fists. Gritting his teeth, he was at a loss. Father always told him that emotions cloud ones judgement and he should always act calmly as he could.

But right now, he was just so frustrated that there was nothing else he could do. He just had to be honest, it was the least he could do.]

I'm not sure what else Lyney said but we are. We do gather information. His...his is just that.

[He said before falling to his knees and just letting the gravity of the situation take place. He can't allow himself to cry, not when he cried so many tears after fighting against "Mother". He didn't want to see himself as weak, he made a promise to his Father that he would get stronger. So why does it feel like he was getting weaker by the minute?]

[Alhaitham says nothing in response to Freminet, at least not immediately, but neither does he say anything when the young teenager falls onto his knees. Given his usual disposition Alhaitham finds himself harboring a few guesses as to how the kid is currently feeling. Is he currently overwhelmed? Afraid? Or something else entirely?

Well, he supposes he can remove one of those options, at the very least.]

...I'm not angry, if that's what you're thinking. [He says after a pause, foregoing his task of taking care of the sheep for now to focus on the kid; the sheep can't do anything while still trapped in the ice anyway.] I simply want to understand, since your brother was particularly unhelpful in that area.

[Alhaitham won't pretend to not have his prejudices, but Kaveh had kept trying to insist upon him to make the effort to understand... and in lieu of Lyney being completely useless for this, Freminet is easily the next choice. Not that Alhaitham has necessarily planned this, but as the opportunity is present, he might as well take it.]

[He wasn't surprised, his brother always had a habit of bearing all the weight on himself. Even after how Freminet wanted to help out, Lyney told him he didn't have to. That's just how big brothers are. However, as he sat helplessly on the ground, he had to wonder just how much he should say.]

...We know what we're doing isn't always right. We might be in the same organization, but we don't share the same beliefs as the other members of the Fatui.

[He wasn't sure how well this will go. However, he knew that honesty was all he had left. He kept his eyes down as he continued.]

I don't know what Lyney said but everything we do is for the House. Even if it means doing things I don't like to protect them.

[For what its worth Alhaitham is at least far more willing to listen to Freminet, mostly because he has never harbored the same kind of dislike that he holds for Lyney. Of course, it helps that Freminet doesn't exactly make an attempt for excuses in the same way that his brother does—or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it is not as grating.]

... [Another bout of silence stretches on then as Alhaitham considers what to say next. Lyney had also gone on to insist that the House of the Hearth was very much on their own despite their relation to the Fatui, which Alhaitham hadn't necessarily disbelieved, but it is still a little hard to wrap the logic around that considering how the very head of the House is the Fourth Harbinger herself. That disparity is something that needs to be addressed.] Is your only contact with the Fatui through the Knave? Or is there more to it than that?

No, it is only through Father. I highly doubt he wants any of her children to be in contact with any of them.

[Especially the Doctor. Just saying it out loud made him shiver a bit as he was reminded of what would have happened to him should "Mother" continued to run the House. Knowing that there was a chance he could have been experimented was making him shake his head a bit.]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen...

[The answer that Freminet gives to his question is something which he has suspected to a degree, especially after the thoughts and observations that Kaveh had shared with him. It looks like there is more than a few grains of truth of them after all.]

... [Yet more silence that is only broken every so often by the loud bleating of the sheep and a series of loud thumps as the animal tries to get itself out of the ice. Alhaitham knows that its solid enough that he won't have to worry, but at this rate it'll be more likely for the sheep to do some internal damage to itself.]

Still, none of that really matters for Alhaitham at all. He lets out a heavy breath and then turns away from Freminet, putting his attention back to trapped sheep.]

I understand that neither you nor your brother chose to be there, so any apology would be redundant. [He summons out his Dendro blade here and throws it up into the air, where it then follows his command to go above the ice before it flies back down, making a clean strike through the sheep that also simultaneously ends its life at the same time. A mercy kill.] I also understand that the House has done much for you and your brother. Ultimately, I have nothing against the two of you, or the House of the Hearth for that matter. It is the Knave's position, and her affiliation with the Fatui that I call into question.

[There is no guarantee at all that she will not do anything, be it for herself or for the organization that has done so much damage in Sumeru. Not even Kaveh knows the full extent of what he has seen during the time he had to spend cleaning up after Azar. The heights of madness the likes of Dottore can sway people onto... such things can't just be disregarded so easily.]

[As the silence continues, Freminet just found himself wincing. He didn't even react upon hearing Alhaitham kill the sheep; he had seen his fair share of blood. Hearing his words made him wonder if there was anything more he could do. He wanted to tell Alhaitham that the House wasn't as bad as he made it out to be. It was a lot better than the previous Knave's control and he could, at the very least, cry without the fear of being reprimanded.

