#i do have my Alhaitham bias but come on

[aha-chuu]

Guys, I made a controversial post on Reddit (I talked about Kaveh's flaws and said they make him more interesting than the basic "delicate flower" interpretation of his character) and now people are misinterpreting me as a Kaveh hater 😔😔

[rhenuvee]

Pretty Privilege [Alhaitham x reader]

A/N: not Alhaitham managing to sneak his way into my drafts for a third time, reader is from Kshahrewar, lovesick!Alhaitham (Alhaitham's a jerk to everyone but you, might be ooc), lowkey could connect to my other Alhaitham fics

Warnings: drinking mentioned but not alcohol, reader gets a little emotional if you squint (not used to affection)

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

Your boyfriend Alhaitham was... something else. You were new to the whole relationship thing, so adjusting to the dating life was something you had to get used to. What you still couldn't fathom were the "perks" Alhaitham has granted you, as his partner.

"Alhaitham, what is this?"

His roommate Kaveh stood with his arms crossed, looking at the scene before him: You were sitting on the couch, meticulously making your model of your project due soon. It was clear from your eyes that sleep wanted to overtake you, but of course you couldn't give in. But the worst part was Alhaitham, who was sitting next to you- though it was more like behind you by the way he rested his chin on your shoulder.

Kaveh is all for supporting your relationship, and on a normal day he'd treat you guys like friends (he'd never say that to Alhaitham). But in this situation, there was something particular irritating.

"...what do you mean." Alhaitham asks in a bored manner.

"It is almost midnight and you're still up."

"So?"

"So, you're usually asleep by at least two hours ago."

"And?"

"...You- You'd usually complain about something like this! How many times have you bashed me for working on my projects this late, and now you're here with (y/n) staying up! Nothing against you (y/n), you know I'd understand." Kaveh adds in the last part quickly, seeing as his complaint might seem directed towards the wrong person.

"All good." You reply robotically, yawning right after.

"Remember what you said a few weeks ago about the lows of Kshahrewar? I sure hope you have something to explain that and the spot you're in right now, particularly taking back what you said."

"Mhm, Kshahrewar is the best darshan..." Alhaitham mumbles halfheartedly in a monotone voice, almost nuzzling his head closer into your neck.

"...Somehow I don't feel satisfied with that." Kaveh sighs, arms loosening from their crossed position. It was clear that the Scribe didn't actually mean it, or at least was occupied with other things that made his answer seem insincere. The architect leaves, not finding any solution to the issue.

However, the obvious bias doesn't end here. Something similar happened the next week, except the victim wasn't Kaveh (for once). You were waiting in line at a restaurant near the Akademiya.

It sure gets busy during lunch time... You think. And even busier because of the special gift they were giving away…

"(Y/n)." A familiar voice calls to you. You look up from your daze and realize it's your boyfriend.

"Alhaitham, what are you doing here?" Suddenly, you start to feel pairs of eyes drift to your conversation.

"More like what are you doing here." He replies sharply. You internally giggle at your boyfriend's sassiness, but don't fault him because there is an abnormally long line this time.

"Well... they're giving away a free TCG card with their new sandwich." You say shyly. You feel a sigh coming from him for lining up for a little thing, but...

"Why don't you just ask the owner? I know him." He replies.

"...What do you mean, ask the owner? You mean just go up to the front?" You ask.

"Yes."

"-Alhaitham. I can't just do that, I can't cut in line." You stammer. You can't believe your boyfriend would actually condone this type of behaviour. He shrugs and walks off. You huff, thinking how sometimes you can't read him.

A few minutes later, you see him walk back with... a sandwich and TCG card in hand.

"Alhaitham." You cross your arms and look right at him. However, of course it doesn't intimidate him, as he just stares right back with the same deadpan eyes.

"Yes?"

You walk out of line, quickly pushing him until you both reach a less crowded area. Because you're behind him trying to shove him by his stupidly large torso, he secretly smiles at how cute you are, trying to take control of the situation and how you puff your cheeks out because of it.

"Alhaitham, you did not just go to the front and ask for the sandwich." You say, starting to scold him.

"I got the card too." He says, waving it. You tsk, snatching the sandwich and card out of his hand. He snorts at your slight frustration in his literalness.

"Alhaitham, you didn't have to. I could have waited in line like a normal person." You pout, trying to make him see the bad sides of his actions.

"The owner would have kept one for me anyway. And I wouldn't let you stand outside for so long. Especially with how heavy your bag is- don’t Kshahrewar students carry bricks?" He explains, sitting down on the stone.

"That's not really the problem..." You say, even though that last part was quite true. "Even though the owner kept one aside, the people in line who saw that would have felt really mad at you for cutting."

"Why should I care about what they think?"

"Alhaitham!" Sometimes you hate how quick and blunt his responses are. You sigh again. By now you already knew about your boyfriend's habits and how straightforward he thinks- and most of the time he is right. At least you know he had good intentions.

"Don't do it again, please?" You say, sitting and putting your hands on his chest. "At least not without asking me first."

