#「 Muse: Kaveh 」「DYN: Alhaitham: I will say that it's not every day you get to know someone like him. / Most people wouldn't get it. 」

[aequitaes]

Kaveh ⮀ Alhaitham @aequitaes & @sicsemper

[aequitaes]

"the more people i meet, the more disappointed i am." / kaveh & alhaitham bc naturally @sicsemper & alhaitham

𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑨���𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒎 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 that left Kaveh pondering about where certain conclusions were derived or where his information came from. He seldom paid attention to it because it was usually negative, especially amid a dispute. However, sometimes Alhaitham would say things that exemplified his character. Kaveh slipped a light laugh from the open lounge layout on this occasion. Sitting on the couch, one leg bent and on the cushioning, the other hanging loosely. As he stared at Alhaitham with a half-tired gaze, his head rested on his hand, and his elbow rested on the headrest. Nevertheless, his comment amused him some, and he even replied with a smile.

"Some things never seem to evolve with you, do they?" It was a subtle tease but an honest observation. "There are certainly things we might change about each other, and--" he rose from the couch to begin his walk. "There are others that if they did -- change, I may just not know who you were anymore...." He sighed softly as bare feet moved towards his bedroom before reaching for the room's handle and adding. "Perhaps I am lucky we met when we did. I'm not sure we would be able to tolerate each other as we do if we were to meet tomorrow." Another soft laugh. The timing must have been just right, he thought. At the Akademiya, it was a different era for them both. Yet, here they are. Despite everything...

"Goodnight, Alhaitham."

[aequitaes]

spoilers for the new event

Kaveh: sad ending Vs happy ending

Based on the alternative cut scenes we are given at the end of the event, and I'm blaming @sicsemper for this one for making my brain go off again this morning. Admittedly I have been speaking about this behind the scenes anyway but, ahem - time to Go Off iGuess.

There is much to be said about Kaveh's expressions, reactions and emotions. However, in this post, I am primarily aiming to focus on the ending of the event in regards to the traveler vs Alhaitham.

At the end of the event there’s a variety of cutscenes, in which the traveler can choose to tell Kaveh about the investigation for Sachin (after the quest for dori, in aura village where you hear from the villagers the kind of man Kaveh's father was.)

As the puzzle pieces clicked around his father, under Sabin's influence, it dragged him out into the desert. When presenting him with such news, his initial reaction is [SEE HERE] and his reaction is akin to what Layla said, something about him looking dead inside (thanks girl, super cheerful! ABJSJD) and his body language and how he reacts — his entire thought process is down, and depressive and you can already see he’s BiG overthinking. The way he holds his head, and the tone of his voice is clearly upset. And not in a way that the traveler can console him in the same way.

For the duration of the discussion, even the way he speaks about the diadem [SEE HERE ] ALSO [HERE] is clearly more saddened and closed off. His tone is entirely different from what we see when Alhaitham delivers the news. And so, despite their bickering, it's quite clear to see -- that there is that level of support that the "roommates" give each other. [THERE'S SO MUCH HISTORY SO I -- ] He’s probably blaming himself for wanting to wear the diadem as a child — he told the traveler so. He watched his father enter, lose, and become depressed in the end. Needless to say, all of this breaks a piece of him and it’s quite obvious with this ending that it’s the ‘sad’ ending of the two (it was the one I had — 😭😭😭 poor bbby)

And, it's not as though Alhaitham enjoys seeing Kaveh sad either [ another post for another day, see event part 1 when Alhaitham quickly changes the topic to save the bickering at home, though he pokes him about it in other ways ]

But now, if we look at the same news being delivered by alhaitham, when kaveh doesn’t quite have the pieces just yet, but he calls haitham out by saying (paraphrasing the next few parts) “I don’t believe his research alone would’ve been enough to pique your interest” and goes on to waffle about though “alhaitham’s philosophy disgusts him, but egoism and nihilism are not the same”. Like he already knows something is up, despite being slow to click on — he knows alhaitham, and he knows he’s not telling him something. Truth be told, would he have come at him so aggressive had haitham of been present with their friends that night at the tavern?

