escordvi | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Who: Kaveh and YOU
Status: Open
Where: Surasthana Cafe on Eltrut!
What: The grand opening of a book cafe.
Warnings: God I hope not.

[Kaveh hasn't talked much about what he's been working on for a few months now, because he wanted this moment to be a surprise (and because he didn't want to be scolded for overwork). It has finally paid off, now, with the grand opening of the Surasthana Cafe, just in time for the deep end of the fall season. The cafe is cozily furnished and warm, the smell of lovingly brewed coffee floats through the air, and soft music plays from Mehrak.

Kaveh isn't expecting a huge rush on any given day--this was done for his own sake more than anything, but now on weekday afternoons, the little book cafe can be found and people can stay a spell, enjoying expertly made coffee drinks and some light reading in a ridiculous plant paradise.

If you have any requests for new kinds of books, or wish to purchase various accessories, stop by the front counter! The owner is happy to accommodate you, after all.

ooc: you may also treat this post as a mingle and toplevel accordingly, just mark if you are doing so! Otherwise, Kaveh will be coming for you!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Just give her a moment while she recovers from this little coughing fit that she's trying so very hard to stifle.]

Who is—

[It takes a few more seconds to sink in.]

Is Kupli still going around the Roost telling people that I am her mother?

[... And she got it all wrong.]

[Alhaitham gives another blink here because, well. He has zero clue who is this 'Kupli' that Benedikta is speaking of, since he has not bothered to remember any of the names of the moogles at the Roost.]

No. [Comes the very blunt and direct answer.] The other one.

[Pause.

Maybe he should try and describe them, since now it seems like Benedikta has more than one child...?]

Blonde hair, wears a blue and red scarf. Looks to be around her early twenties.

[...and before the question comes: yes, Alhaitham also does not know her name. Only that he sees her around and knows that she hangs around Cid.]

["The other one", as if there were any in the first place!!!

Benedikta stares at him, incredulous, until realization dawns on her, the blonde hair and scarf giving it away. She laughs, though it sounds more like a scoff, and brushes her hands over her front, as if the question had ruffled her all out of sorts. Though, it kind of did...]

You mean Midadol...

[Call Mid that and she will surely have many words to say, but Benedikta remains one of the few who still does.]

Do not let her hear you say that she is beyond sixteen years of age. [A glint of amusement lights in her eyes, but it fades.] But I am not her mother.

[Except—and she will not admit this aloud—she would be remiss to say that the two of them did not share many of the same features.]

[Well given that is how Benedikta names her you can bet that is how Alhaitham is going to call her now too. Until he gets corrected at the very least.

But aside from that, the clarification is appreciated, and Alhaitham nods in both understanding and acknowledgement.]

I see. My apologies for the assumption, then.

[They did have some rather similar features, and he does know that she addresses Cid as her father, and since they were already together he figured it to be a logical conclusion. Though with that being said...]

Is it because families in your world operate differently? [He just casually asks this as he turns back to attend to the Teacaf machine, which is now slowly brewing her tea. Are mothers just not a thing?? Or do they function in a different manner?? Consider Alhaitham intrigued by this now.]

Hm?

[She stares at the teacaf as it finishes up with her tea, a hardened edge flickering over her expression at the mention of 'family'.]

I am afraid I do not know what the proper way 'families' operate is.

[Being sold into slavery by one's own parents at the age of six is certainly not conducive to teaching a child those things. The closest that she has ever had to something like that is with Cid and Midadol, and even then, that had been unconventional too. And then this "crew" business that Cid has built here... They all treat her like she is part of some big family... but she knows that is not what he means.]

Cidolfus found Midadol as a baby while he was out on an expedition. He brought her back with him. I believe I was seventeen at the time. ... It was certainly not uncommon for parents to leave their children for one reason or another.

[Alhaitham's own gaze briefly flickers over to her at the first part of her response. He did have a few guesses about the nature of Benedikta's past from a combination of the memories he'd been subjected to before plus the general nature of what her world is like via what he'd heard from the rest, but hearing the admission obviously brings no joy. Of course, Sumeru itself does not come without its own hardships, though they are more frequent out in the desert sands, and children who had to grow up with little to no homes and families are not anything new—but he supposes those hardships are different to what transpires in the world Benedikta and the rest hail from. Doubly so when he knows that none of them have the intention to return; that alone speaks volumes of what they have gone through.

But with all of that said, Alhaitham knows better than to bring any of that up, so he returns his gaze to the Teacaf machine, removing the cup of tea from where it'd been sitting under the dispenser as soon as it beeps to signal its completion.]

People have done worse things, for lesser reasons than the ones that plague your home world. [He says, shortly before offering the now steeped tea over for Benedikta to take.] Regardless, it's good that he found her when he did. She clearly admires him.