"Okay, fine." He's willing to make compromises, especially when you look at him so dearly. You eat your sandwich in peace, giving Alhaitham a few bites here and there, and talk about things that happened today.

Buuttttt, it still doesn't end there. A couple months later, the semester ends and you decide to go out and have drinks with your friends. Alhaitham also mentioned he was going to be there with his friends, but he'd be at another table. It's a win-win, plus it's good to have him there for safety.

"And then, he just brushed everyone off! So I don't think I'd ever have a chance with him." Your friend says sadly.

"I don't think anyone has a chance with him." Another chimes in. You and your friends laugh at the wittiness, happy to be enjoying each others presence after a long semester of working and studying.

"I've seen him carry an anemo vision." You say from passing by him a few times.

"I've seen that too!" Your friend remarks, and the rest nod along. "He's probably very strong."

"I hope you guys have been enjoying your night!" A waiter says as he comes to the table. "Here are your bills."

The waiter hands your friends their bills, but doesn't hand you one.

"Excuse me! You didn't give me mine." You say quickly, before he leaves again.

"Oh! Your boyfriend has already paid for yours." The waiter says, pointing to his table, then heading off. Your friends coo at how sweet you guys were, and suddenly you have a sense of deja vu. After your friends pay their bills for the night, you immediately walk over to Alhaitham's table.

"Alhaitham."

"Yes?" Once again, you're hating how deadpan he sounds when you know he knows what you're about to say.

"You didn't have to."

"I did." You frown again.

"I'll be outside, saying bye to my friends." You say after sighing. Alhaitham nods, and his friends can only smile when they see another occurrence of him spoiling you.

"Why is it that (y/n) gets much better treatment from Alhaitham, yet also doesn't approve of it?" It's Kaveh's turn to pout now.

"I think it's more of 'acceptance' for them, and let's be honest I'd have a hard time accepting kindness from Alhaitham." Cyno says matter-of-factly. Tighnari's ears perk up at Cyno's blunt yet witty remark, while Kaveh can only grumble in agreement. Alhaitham, surprisingly has a small smirk on his face despite the little jab from Cyno. Kaveh's frown deepens.

"I need another drink." Kaveh crosses his arms. Tighnari and Cyno look at each other confused.

Alhaitham abruptly bids his goodbyes, walking off with a satisfied smile. He joins you and catches up, hearing that you've just said goodbye to your friends as well. After a few minutes of walking, Alhaitham breaks the silence.

"The boys think I've been treating you a lot better than them." He says. You turn and look at your boyfriend, a little surprised that he's starting the conversation this time. Usually when you have time alone, you're the one who starts talking. But you close your eyes and smile, taking this as a sign that he's had a good time- even if he won't admit it.

"It's because you do." You say. You’re surprised he brought this up. You're aware of Alhaitham spoiling you since your relationship started, and it has pushed you into a realm of affection you didn't know of. It's still hard to grasp for you, since it is your first relationship, and he makes you happy.

"Is there a problem with it?" He asks.

"...no." You say shyly. The question he asks has a bit more of a unsure 'no' for an answer than you say, but Alhaitham seems to catch on. "It's just hard to get used to."

"Hard to get used to? You deserve it though." Alhaitham says. And you almost want to cry the way you know he's being genuine, but the words feel foreign to you. He senses your emotions, and brings you to a stop, just a few steps away from his house.

"Alhaitham..." You can barely croak out a sentence. He gives you a soft kiss on your forehead, running his fingers near the spot, soothing you.

"And besides, what they don't know is that I do treat everyone fairly. Including you." He says. You cock your head in confusion. His statement sounds normal, but you can't help but think he means otherwise. "Remember your overdue library book? I did hold you accountable that time."

You quirk your head in confusion. You do remember that, and how panicked you were when you realized after he pointed it out. But you were certain he did not hold you accountable, which was terrible especially with his role in the Akademiya now.

"No you didn't." You remark.

"I did. I told you to give me a kiss."

"Wh- a kiss is a romantic thing, not transactional! You mean to tell me that was conpensation?" You sputter in disbelief. He nods, and you can't stay mad to him. "Alhaitham, you're so mushy-"

"I agree. Add insufferable to that as well." A voice interrupts. Your head snaps to the source, which is of course a mopey looking Kaveh. "Also remind me next time, to walk twenty meters behind you guys instead, when walking home."

You open your mouth to say something, but end up staying silent when you watch Kaveh drag himself inside your shared home. You frown, and Alhaitham looks at you, knowing what you're thinking- the same you've thought several times by now.

"Do not." He says abruptly.

"I will buy Kaveh a cake." You say, not paying attention to your boyfriend. You were aware of their bickering, but a lot of times you can’t help but feel bad for Kaveh. Since you’re in the mix now, you feel partially responsible for the privilege you get from Alhaitham- even on his good side, it’s hard to watch others get ignored by him.

"No."

"And a coffee."

"No."

"Yes." You childishly protest against your boyfriend’s lack of empathy (which he does on purpose) towards who’s supposed to be, his best friend. “Tomorrow I will go buy him a cake and a coffee.”