Nope. He literally starts the convo off with “where were you? Were you reading in some hidey hole? "Okay wifey pls calm down. (Kaveh internally: I wanted you to be there) [ side note : the internal thoughts of nahida when kaveh says he’s going to order extra food for alhaitham Vs when the traveler says ‘kaveh paid for everyone tonight’ and alhaitham knows kaveh would’ve packed some for him and took his leave ——- iJust uGghhhh them. Point aside — ]

So then, when it comes out, the words Kaveh speaks is near enough identical. [SEE HERE] But, look at his body language and though there is no sound attached [video via youtube] the tonality is entirely different. It's realization and acceptance vs blame and guilt. From when the traveler speaks with him, he acts as though this is another burden to carry on his shoulders. Which, as we are aware, is largely like his father and felt the need to support his mother after the passing of his father, but I digress.

As Alhaitham continues, and kaveh realises the research went deeper than just an interest of the scribe -- that he dug deeper to find out more about his father, it entirely changes the matter. It's not simply a 'news delivery', it extends further and expands on that. Again, when it comes from Alhaitham -- given their past and present, it means more. To briefly note, considering their fallout at the end of Alhaitham's story quest in the library, Kaveh takes it upon himself - as he does in dramatic fashion - to begin packing in a huff. Yet, when all is said and done and the ceremony is over. Who is it that he wanted to spend time with despite saying at the tavern "Alhaitham can do what he wants--" Uh huh, yet he packs up food for him OK HUN (: [ SORRY I JUUUUUST <3 THEM ] AND following that, no further mention of him moving out comes to fruition. Whether this was ever a solid set in stone, but - hoyo pls i beg you to call him out again at a later point. Kaveh told Everyone that he was moving out, and that was his plan, so -- i Need paimon to ask him if that's still on the cards PUHLEASE. In truth, I can only imagine the reaction to be something like "I have other projects that need my focus right now. Though Alhaitham continues to annoy me to death... it is at least a shelter, and a home." Though it is 'alhaitham's home', it's pretty clear Kaveh views it as his own - but he probably won't say that in words. ANYWAY -

When alhaitham actually rounds off and brings it back to them — in the terms of long giving up on the battle of who’s right and who’s wrong, and even when he teases at the end (menaCE I TELL YOU) and says “one more time please” (: to being thanked — That is what kaveh is used to. This routine of two intellectuals that are finally agreeing to disagree yet — somehow it’s lighter than the tragic news itself. The entire scenario in which the news is delivered is just lighter than vs the traveler, yet Alhaitham doesn't change or doesn't desperatly throw it in his face. But [ as spoken to with mika ] had he not delivered it then, he would've told him at home - it was just an unlikely run in. it’s just … kaveh is left more so thinking about alhaitham and like ‘uGh You’ and also ALSO thinking about that alhaitham went and found these things out FOR HIM (has he realised the script was left like that for only kaveh to be able to read, deliberately just yet — ?? Stay tuned) that he was thankful, and that alhaitham being there actually made this situation not as ugh as we see him in the sad ending. [SEE HERE] his body language, his response entirely more open and different and his tone is actually one of "Well, at least it's done now!" as opposed to, sad and defeated and "never again" with the traveler. Who don't know Kaveh like Alhaitham does, so by no discredit - they wouldn't know how to comfort him in the same way.

To summarize: Kaveh reacts different on all accounts, except when it is Alhaitham who speaks with him. It's definitely the 'happier' ending of the two. Buuuut, knowing Them it won't take long before the next round of bickering kicks in SHDJDDH

TL;DR -- I juuuuuust think they should kiss

[aequitaes]

starter for, @sicsemper & alhaitham

↳ 𝑨 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆. In one moment, he was calm and composed with a glass of wine and laughter in the air - the next moment, he looked like he was about to commit murder. But, with his evident hurt, and his usual defensive stance on all things Alhaitham, being flustered over such reaction was soon to follow. The architect was quick to politely excuse himself, apologizing to his friends for raising his voice. Due to the fear of oversharing his mixed emotions, which were often pointed out to him on more than one occasion that he clearly cared about Alhaitham more than he let on, he fled.