[Which is to say, he can tell Cid must have raised her pretty well.]

I know of no one who does not.

[She takes the tea with a gracious tip of her head in thanks and holds the warm cup between her cool hands. Already, the smell of it is comforting, and she motions to a table nearby with a slight lift of her brow. An invitation, should he want it. Her cheeks are still trying to rid themselves of that earlier flush, so she turns anyway to sit regardless, pulling the hood closer around her neck as if it will help.]

He had plenty of learning to do as a father when he brought her home. Many of the women in the castle warned him that it would be plenty of work, but he was adamant anyway.

[She blows on her tea.]

And I suppose you could guess who ended up teaching him many of the things...

[Seeing as there is no reason for Alhaitham to turn down that invite, he thus follows her over to the table, settling down on a seat opposite of her as he listens to what she has to say... snorting lightly at that last bit.]

Yes. [Not that it really needs to be said, considering how obvious it is—but no harm in answering, nevertheless.] But considering how things are now, its clear that he took those lessons to heart.

[That, at the very least, shows Cid's level of commitment to his choice. Which is something that can't be said for far more people, even minus the threat of war or other just as difficult factors.]

I still think his braids leave much to be desired.

[Don't tell him she said that—

But there is a curious tilt of her head again as she crosses one leg over the other, leaning back in her chair as she regards him.]

And the families in your world? It would seem that the dynamics work differently, judging by your question.

[There's a huff of amusement there, though Benedikta doesn't have to worry about Alhaitham saying anything about it to Cid... as long as he's not directly asked about it, anyway.

But in regards to her other question... Alhaitham needs a second to parse himself first, but soon enough speaks to answer the inquiry.]

As you already know, [Actually, does she know? Alhaitham isn't too sure... but doesn't hurt to have a refresher either way] Sumeru is a nation of scholars. As such, many aspects of our lives are in some shape or form linked to academia. Because of this, academic resources equate to social capital in Sumeru, and so it is fairly commonplace for families to be built around such things.

[A small pause as he picks up his own drink to take a sip from, and he continues after that.]

Of course, that is not to say that it is the standard for all families in Sumeru. Coming together as a family out of mutual love for one another is still just much of a valid reason as any other. [If anything, they are much more commonplace now compared to before now that the Akasha has been made defunct—it really goes to show just how much that system had warped the ways of the people of Sumeru until not so long ago. Taking it down was definitely for the best, even if the transition period may have not been the smoothest.]

[She narrows her eyes at that.]

Built around social capital?

[The tone of her voice says as much about her understanding on what that could even mean.]

How did one "build around" that sort of thing? Arranged marriages of those with the wealthiest knowledge?

[Alhaitham isn't too put off by the fact that Benedikta doesn't get it. Even in Teyvat the practice isn't that common, and with the Akasha having shut down its even less frequent than before.

Nevertheless, he nods in response to her question, though does quickly speak up to elaborate further.] That does happen, but its not a very frequent practice these days. Most times, it happens in the course of one studies, or during a research project. Such things all require an extensive amount of knowledge, and although Sumeru is where Teyvat's largest repository of information is at, not everything is freely shared, or easily found. Sometimes, it may not even exist.

[Another pause, another sip of coffee.]

Regardless of the reason, that's one part of where social capital comes into play. More than just having knowledge, its also the act of being able to create it, be it though the results of a successful research project, or the creation of something entirely new. Of course, instances of the latter are much more rare now, but it does mean that when it does happen there is much for the person behind it to gain.

[She wrinkles her nose into her cup.]

That sounds awfully boring.

[Knowledge is fine and all, but when everything seems to revolve around it... Though, she has not forgotten the things that Alhaitham has told him about his home before. She likes it less and less every time she learns something new. Though, that does not make it any less intriguing. Knowledge is a lot of things.

Her eyes flick to Kaveh somewhere behind the counter, and then back.]

Is this all how you and Kaveh managed to meet? You two do not strike me as the type, but I have been surprised before.

[For better or worse Alhaitham takes Benedikta's comment with good grace. Kaveh may have put up some token protest, but that's something which Alhaitham does not bother with; as much as Sumeru is the home he longs for, he has come to know its flaws better than most. It's not exactly the kind of thing one can turn away from, especially after being made (Acting) Grand Sage. As much as Alhaitham disliked being in such a position for as long as he did, he won't deny the experience and knowledge it has granted him.

He drinks his coffee again as he notices the way Benedikta glances over where Kaveh is, waiting to see what else she has to say—and he gets his answer soon enough in the form of her next question. A question that is a little surprising, since he'd figured Kaveh would have already told the story long ago. Either way, he has no qualms about recounting it.]