“He can get his own cake and coffee.” He says sarcastically.

“Yes, but I’m sure it’ll make him much happier if he received it as a gift.” You explain.

“You don’t have to.” Alhaitham says, this time with a little bit of softness. You smile, recognizing his efforts to try and persuade you because you know he doesn’t understand why you care about these things. But this time, you won’t waver.

“But I will.” You retort, walking towards the entrance and grabbing the doorknob. “Besides, you said you hold me accountable, won’t you?”

Alhaitham smirks at your cheekiness as you sway your hips when you walk to leave him standing by himself, a satisfied look on your face after referencing the past conversation. He sighs and shakes his head, thinking of how bold you’ve become. He likes it.

“Of course I will.”

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

Me: I love Diluc, he is my husband.

Also me: *writes 3 long ass finished fics on Alhaitham*

[bea-ce]

Nobody loves me like you do

..or sweet gestures your boyfriend does for you that has your knees buckling and heart fluttering!

characters: wriothesley, childe, alhaitham, lyney

genre: FLUFF!! FLUFF!!! FLUUUUUUUUUUUUFF!!!

warning's: none really? wriothesley's can be interpreted as spicy maybe, but it wasn't intended to be taken that way. maybe obvious bias...

notes: in my healing era and my lover girl has finally gotten the courage of taking the leap of faith of love once more. this is a little tribute to that, and to my boyfriend who's the cause of it. also sorry for having been dead! real busy with school and being bombared with exams all the time (the things i do to get into medicine...)

Wriothesley

It had become routine for you to leave the Duke's bedroom with tangled hair and knots that would only come out by putting balm in your hair when you showered. The cause of it? The Duke himself, of course.

Alas, as the saying goes "there's always a peace before a storm". You feel yourself get thrown off of Wriothesley, hitting your back against the matress with a small huff before you feel his weight shift ontop of you, squeezing the air out of you as giggles erupt from you while you try shoving him off of you to no avail.

Finding yourself with half of your body outside of his bed, having long ago accepted that this was the way you'd be handled by your big, strong lover, you hear Wriothesley chuckle and grabbing hold of your wrist to pull you up, back up on his queen-sized bed.

"What are you doing with half your body outside of my bed, sweetheart?" He asks teasingly, causing you to loudly exclaim at him with mock irritation in response "you're the one throwing me around the bed like a dog with its chewing toy!" causing a laugh to erupt from his chest as he pulls you ontop of him to engulf you into another long, warm hug.

It was part of the routine for him to shove his hands under your shirt, his hands roaming across your body as if mapping every part of you out. Unfortunately for you, the Duke had also made it a habit to go on search for your bellybutton for some odd reason. You'd often find yourself kicking your legs to pry him off of you, screaming and laughing as you'd feel him tickling you as his fingers was searching for his destined goal.

"What's wrong with you?! Why are you so fixated on my navel?!" You'd yell at him between laughs, squirming and fighting against his freely wandering hands that come to a halt upon your words and being met by his icy grey eyes staring softly down at you before he so casually says the sentence that has you limp and melting into his touch.

"I'm fixated on you. All of you, and I'm trying to appreciate and love all of you. Am I so wrong for doing that?"

Tartaglia

There wasn't any special occasion today as far as you knew. No anniversary to be celebrated nor a sappy couples holiday to rub in all the singles people's faces with, so why was it that you could spot your boyfriend with a bouquet of roses in his arms from afar as he waits at the spot the two of you would always meet up on before heading out for your date?

"Am I not allowed to spoil my girl with flowers whenever I feel like it?" He had responded with a mock offended laugh as his free arm wrapped around your waist to return your gesture of pulling him into a tight hug (in all honesty you had just wanted to burrow your face into his chest to hide your teary eyes from him). You can feel his hand rub your side comfortingly, traveling its way up to pet the top of your head before pressing his lips against your forehead reassuringly, an unspoken 'I love you' before pulling you away from his chest to show you his soft smile, reserved just for you.

Inspecting the lovely roses enthrusted upon you, taking in their lovely red, almost pinkish, color as you walk besides Tartaglia. You can't imagine them having been cheap, given both their look of long stems, healthy leaves and from just how fresh they look, along with just how strongly they smelt of roses. Tartaglia's hand finds your free one as you aimlessly walk. A lighthearted laugh that escapes Tartaglia makes you turn your focus to him, noticing the way he's beaming at your fondness of the flowers. "You know I looked a really good while for those flowers you said that you liked, only to have the florist tell me that they only grew wild in another nation. I was super upset that I couldn't get you your favorite flowers!"

He'd give you the world if he could.

Alhaitham

Matching Alhaitham’s thirst for knowledge, you’d often find yourself searching for new subjects to learn about. It wasn't uncommon that the facts you had learnt for the day were things Alhaitham already were somewhat versed in, but to immerse oneself further into a subject was anything but adverse, and even if nothing new was added to his knowledge a bit of repetition never hurt either.