That, and to confront the man himself.

The evening was still early, and only a few drinks had been consumed, enough to give Kaveh a buzz, but not late enough that Alhaitham would yet be asleep. As Kaveh marched through the city, a quiet echo of his sandals could be heard, a combination of anger and hurt evident on his features. Round and round, back and forth, right for wrong. More disagreements between them than an old married couple, but this was an entirely new argument. One that Kaveh would not back down from.

His arms swung as he stepped quickly, his fists clenched. He wouldn't have known if anyone had attempted to speak to him, his focus in sight, and his heart pounding in his chest. An overactive mind, overthinking. A million details raced through his mind and the embarrassment of being the last to find out.

Does he think that little of me?

With force, Kaveh pushed the front door open with barely a glance at it. Oh, but he was sure to make his return known as he closed it with a slam. Only in extreme circumstances would he act in such a manner, slamming doors wasn't generally his thing. At the very least, Alhaitham would be alert...

Still where he left him, the scribe was sitting in his bed, reading a book -- of course he was!

It's like he doesn't care about anything!

It was usually a sign that he was decent if his door was slightly ajar. But, as Kaveh made his entrance more apparent, the door nearly bounced off its hinges. Stopping it from hitting him as he pressed his toe to the wood, only adding a more dramatic flair to his stance. Crossing his arms, he stood in the doorway, breathing heavily. However, waiting for him to look up would be like waiting for rain in a drought. Thus, he is forced to speak first. "When were you going to tell me?"

As his throat dried, he felt a tingling sense of stress coursing through him like a late surge of anxiety. "Tighnari and Cyno had some very interesting information to share this evening." Still, he never moves closer than where he stood.Kaveh could not pinpoint a specific emotion, but that was undoubtedly coming to light as he stared down the man with silver hair. Hurt, anger, pain, worry, fear -- to name a few.

What's worse is that he knew Alhaitham wouldn't rise to it - he would remain composed and half expected him to shrug off the entire thing. Luckily for the scribe, since his arms were tightly crossed, and his nails were biting into his skin, preventing him from exploding for the moment -- he just might live to see another day. This, in spite of what it may appear, was Kaveh being calm, all things considered.

[aequitaes]

👜 :  ( SENDER ) organizes ( RECEIVER ) drawers or closet. / for kaveh & haitham because i saw this and literally had to jsdkfl @sicsemper & alhaitham

𝑲𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒉 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆, 𝒇𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍, asking himself, "What does he mean by top drawer - why does he just say these things?" He decided to make the most of his time rather than bicker over something utterly ridiculous and a waste of time. A bird was walking across the cobbled pavement outside as he placed the sketches across his desk, capturing his attention briefly as he huffed. A second flight was imminent, he assumed.

As he watches it, he admires the turquoise hues, the way specific colours blend together, the eyes of red jasper, noting certain features that represent Sumeru: "Hm, perhaps that may..." As soon as the bird has flown, the blond reaches for a small drawer that holds a few pencils, which he has meant to clean for quite some time. Kaveh often let things get a little cluttered in times of deadlines. Not ridiculously, but the organization of pens and rulers went out the window. Quite usually, Alhaitham was on the receiving end of such frustration when he couldn't find what he had misplaced. And, fortunate for Kaveh, his roommate was accustomed to him, often more than not, he was more aware of Kaveh's belongings -- than the architect was himself. One of the few redeeming attributes about Alhaitham, he supposed.

But in His drawer, his pencils, his pens -- they had been ? organized? neatly stored? - yes, it had been the ones that had fallen out of his hair when he was mid-focus, so it was not a surprise that Alhaitham would collect them and put them away to prevent them from getting damaged. Yet, his bright features were accentuated by the details behind the event (which he would never share with his roommate). Taking out a pencil he thought was long lost - one that had been difficult to locate, in particular, and which he wasn't yet able to replace; his roommate had restored it. "Huh..." While holding it up to the light, he noticed something about it, but he couldn't pinpoint it. Kaveh's smile persisted, etched on his face, the disagreement almost forgotten, at least for now, and he began the task at hand.