However, he also knows that nothing will convince Alhaitham otherwise. If Lyney already said something, he wouldn't fair any differently. That's when he finally looked up at him but he still had the same scared expression.]

I know you have reservations about Father, but she is a good person despite her position.

[Why else would she have fought so hard against Crucebena? There was the other issue with how she protected them against the Doctor but he wasn't sure if he should say it.]

As much as I would like you to meet her, I have a feeling Lyney already said so. But...I also understand if you don't.

[Freminet's attempt to convince him about the Knave's supposed 'good side' is nothing new at this point, though it is in many ways far more bearable to the drivel that Lyney had done. Still, there is no way to ignore the inherent bias that exists, which is what he goes on to address.]

What determines a person as 'good' or 'bad' is completely subjective. [He says, voice and tone completely flat.] The only thing that concerns me are the facts that I know to be true. The Harbinger that was in Sumeru committed a countless number of atrocities that run against everything that the Akademiya stood for, perverting the previous Sages and nearly cost the nation its Archon.

[Of course, the blame does not lie all on Dottore, for the Sages had long since deviated from the path of what was 'right' for a while now. But at the same time they would not have been able to do the things they did if it wasn't for The Doctor, and Alhaitham had read for himself the extent of his involvement.]

The fact that the Fatui allows somebody like that Harbinger to be in their ranks is something that I cannot ignore. If such things are permitted so easily, without any kind of commendation from the organization as a whole, then it brings everything else into question. You say that your "Father" limits your interaction with the Fatui as a whole, so do you truly understand what they have done in the lands beyond Fontaine? The scrutiny that is put onto the Fatui by the other nations exists for a reason.

[The infamy that they have gained did not appear overnight. For years and even decades now the Fatui have been involved in one shady business after another, and with the heresay of things from other regions... well, the naturally defensive stance that Freminet and Lyney have to take surely says everything for him.]

I am aware that the Doctor has done terrible things in Sumeru. He...is someone that should not be trusted. He is also someone the Knave does not allow us to contact at all without permission.

[And despite how much Freminet wanted to hide it, there was fear behind his voice. He was just so scared of what the Doctor would do to him should he ever talk to them. Knowing that he was capable of such cruelty made him shiver.]

...I don't blame you for having such thoughts about the Fatui or the Harbingers, the others have done some rather questionable things to different countries. I know there are a lot of mixed feelings and you are welcomed to take your time on them.

[Just like what Arlecchino told him. It would take quite sometimes for anyone to accept things. It would even be harder to regain the trust that they broke. All Freminet wants to do is to figure out how to repair it.]

[The fact that Freminet doesn't try to argue against what he says does make the conversation much more palatable. Even if there are still some aspects of it which Alhaitham does find a little hard to swallow, and ultimately it also doesn't change the fact that only a minimal amount of concerns have been addressed. He, who studies words and language, knows better than most how flimsy and easy they are to twist in the right hands—and the Knave certainly more than qualifies.

He lets out a huff then as he looks at the still body of the now dead sheep, expression twisting slightly at the blood that splashes bright red against the ice. He's no stranger to killing himself, though for his case its usually for self defense more than anything else. And blood spilled in the forest or on the sands do not stand out as much as it does right now.]

I've said all that I can. [He tells Freminet as he dismisses his weapons.] Feel free to claim my share of the pay for this job. I just needed the distraction.

[Not that it worked at the end due to Freminet's presence... but well, its not like anything can be done about that.]

[He knows he can't change people's opinions, nor does he try to. He wasn't a good debater nor was he good with his words like Lyney. The only thing he could do was to be honest and truthful as he could be. He doesn't even bother trying to argue against Alhaitham, he was intimidating enough and to provoke him any further would be trouble. Instead, he just let everything sink in. He already said his part, all he could do was just wait.

As he got up, he looked at the sheep before him. It was such a bloody ordeal. To be reminded of his other occupation was enough to make him take a step back. However, it had to be done. He just had to move on.]

Are you sure...? The least I can do is give you most of it since you finished the mission.

[That and that's what he was supposed to do. To always return favors to those who helped them out.]

I don't need the doubloons. [Kaveh does kind of actually make more than enough for the both of them so its fine.] As I said, I only took this job as a distraction. Take it and use it as you will.

[Also the truth is that at present a part of him doesn't really want any reminder of them—nothing against Freminet or Lyney, mostly, but the whole situation has him more stressed than he's willing to admit. So doing this is really a favor for the both of them.

Either way, he doesn't bother to wait for Freminet's response—with those last words he simply walks off, leaving Freminet to deal with the rest himself.]

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[semi-open] august island retreat

so would I

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