It did happen from time to time that you’d come across information that would never come to any use. Just fun facts to share with someone, and Alhaitham would often fall victim to your ramblings (not that he minded, much less had any complaints about that). As always, you find yourself walking hand in hand with the scribe, your mouth having gone dry from how long you had passionately held a monologue with yourself of a new useless fact you had learnt. Thinking that Alhaitham couldn’t be bothered with trivial, impractical information and that his silence was a sign of that, you can’t help but let a thought slip past your lips. 

“Are you even listening?” you had asked him with a whisper, your hand giving his a light squeeze as your footsteps had come to a stop, halting the man beside you and forcing him to face you. His light turquoise eyes scan over yours, softening before a faint smile traces his lips as he nods. “Of course I’m listening. Don't mind me if I just want to listen. It's where I find the most comfort."

Alhaitham’s unwavering focus is on you. It’s always on you.

"Tada!" You hear his voice burst your little bubble, a curious hum erupting from you as you glance in Lyney's direction. A faltering swan is handed to you from him, looking soggy and sad due to the tissue's soft material and perhaps even because of the magician's untrained hands from lack of practice of origami. You don't miss the way your boyfriend smiles at you before staring intently at you, awaiting your approval of his creation.

Lyney

Sitting across you at the small café Lyney can be seen fiddling with his tissue, his plate having long been empty with only crumbs left behind of the pastry that had formerly been there. Too distracted by the scenery around you, you fail to notice the magician's hands working away on a little surprise for you.

You can't help the laugh that escapes you, due to the cute gesture of his, causing the poor man to deflate in embarrassment and shame, mistaking your laughter as being directed at him because of how just pathetic the swan looks like- The piece of paper faltering too in solidarity with its creator.

Quickly placing down the gift from Lyney, you wave your hands in the air defensively, quick to reassure him, "No, no! I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing over how cute you are being, Lyney! Thank you."

Your encouraging words is all that he needs to regain his confidence and smile right back at you with the same adoring gaze you always have saved for him.

[strxnged]

ALHAITHAM: # magic.

My secret santa gift for the illustrious Miss Ying @mlkbwunnies (AKA Mrs. Alhaitham)! Thank you for tolerating my poetic inclinations—I can't be normal about anything including your selfship. I am so glad to have met you in the last year or so. You are truly a light in the (many) communities you contribute to! I love being in your server and getting to chat with you and seeing your life updates on my dash. I hope this coming year is full of blessings and light!

Word count. 0.9k. Genre. cozy; established relationship w. a touch of magic.

Alhaitham was roused by the sound of music.

Nascent light of a sun hinting to rise cast a gentle glow on the bed he shared with you. His gaze fell on your bare shoulder. He felt a dreamy rise of strings, a melody of chimes, and his own heartbeat swell as he leaned over you and placed a warm kiss on your cheek. Though he meant for it to only be one kiss, he saw your beautiful lashes and flushed cheeks and he couldn’t resist planting a few more. “Merry Christmas, love,” he whispered. This woke you enough that you half-hummed, half-sighed with a dozy smile—maybe at him, maybe at your dreams. Smiling, he tightened his arm around your waist and gave you one final embrace before he slipped out of bed and donned a housecoat. The music was fading.

It was only as he shut the door to the bedroom that he paused, listening. The music had suddenly stopped, leaving him in somewhat confused silence. It was only a minor hypnopompic hallucination, a common and harmless occurance of post-slumber muddlement. Alhaitham was skeptical of anything deeper than this; he knew that the space between the land of dreams and reality was only a mental trick. Even on a magical day such as today, his mind was only playing tricks on him, he was sure.

Yet he was acutely aware of a sense of wonder. Would it… come back if he opened the door again?

Alhaitham set his hand on the cold doorknob, considering. He was the only one aware of this idea. Kaveh wasn’t around to seed doubt, and you would only think that he was gazing at you one last time. This was something that, at the thought of it, eroded any other concerns. After all this time, he couldn’t get enough of gazing at you. He turned the knob. 

You were still adorably bunched up under the blankets, fast asleep as he’d left you. But the music came flooding back.

Anxiety crept through his body. Perhaps it was a confirmation bias? An expectancy effect? If he closed the door now, the plucked harp floating through his mind would stop, but only because he thought it would. So he thought, determined, that of course it would continue, because that was how hallucinations worked.

The door shut. The music stopped.

It was all Alhaitham could do to step lightly as he sped across the house to one of the bookshelves—yours, which was filled with charming fairy tales, poetry, and anthologies of holy and magical phenomena. Neither of you were very superstitious, but sometimes coincidences occurred in this world that could not be explained by the comforts of science.

He set the book on the table by the window, turning immediately to the index. Slipping his reading glasses onto his nose, he dragged his finger down the list until he saw “Christmas.” He flipped to entries which denoted werewolf children, burning shoes, baths, pudding, elves—but nothing, to his comfort, about music playing in the mind. He was about to close the book, make a coffee, and pretend that it hadn’t happened.

Music, he thought.