[aequitaes]

👄     :     ( SENDER )  listens as ( RECEIVER ) talks about their day.  /   aaaaand does alhaitham really have a choice? really? (you know 4 who)

↳ @sicsemper & alhaitham

"As a result, I've concluded that this client clearly lacks any knowledge about architecture -- simply put, he makes it impossible for me to work with him!" He slumped over their usual table at the tavern, groaning as he ran his hands through his hair and pressed his temple again in frustration. As he grumbles and complains, he drinks wine between sentences. It was sometimes necessary for Kaveh to vent about his day.

It wasn't a request for advice or a sign of sympathy from his roommate. Nevertheless, a listening ear went a long way. A lot of the time, the architect would criticize Alhaitham for doing the opposite. The scribe, however, didn't have much leeway to be utterly ignorant in a social situation - after spending time with Cyno and Tighnari, their mutual friends. Assuming that was the case, he would not have been present in the first place.

The day, however, had been incredibly exhausting and once Kaveh had started on a tangent, he didn't allow Alhaitham to speak unless it was an offer of an alcoholic refill. Despite that, he acknowledged they had been chatting for quite some time. Not that he would express it -- but he appreciated his presence nonetheless. "Anyway..." Then comes a heavy sigh before red jasper flick to the scribe. "I'm surprised you're being so quiet on the matter. Or are you merely waiting for the perfect opportunity to comment sarcastically?" No malice in his words, even a flash of a smile as he teased. It was just the usual behavior that he expected.

After finishing the remainder of his glass, "If I have another, I don't think I will be able to walk straight..." Pushing his glass away from him. "Are you ready to return home?" he asks as his cheek rests against his closed fist. It wasn't the worst thing in the world to be stuck with Alhaitham... The thought may change by the morning, however.

[aequitaes]

intimacy - muse a braids/brushes/works knots out of muse b's hair / you know it had to be this one for kaveh and alhaitham HFSVK --- @sicsemper & alhaitham

"Hold still!" His tone was slightly harsh, fingers threading through silver, detangling a knot from slime deposits caused by the slight detour on their way back from Tighnari's. The friend invited them over, and Kaveh naturally dragged the other along for the event. "It's good to be sociable, Alhaitham." A comment that was made before the outing.

During the evening, there was a reasonable amount of amicability between the two roommates, even occasional laughter. And, as Kaveh watched the other -- red jasper observant of the smile that may have appeared, the evening seemed fairly enjoyable to both.

However, what was supposed to be a pleasant walk back (Kaveh choosing a scenic route, breathing in natural forest air, absorbing the luminous glows of the surrounding nature, and the nighttime wildlife and beauty which had eyes widen in awe) ended up being less than ideal as they were attacked by fungi and slimes. However, it was easy enough for the duo, hardly breaking a sweat. Still, the damp, almost muggy residue in the air created a worse scenario for the pair to be in -- hence how they ended up in the spot they did at present.

"I'm almost done..." After setting down the comb he used to detangle the mess, he grabbed a different brush that had a softer, more comforting head and slowly brushed it through his hair. His fingers touched the tips every so often, and he found himself reminiscing in a familiar comfort and, in recent days, more foreign. Kaveh's head may have tilted in the deep thought of this, but he remained focused on the task lest Alhaitham might question him.

It was conceivable and not far-fetched that both benefited from the treatment, with the blond finding it somewhat therapeutic. A hand rests on Alhaitham's shoulder as he slowly brushes against his scalp in a soothing motion, a little hum every now and then as he fights off the sleep deprivation. Occasionally, their gazes made contact in the mirror without words being spoken; it was relaxing...

"There...." Spoken softly. "I think that's the worst of it... But I can check again in the morning for any remaining residue." He looked at the brush in his hand and resisted momentarily to set it aside.

[aequitaes]

Kaveh tag drop !!