After a fashion. We met when we were students, though our first meeting was unrelated to our studies. He assumed I was deliberately being ostracized by a group of people I happened to be sitting next to and came over with the intention to offer his help, only for me to correct his erroneous assumption.

[He lets out a snort here, and there's the briefest glimpse of a smile as he recalls that particular memory—Kaveh, puffed up as he flushed in irritated embarrassment. Even back then it was hard to not find it amusing.] He never did quite get over it.

[Even if Kaveh had, she is equally as interested in Alhaitham's side of the story. ~~and because I seriously can't remember so we're going to say no for the sake of the thread LOL.~~

His answer does draw the tiniest little huff out of her, something of a laugh, if he listens closely enough, because that does seem like the sort of thing the other man would do. And not with horrible intentions or thoughts behind it either. Simply wanting to help. She used to find those types of people frustrating.]

And let me guess, you were simply not interested in those people near you?

More or less. I was simply at the same spot I would always be at to do my reading, and the group just happened to choose to be right next to me for their own thing.

[It's so long ago that the details of everything else are fuzzy to him now; though that doesn't matter when what he can recall are the truly important things: the shimmer of golden hair, the bright gleam of red eyes, the first of many, many flushed faces and cheeks that he still finds adorable to this very day. Even after a lifetime Alhaitham doubts he'll ever be tired of any of thise things.]

Still, even after knowing that, the next time it happened he still came over to sit next to me anyway. Made a whole show of it as well, to the point where it was more disruptive than helpful.

[There's no denying that it was kind of funny, seeing the way those older Haravatat students had acted, and then eventually got completely chased off because Kaveh was good at being insistent in that overly polite manner of his. But it certainly didn't stop him from being a nuisance all the same.]

[Definitely sounds like him, even now.]

Well, I suppose it was helpful if it chased off the others.

[She sips at her tea, letting the warmth trickle through her before continuing.]

From what I recall though, it was not immediate.

[Alhaitham simply makes a note of agreement in the first bit. Kaveh's very loud display certainly were effective in scaring away the people he didn't want to talk with anyway, and it didn't take long for Alhaitham to find out that Kaveh was a lot more than he put himself out to be. Even back then the constant contradictions that Kaveh kept displaying intrigued him, but more than that Kaveh had simply become the one person who he was looking forward to talking to, each and every day. He made his time at the Akademiya far less dull, and even with how things ended then, Alhaitham still has never once regretted it—and the fact that they're together like this now makes it so much better.

At the next part, Alhaitham nods, seeing no reason to lie or twist what is factual history—he has never found the need or want to sugarcoat things like how Kaveh tries to do, sometimes.] It definitely took a while. The way he presents himself to strangers isn't one that is agreeable to me, but he couldn't keep it up around me for long. [Mostly because back then Alhaitham was even more stubborn about bending himself for anyone and anything, whil Kaveh had even less patience and restraint than what he has now.] It slipped entirely the one time we got into a debate over a paper I was reading through, and that's when I could start to see the true depths of his academic prowess.

[Until then Kaveh had always been polite. Restrained, even, making a comment here and there but never going deeper. But it so happened that the paper Alhaitham was looking through then also talked about architecture, and Kaveh was never one to stay silent on the subject that was his entire life and passion.

Alhaitham had definitely been surprised that day, especially after they spent the whole day on the topic, to the point where they'd been chased out of the House of Daena because it was closing—but that only spurred Alhaitham to find him again, this time with far more preparation, because he wanted to know more—of this topic that had his senior become so passionate about, and of Kaveh himself.]

It was after that point where we started to get on more amicably. It was simply about the debate at first, but eventually it moved on to much more than that.

[Be it for company, or understanding, or an accord... there were many reasons, honestly, but perhaps at the end of it all it was simply just the first sparks of something else which Alhaitham did not yet understand back then. Something so deep and compelling that it caused a fundamental shift within him which he was unable to grasp, until Kaveh showed him how.]

[She listens quietly. Almost too patiently. She is not often one to display any interest in romance or the idea of 'family' outside of her usual comfort zone, but perhaps it is because of her own recent revelations as well as the warm and familiar comfort of the tea that it comes a little easier to her, strangely enough.]

Academic prowess, hm...

[Her head tilts at Alhaitham, remembering his words from earlier.]

Perhaps I have read into it all wrong, but Kaveh does not seem the type to fit into the mold that home of yours had set out for you all.

[Just as it is rare for Benedikta to be willing to sit down and listen to a topic like this, it is just as rare for Alhaitham to truly go in depth on talking about Kaveh. Boasting about his husband, or giving him a mention in a conversation is one thing, but to truly go this deep in talking about the one person who he would otherwise be incomplete without? It's something entirely different.

He inclines his own head as he listens to Benedikta's response, taking a second to run it through his own mind himself before he makes a little huff, bemused, even if he understands why she would think that.]