Guided by the index, he journeyed through several more entries until he saw one that made his heart skip a beat.

Musical Fantasy: A misunderstood phenomenon characterized by hearing beautiful music in one’s mind. Despite popular conceptions, it only occurs when the one you love is dreaming of you in the early morning. These melodies can sometimes be heard by and channeled through spiritual mediums, and thus transcribed into playable notes. It is said that hearing Musical Fantasies indicates mutual, undying desire.

Alhaitham closed the book and returned it to its position on the shelf. As he brewed his coffee his brows were furrowed in consternation. There had always been a part of him that fancied mysteries, a part that was drawn to the magic of the world. It was against his best judgement and beyond his control. To step into the murky waters of the supernatural would mean to let go of his need to understand—to let go of his impulse to feel in control. He didn’t hate it—he feared it—he was captivated by it. Despite everything, he was intrigued. 

It was not too different from that shine in your eyes that had gripped him all those years ago.

He heard your quiet footsteps like a cat’s down the hall, and he stood, his chest fluttering. Music or no music, he needed to see you, and needed to feel your gaze returned.

As you stepped into the room you seemed to hit a warm, gentle wall. Alhaitham’s hands pressed the small of your back and your hair, drawing you into a tender but tight embrace. The music rang in his head, and yet it seemed to fade into the background when he felt your skin against his. Electrifying. Profound.

His breath tickled your ear as he said in that low, alluring voice of his, “I love you.”

Alhaitham felt you melt into him. And in that unique, familiar way, magic and logic coincided to explain exactly how he knew you were his.

Author's note. I must add that I'm pretty rusty at writing romance these days, so I hope you don't mind that I added in some contemplation with the magic component. Merry Christmas, Ying! And pass it on to your husband, too. (。・ω・。)

[lilimalia]

ROSE HIP TEA // multiple characters

SPECIAL EVENT // POST !

MALE CHARACTERS [batch I]

SYNOPSIS... Valentine's Deals you say? Well... We do have a special tea brew just for the occasion!

CHARACTERS... diluc, zhongli, ayato, alhaitham (al-haitham), childe, xiao, kazuha,

DISCLAIMERS... fem/afab reader, valentine's special! This is the batch, and batch II will be genshin's most popular females. Xiao's part has a bathing scene, and Kazuha's has a flute playing reader.

BARISTA'S INTEL... I went after the most popular characters so I apologize if your favorite isn't on here... blame google statistics... And also, I may have chosen a song that sounded 100% like Diluc singing it, am I simp? Yes.

CAFE TUNE... Sway // Michael Buble

DILUC RAGNVINDR

The manor shines like jewels across the grassy plains of Mondstadt. Sunrise rays reflecting off it's clear windows. A beautiful morning, only right for such a sweet day.

Waking up, you shift towards your left, the bed creaks under your body, as you search lazily for your husband. Mind still groggy from the morning rising.

"Diluc?..." you call, finding that your side has been left by your husband. Startled, you rise, searching frantically for your lover.

"Diluc?... Did you leave for work again?", disappointment laces your face, your eyes furrowing as you begin to rise. It seems that even on the day of love, your own lover holds no bias.

Throughout the day, the glistening hope you had held that Diluc would come home, began to fade. The day goes by slowly, as you drag your burdens on your shoulders through the city of Monstadt, watching as lovers and friends a like smile and jump for joy as they receive flowers. But, Valentine's Day doesn't have to be lonely... Right? You don't have to depend on Diluc. You've got Klee! The sweetest girl in the world!

Except that Klee is with the Dragonspine Alchemist that Kaeya speaks fondly of...

The day seems to pass slowly, sun to moon, your mind is preoccupied... Your legs carrying you like feathers, threatening to snap at any moment. Sadness carries your body like a leash, leading you through out the day, gloomy under the lack of your lover. Perhaps it had been to much to hope he would put aside work for you... Arriving at the Manor, you open the door,

"Adeline... Could you please prepare a salt bath? It's been a rough day..."

"The maids of all left to celebrate the occasion dove... Are you alright?" Warm hands wrap around your waist, grasping at it slowly as your lifted off your feet. Oh, your wide awake now.

You look down to see Diluc, a soft smile fading onto his lips as he holds you up, large hands firmly gripping at your body as he speaks.

"Happy Valentine's, now, I believe we are due for a 5 star homecooked meal my love."

And a saccharine smile blooms across your face, face lining with wrinkles from your joy, as you grasp his face within your hands. <3

ZHONGLI A.K.A MORAX

The consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor walks across the bustling city of Liyue. Left free from his tasks, his eyes gaze upon the sales of the day.

It seems that many of the shops have opened sales, tempting, and appropriate for that of Valentine's Day. Who was he to deny the offer?

"Greetings Mr. Shitou, if you don't mind, I would like to see the wares you have for today..."

"Ah! Mr. Zhongli, what a pleasure to see you here again! Yes, yes, we do have some lovely jewelry for the day of love sir!"