[aequitaes]

“𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡, 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 — 𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑡, 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛. 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑟 𝑢𝑝. 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦,” ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑, 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑚 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑡. / 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑘𝑎𝑣𝑒ℎ 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑙ℎ𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑚 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖 𝑤𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑎𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝐻𝑆𝐾𝐽𝐹𝑆𝐾

↳ from, @sicsemper + alhaitham

𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒔, head in hand, eyes closed as he groans. In those moments of woe, Kaveh does what he does best - he drinks at the tavern, and this time, he brings Alhaitham along as well. If nothing else, he could ramble to his roommate. He occasionally responded, but for the most part, he let Kaveh speak. As far as his reaction was concerned, he wouldn't look at it, as that would only lead to further aggravation, he'd learnt as much from previous conversations.

But only after he debated his departure and eventually opened his eyes did Alhaitham comment, "Wh--What does that even mean?" Whenever the scribe spoke, there was a meaning behind what he said, but it took the architect a minute or a year to figure it out. This is the man who claims to know Alhaitham better than most, but does that usually apply only to situations that don't involve himself?

How often had he stormed off, huffed at him or groaned in frustration? Though truth be told, Kaveh tended to occasionally dismiss reflections of his past. Which usually ended in disagreement, even if not directly. As they both had their own traits, neither would change, but slowly, the blonde realised that to move on, he had to start his own present and future and dissociate himself from everything that had happened in the past. He wasn't his father.

As he rose to stand, something struck him hard. A contemplative blink, his palms resting on the table. At your worst, you'll still be worth it to the right person... "Alhaitham...." he begins, looking at him slowly. Is that conceivable? Is it possible that he meant --? Shaking his head, he dismissed the idea and said, "Uh -- Nothing, never mind..." He couldn't be referring to them, their 'relationship', could he?

The corners of his lips may have twitched with a smile. While he would undoubtedly overthink it later, he believed that maybe, in a way, the younger of the two was acknowledging that being stuck together - ups and downs and everything in between - wasn't all that terrible.

[aequitaes]

plotted starter for, @sicsemper and one (1) husband, alhaitham

𝑨𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔. How was he supposed to do that without knowing what it was? Kaveh's heart raced at the moment of reflection, and his cheeks met a faint dusting of pink, but one thing he was great at - was deflecting. In response to comments about how Alhaitham was brought up in every conversation, he never considered or shared that it might not be suitable to do that - even with a best friend.

To be constantly aware of them, to think of them, and to consider things that were second nature to their way of life and routines. A particular alignment of place mats or shoes, his favourite mug, coffee blend, and bringing home food to ensure he ate. Several elements of care went beyond what was agreed on when he took up residence here. If Kaveh were to be honest with himself... it was something he always knew but never entirely expressed.

Was it just guilt from the past? A friendship they once had?

Was that a case of him not believing he was deserving of anything good? Based on the belief that he broke his family apart, he would self-sabotage himself - jeopardizing something unmoving, unchanging? They offered stability to each other regardless of what Alhaitham was to him. So, was it worth the risk? Could this have the potential to make matters worse?

Likewise, he might risk making things more difficult if he never expressed these feelings - annoyed by Alhaitham's lack of communication. Should he? Is he the one who should speak first? 

Maybe he should take the initiative for once; I'm often the one who initiates conversations... granted, they don't always proceed smoothly. 

However, he already knew what the answer was to his own statement. To proceed, this would have to be on his shoulders. His knowledge of Alhaitham had some flaws, but those flaws sometimes proved beneficial and vice versa for both of them.

Everything, good and bad, from the day they met to the near moments, the glances and brief exchanges in their youth which slowly built the foundation for their friendship. In addition to the more common bickering, there was also laughter, even if it was briefly exchanged. It warmed him to see him smile at times���"Alhaitham!" His determination was evident as he stepped into the house. "Alhaitham, I need to speak with you." Based on a quick survey, it would seem he wasn't in the shared space or at his desk. The bedroom. Approaching with confidence - for now and, in politeness, he knocks. But the door is ajar, but he rarely enters without permission and always announces his presence.