You're not wrong. There are many fronts in which Kaveh does not fit into the mold which Sumeru used to want us in. Even back when we were students he was never content with the status quo and was always striving for more—not just for himself, but for his fellow peers, and would work himself to the bone for the sake of it.

[That, of course, is ever the main difference between the two of them. Where Alhaitham simply pursued knowledge for his own personal enlightenment, Kaveh was never one to rest on his laurels for the self. For his senior, his self was always going to be incomplete if it did not include the 'all' that he sought. Even today it's not something that Alhaitham fully sees eye to eye with Kaveh on, but he at least has come to respect what it embodies.]

That being said, his ingenuity has always come from a different place, but it is no less adequate than what Sumeru truly seeks. He proved as much by graduating at the very top of his Darshan, and then making himself into a household name through his work after.

[Although Alhaitham can't exactly say he'd ever approve of what Kaveh did to bring Alcarzarzaray into existence, there is no point in harping what cannot be changed, just as there is no denying the effect it'd brought onto a Sumeru that'd been under Azar's iron fisted rule then. A daring display of other in the dystopia the former Sages were slowly moving the entire country towards, ever so slowly.]

[If it keeps her from having to talk about her own in depth, then she is for it. That, and she is genuinely curious. The more she learns of their world, the more different it seems from their own. Filled with cultures that contrast with the ones that she knows. It is not something she would have cared about before coming here, but this world has changed her in many ways. That, and it's an interesting topic over a cup of tea.

At Alhaitham's answer, though, she cannot help but laugh quietly into her cup, the sound echoing off the sides of it before she drowns it in a sip. Her eyes are knowing, glinting with an amused mischief, as she glances at him over the rim of the cup.]

It is no wonder, then, that he and Cidolfus get along so well. It often makes he wonder how things might have gone had they met under different circumstances.

[There is not much Alhaitham knows about the world that Benedikta and the various other members of the Hideaway hail from, beyond what they have been willing to share, but what has been told is more than enough to paint a picture of their circumstances—alongside the telling choice for their desire to remain here no matter what. That alone is more than enough for Alhaitham to refrain from pressing further, regardless of his own curiosities. No form of knowledge is ever really worth that sort of thing.

But at least there are easier, lighter topics to discuss outside of that. Alhaitham hears that quiet laugh and makes a soft hum himself, lacing the fingers of his own hands together as he rests them on the table.]

I can't speak for your partner, but I doubt much would have changed on Kaveh's end. No matter the circumstances, he has always been one who is true to himself, even to the point of his own detriment.

[And as much as Alhaitham chides him for it, there is a level of respect that he has come to give to those choices as well. Despite everything, he knows that Kaveh would not be who he is, if he did not make the choices that he had made. He would not love Kaveh if he would let himself be a fundamentally different person from who he always has been.]

[She flashes him a little smile.]

I fear that the worst of it might have been that I'd have to put up with their science and knick-knacks for far longer. Cidolfus has always had an interest, and since coming here and meeting with the others, that has increased tenfold.

[She, of course, says it with utter fondness.]

Perhaps things might have been better. For us.

[Alhaitham hums at the thought of it, seeing no reason to disagree with her assessment. Cid's fascination and curiosity for the sciences has been apparent from very early on, and it seems to only have deepened in the time since. Kaveh is very much the same, though he's also branched off to many other pursuits because he's never been the kind of person to stick with a single thing, doing much better with a variety that he can cycle through. The very cafe they're in now is pretty much a testament to that.

And really, for all of Alhaitham's chiding, at the end of the day he just wants Kaveh to not burn himself out like he used to in the past. As long as he paces himself reasonably and doesn't let all his work consume him, Alhaitham is perfectly fine with letting his husband go off on his own devices.

But his own thoughts aside, Alhaitham is a little surprised by what is said at the end there, and the blink he gives is the only indication of it.]

I suppose. But things are also fine the way they are now, are they not?

[Sure, it may have taken the long way around—but just as how it'd been necessary for Alhaitham and Kaveh to reconcile their pasts first before they could step together into their future, maybe it is the same for Benedikta and her situation, too.]

[Yes, she does not speak of this sort of thing often or openly, but there had always been that odd trust and respect with Alhaitham, ever since the first day they met. Often times, she finds herself finding more clarity in her conversations with him afterwards than most, and half of those times, she doesn't realize it until after. This, however, is not one of those times.]

The way they are now, yes.

[She sips her tea quietly, pausing a moment, and when she next speaks, her voice is a touch quieter.]

But surely, if we all had a choice in the matter, would we not all wish to ease some of our regrets? Perhaps change things so that they could have been better sooner.

(no subject)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

we can probably start wrapping this 💚

sounds good!

(no subject)

(no subject)