Shitou opens a case, glittering black it shines in the afternoon sunlight; setting out three pieces of jewelry that shine across the table. Eye-catching to any and every that passes. Studying his selection of choices, Zhongli examines the cut of each jewel, from swiss to dahlia, before his eyes lay upon a particular necklace. Refined it is, a green jade glistening in the rays of sunlight, the gold around it embracing it like a newbord.

"This necklace... The quality is indeed impeccable... I will take it!"

"Lovely choice sir! Would you also like our special packaging just for this Valentines? It'll only cost another 10 mora!"

Of course... Only the finest material for his lover. How could he refuse. Zhongli returns that night, presenting his gift, towards his lover, who only deserves the best of the best.

AYATO KAMISATO

Kamisato Ayato craves nothing more but to be within the soft comforting touch of your body. To find his solace in your own, to wrap his arms around your waist and curl you up into his own body.

But... The duties of a Commissioner do not cease.

His eyes wear tiredly, drained and dragged downwards by the extent of his work.

"Sir Kamisato, your wife has registered a room within the Komore Teahouse and has put it on your tab. She had told the staff to personally deliver this purchase to you..." his right-hand calls calls, poise and proper as a small awkward chuckle lifts from his lips.

Ayato is no fool. He knows your games, and like a fish to bait, he plays along.

"Thank you Thoma, I will... Deal with the message accordingly." The Commisioner chuckles, his eyes darting playfully towards his servant as he watches the blonde fidget from the clear daring intent of the message.

Excusing the poor victim, Ayato lifts from his seat. Body crackling as his bones unstiffen. Free from it's bonds of constriction.

Poise and elegant, the Kamisato greets Taroumarou at the front, closing the door behind him to avoid the gazes of the public.

"Why hello there Taroumarou... Would you happen to know which room [Y/n] ordered herself?"

"Woof woof! Woof!"

"Room 7? Why thank you kind sir." Ayato teases. How he understands the animal, is out of his understanding...

Walking down the hallway, he knocks on the door, before entering in, pleasantly surprised to be greeted by your smile, cheerfully lit in the yellow light of the sectioned off tea room.

"Ayato! Ayato! Come sit, I knew you would come to find me. Lay down, allow me to massage your back and relax. You've been working to hard..." you call, patting your lap with your hand, motioning -also- to the warm cup of tea that sits freshly prepared right in front of you.

Kamisato Ayato smiles sweetly. How lucky he is to have a wife so endearing. And so, on the night of White day, Kamisato Ayato breathes freedom, and he is grateful for your gift of comfort.

ALHAITHAM / AL-HAITHAM

The humid sweet air of Sumeru makes its presence known throughout the tavern. The scent of sweet muddled berries and alcohol combined entices the men and women alike. Like sticky honey, the people swarm like bees.

Sitting across, you gaze lovingly towards the man. The -newly recruited- Acting Grand Sage. Who glares back at you unwavering as the drinks are poured beside you both.

"What is it that you find so peculiar about my face that entices you to constantly glare at me?" Alhaitham speaks, his slim hands grasping over the drinks to pass over to you.

"I'm not glaring! I just think you have very... Distinguished facial features. Frankly, it's quite the worthy trait!" You argue, smiling at the gesture of the drink as you sip on it. The spicy and sweet taste of alcohol rushing over your senses.

"There is nothing interesting about my face... It is simply fresh from constant morning washes."

"Only you would brag so carelessly about clear skin dear Alhaitham..." you mutter, now glaring playfully at the Sage.

Maybe it was the trick of the light, but from your seat, you swore you saw the faintest hue of rosy pink against the tip of his cheeks.

"Tch... If that's all you have to argue about my facial features... Then perhaps I have won this debate by default." He grins, twirling the frosted glass of alcohol in his hand; defined by veins that just barely crawl towards the tips of his fingers. His other hand, placed boredly against his cheek.

Perhaps he was fishing for compliments...

"Well fine! To start, you have beautiful emerald eyes! Perhaps it is an acquired taste... But I find them quite the attractive feature. Furthermore, you also have the coolest gaze, like a fox from the lands of Inazuma... Not only that, but you have the softest looking cheeks!"

Alhaitham pauses.

"...Softest?..."

"Of course! Your cheeks are adorable! Like a little child, I just want to squish them!" You giggle, taking another sip of your beverage.

"[Y/n]... Perhaps the alcohol has gotten to your head..." he states, his voice meekly hinting concern.

"No... I think I'm alright... It's only been an hour..."

"No... I think that's enough for the night. The Akademiya does not heed its progress because of one drunken student..." He responses, pulling your now empty glass away from you as he sets out the mora for the bill. Sliding his body towards yours as he lifts your now weakened state up.

"Come on... I'll walk you home."

"When did you become such a gentlemen?! Are you sure you don't plan to just walk yourself home and leave me stranded?"

The Sage does not respond. Already supporting your body against his own as he steadies himself. Had you not been so drunk... You may have been able to witness the pink hue on the Grand Sage's soft cheeks.

What a shame...