[aequitaes]

𝑫𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈?! "Don't be so absurd!" Brows knit furiously, refusing to look at his roommate. The situation was rapidly deteriorating, surely this would lead to no positive outcome. Kaveh usually took it on himself to express feelings of offense by Alhaitham's way of speaking his mind sometimes, as if he knew Kaveh better than he did. In truth, the scribe was right. But Kaveh would sooner swear off drinking than admit there was any fact behind his words - at least today.

"Do you thrive on my misery? I'm beginning to think you --" Then he sensed sudden contact - a touch - which interrupted his statement. Being accustomed to a daily routine, unlike this, he was all too aware of its atypical nature. His half-expectations were that some awful comment would be made or that the younger man would return the clip to him to correct himself, as his hair that day was clearly not his top priority given the conversation context.

His jaw dropped slightly as fingers combed through his hair; a shiver ran down his spine. (What is he doing?) He turns his head only marginally as Alhaitham's arm brushes against his own. Disappointment flashed through his mind - that his skin couldn't touch Kaveh's and that the barrier of his clothes prevented it. ( Is he helping?)  As his hand made a feeble attempt to reach for Alhaitham's favourite mug, defiant to let him have the satisfaction of being caught in the oblivious moment. Yet, it fell short, and his hand rested on the counter for a moment instead.

It was nice... he didn't hate it...

It was a quiet moment of appreciation to feel him braiding his hair like Kaveh usually does. Was the fond thought for Alhaitham himself, or was it the fact that he assisted him in the passive task? Taking a deep breath, he masked his eyes for a moment. Reflecting on this without allowing emotion to show. In submission to the scholar's actions, he folds his arms over his chest. ( Why does he act this way? ) In one breath, infuriating him, oh so adamant on his personal views and theories, sometimes assessing the architect. Almost all could be forgotten in the next, at least from the blond. - Almost.

"I am ... perfectly capable of ... " His voice softened, and he knew well what caused that effect. For now, he will wait for his roommate to finish with his hair. Although he didn't want it to end, in the quiet, he silently longed for it to continue. To think Alhaitham was considerate in such a manner - paying attention to these small details - he could have easily commented for him to fix. Cyno or Nilou would be improbable candidates to receive the same treatment, and that alone brought him a twitch of a smile. "... I never knew you had a secret talent for braiding hair."

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐒 ––– a safe haven they both had a tendency to gravitate toward whether it be first thing in the morning, or in the middle of the pitch black night. they each had a tendency for their schedules, and kaveh had a tendency to mess about with his by staying up until all random hours working on a project in the confines of his bedroom like a complete gremlin. it's times like this, as he leans back against the countertop, folds his arms over his chest, that he recognizes with complete, unforgiving clarity that this is the life he's chosen.

and, remarkably, that he wouldn't actually change it.

"you're deflecting," he notes, matter of fact and preceded by a click of his tongue. his hands flex over his bare biceps, and the book he'd been carrying with him is tucked between his arms and his chest. alhaitham is, admittedly, not entirely sure how they ended up on this age old argument again so early in the morning. other than the fact that kaveh told him he gave away the last of his spare money again last night. a beggar in need is a beggar indeed, and — evidently — makes kaveh a poor man. "and if suffering your own mistakes is the only thing that will help you learn, i see little to no other option." a wave of his hand, mirroring kaveh's own flick of the wrist.

eyes as green as glass track kaveh's movements with devoted intent out of pure habit. as he watches the familiar red clips tuck his hair back, he notices that kaveh is, for the time being, foregoing his usual braids. alhaitham's eyes narrow a fraction, his eyebrow twitching as if a tick. that shouldn't bother him as much as it does. it shouldn't bother him at all.

but it does.

setting the book aside — far from the sink, he's not making that mistake twice ( funny how some people learn from those ) — as kaveh steps up to the counter to start their usual morning brew, alhaitham pushes himself off the opposite counter. he steps in behind kaveh, reaches up with a sense of confidence he perhaps shouldn't have; but to say this would be the first time would be a blatant lie. his fingers are nimble as he removes one clip, holding it between his lips as he combs long fingers through blond hair. separating it into three strands, he begins to braid it. the clip wobbles between his lips as he speaks around it. "maybe i just want you to save even an ounce of mora to your name so you can stop acting so miserable," he says.