[Alhaitham is used to people regarding him with a fair amount of hesitation and uncertainty—it'd been par for the course back in Sumeru, to the point where he was known among his peers and later colleagues for how unapproachable he seemed to be, and in some aspects it hasn't been very different here either. Certainly, there are a fair bit more loud characters around, but its not like he's required to interact with them in the same way he would otherwise have to for the sake of work, so ultimately its no skin off his back.
And this instance is pretty much the same thing, too. If this stranger decides to retreat even after having approached him first Alhaitham wouldn't really be bothered, simply taking it as a momentary interruption and nothing more. But it soon turns out that things are not going to play out that way, as the stranger settles down on where the other side of the chess board faces.]
It's surprisingly uncommon, even in a place like this. [He says with a careless shrug, in response to the first part. He supposes that may in part be due to how this place is like, where ships are far more common than anything else. Chess pieces don't exactly mix well with boats and the like after all.
At the second part, well. Alhaitham sees that stare and returns it with his own, much more nonchalant and impassive compared to the other's careful nature.] It's custom made. Got it as a present some time back.
[One can thank Cid for that, who figured it as some kind of funny housewarming gift. Alhaitham, with his esoteric tastes in aesthetics, found it as a rather thoughtful gift, though if you asked his husband (who is currently puttering about to serve the other customers) he'd have a completely different opinion.]
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And this instance is pretty much the same thing, too. If this stranger decides to retreat even after having approached him first Alhaitham wouldn't really be bothered, simply taking it as a momentary interruption and nothing more. But it soon turns out that things are not going to play out that way, as the stranger settles down on where the other side of the chess board faces.]
It's surprisingly uncommon, even in a place like this. [He says with a careless shrug, in response to the first part. He supposes that may in part be due to how this place is like, where ships are far more common than anything else. Chess pieces don't exactly mix well with boats and the like after all.
At the second part, well. Alhaitham sees that stare and returns it with his own, much more nonchalant and impassive compared to the other's careful nature.] It's custom made. Got it as a present some time back.
[One can thank Cid for that, who figured it as some kind of funny housewarming gift. Alhaitham, with his esoteric tastes in aesthetics, found it as a rather thoughtful gift, though if you asked his husband (who is currently puttering about to serve the other customers) he'd have a completely different opinion.]