CHILDE / TARTAGLIA / AJAX

The smell of baked apples blossoms out of your mud oven. It's aromatic scent spreading like fire across your home. The cold Sneznhayan air clouded over, protecting your home like a blanket.

The sound of the door creaking draws your attention away, like a bird call.

"Ajax! Is that you?" You call, hastily throwing your mittens to the table as you run towards your husband.

"Hey girlie, what's got you so excited? Miss your great and formidable husband already?" He chuckles, throwing his bow and sword which bounce nimbly of the wooden floors.

You glare at him playfully, nudging his shoulder as you pull him away from the door.

"The house smells good... What did you make? I also got you some fish personally lined in by yours only!" He grins, roughed up hands tugging at a course bag that drags heavy by weight.

You can't see him, back turned to him as you pull out the apple pie but...

You know, he has those sweet Azul eyes, gazing at you like a puppy. Endearment practically pooling out of them... Has he trenches into your shared home. Bag over shoulder, work clothes stained red.

But it doesn't matter. He is with you, by your side, and alive, and that is all that matters to you.

XIAO / ALATUS

The translucent colors of rainbow are etched out in front of him, their life beginning and ending; he thinks.

The night is young, the calls of the wind usher him, but he is unable to answer.

"Xiao... Are you alright? Bubble baths are supposed to be fun... Not a way for you to test your death stare..." You inquire, melodic voice lacing with concern.

His back is too you, and for this he is grateful... Xiao does not know why, but his face burns, not a sharp pain, but a fleeting burn, one that spreads like wildfire across the whole of his complexion.

"I am not "death staring" anything mortal... Dare you accuse the Adepti of such trivial things?!"

"I am no mortal Xiao... And even you know it..." You hum, your voice gaining closer to him, until it is right at his ear...

He does not reply. Scared that his own voice may waver in the heat of the moment. He feels your soft hands rubbing against his body, massaging all his aches and wounds he never knew were there.

For a while... No one says a word, not the trees, not him, and not you.

He likes it better this way, he thinks. The way your body is so close to his, as he watches the bubbles in front of him fade away slowly, popping every second.

He likes it this way, he knows. How you stay your distance, but soothe him, nonetheless. How you begin to hum your signature tranquilizing tune, slowly eases the aches of his Adeptal body out of him.

Xiao does not know love. And he does know humans.

But you aren't human... You are a divinity.

And he will forever love you for it.

KAZUHA KAEDEHARA

 Kazuha lays comfortably beside you, back supported against the dark tree trunk.

He listens to the winds, that hum to your tune, as he watches you play the flute. Watching as your nimble fingers flick upwards and back down, sending forth the sound of the hollow wooden instrument.

Your eyes are closed, entranced by the music that you play. Soul and body devoted to your craft. When, unfortunately, the song comes to it's ending.

"So? Any thoughts dear Ronin?"

"None at all my dove... Your music is as enchanting as ever..." He murmurs sweetly, reaching out to pull your hand into his own, curling the tips of his fingers around yours.

"You flatter me to much Kazuha... Surely there was some sort of noticeable mistake?" You mutter, glancing at him and then your captured hand.

"None at all... None at all." He says, reaching out.

His hands clasps against your cheeks, the fresh spring Sakura petals falling around you and him. He smiles, like nothing else matters.

As if you are his world. And him, yours.

And perhaps that is true... As you nuzzle yourself into his grasp, laying your face against his rough hands, scattered with scars, but still your home.

And your forever world.

SPECIAL BREWS...

Room 7 // a reference to Japan's beliefs of the lucky number 7, which is tied to prosperity and Buddhist tales

Apple Pie // snow white reference, and a symbolic way to represent the red color commonly seen for Valentine's day and love

White Day // the more commonly celebrated holiday in Japan instead of Valentines. the day traditionally is a holiday towards the female partners of the relationship gifting their lovers a present and appreciating them (like [Y/n's] gift of comfort to Ayato)

BARISTA'S INQUIREMENT... Late Valentine's Day post because I was out on a date but!! Hope you enjoyed, have constructive criticism? Please do tell! I haven't written fluff in a long while... Also I may or may have not been biased towards Al-haitham's part...

word count. varying

Tag List Form !

©-FUTURIST... Please do not plagiarize, themes are edited by me, reblogs allowed, do not repost on any other platform!!

Banner credits: @ERIIMYON

[ticklystuff]

Heeyy!! For the ask game, my genshin team is: Alhaitham, Yae miko, Yelan and Zhongli

ask game is closed!

heyyyyy thanks for playing, everyone on your team is hot lmao

who’s the most ticklish character

m-my bias is telling me it's zhongli yes i hope u believe me it is absolutely zhongli

who’s the character that most people would assume isn't ticklish, but actually is

alhaitham, mainly because of the intimidating vibes and indifferent expression he gives off. if you ask him if he's ticklish, though, he has no problem admitting that he is because he doesn't really care if people know if someone tries to tickle him, though, then suddenly he does care hehehe~

who’s the character that everyone gangs up on and tickles

ALHAITHAM like miko and yelan are some of the most ler-coded characters this game has to offer and miko is absolutely the type of person to be upfront and tease alhaitham about how they never get to see his smile, whereas yelan is the actual threat because of how good she is at tickling when it comes to technicality. they also get a kick out of converting alhaitham's colder demeanor into frantic laughter. sometimes zhongli will join in but he's not as devious as the other two yelan and miko do go after zhongli too but alhaitham will not join because less involvement means fewer chances of being targeted in the future he thinks (he's wrong lol) ALSO yelan and miko are competitors as they are comrades and love to simultaneously tickle either zhongli or alhaitham and make them decide who is the better ler. OR one of them will ler for alhaitham while the other will ler for zhongli and they'll make it a competition to see who can break their lee the fastest (rip zhongli and alhaitham)

who’s the character that somehow knows everyone else’s tickle spots and reveals them to others

miko and yelan but they go about things differently. yelan will use this info as a threat and get the others to do her bidding like helping her to tickle miko. miko absolutely knows everyone's tickle spots but she might reveal fake spots too, just to watch yelan go after alhaitham only for yelan to quickly realize that miko purposefully gave her the wrong info and watch yelan suffer because alhaitham is also a surprisingly good ler when he wants to be zhongli knows everyone's spots too but doesn't go about revealing them because he believes in playing fair and square. when it comes to it, though, he will use that knowledge to his advantage

who's the character with one specific tickle spot that only one other person knows about

zhongli knows that miko has ticklish tails! ei told him one day in case there's ever a day that miko is being a little shit and she might need to be knocked down a peg or two

who’s the most likely to win gang tickle wars

hmmm this one is tough because like i think miko would win sometimes because of how easily she manages to slip out of people's grasps and i can see her bringing out her tails for tickles when things get dire, but also i feel like she'd tap out super fast if you do manage to pin her down. i want to go with zhongli for this one because at the end of the day he's still an archon and will have archon strength to humble these fools. he doesn't always resort to this but he absolutely will sometimes and it always catches the other three off because wtf when did grandpa get so strong

which character has a kink for tickling

maybe not necessarily a kink for her but it wouldn't surprise me if yelan might have dabbled with it miko will say yes on some days and no on others so we can't totally be sure

which character didn’t even know they were ticklish until another character tickled them

yelan because no one has dared to ever try tickling her until she met miko and miko likes to make it her mission to make everyone her personal tickle toy asdlkfjaslkdj

which two characters have tickle fights all the time

yelan and miko are absolutely rivals when it comes to tickling. they don't really do full-blown tickle fights, but will do subtle jabs when passing each other. they both know not to waste each other time when there are other more entertaining targets to go for ehehehe

[throwaway-yandere]

hey dear! hope you’ve been doing well <3 i’m sure school’s been a major pain in the ass for you ((hows that going?? i hope not too bad 🥲))

i just wanted to ask, do you have any plans for hysteric humanoid / plan on continuing it? (( i def understand if you don’t answer these asks because i’m sure it adds a lot of stress and can just be relatively annoying, so i sincerely apologize if this comes out that way!)

i also understand if you’ve been feeling unmotivated and too busy to work on it, especially with school! it happens to the best of us! its just that HH has been rotting in my brain rent free ever since i read it and i can’t get it out of my mind. the way you write and piece together the characters? absolutely amazing. the way you wrote lumine and dainsleif in it will forever be my favorite rendition i’ve seen of the two, this extends to the other characters that were in it too though!! i just have a major bias towards lumi and dain hehe.. i’m rambling, my apologies! i could honestly go on and on about how much i absolutely adore your work, and maybe one day i will, but until then, please do remember to take care of yourself! lots of love <<3

first off: this is probably the happiest I've been reading a "when's the next part" ask/reply lolololol. I love HysHum so much!!! OCMC and HysHum are pretty much me just absolutely fueled by either pure simping or gremlin behavior hehehe. The Dainsleif vs Lumine rivalry brain rots I had kept me up at night in this one so much. Something about Dain poetically being your most loyal servant despite not (wanting to) believing that you are indeed the "creator" and Lumine just going "Stop being delulu, they ARE the creator." hAHAHHAHAHAHA. There's just so much going on in my head. Talking about the archons here would be deep spoiler territory, but Baizhu being the one to give you your new name, Yelan implied to know about your secret and is testing the waters, Kaeya being your only somewhat-reliable confidant (and Alhaitham out there not giving a sht at all since he's focused on a certain elf lmao) is just my jam

...as for the sad news, I kind of "retired" from writing. Don't get me wrong- I do love writing the fic, A LOT, however, I'm not sure if it would be a "smart move" for me to do since I know I'm bound to get busier and busier. Additionally, not a lot of people in this world are Lumine-Dainsleif simps like you and I (hahahuhuhuhu...) so I feel like I'm just talking to a void when writing these sorts of things. My friends and I often make jokes about how my least effort writings are the ones that get more traction than the ones I research and pour my blood, sweat, and tears on. I'm very passionate about this fic- wE HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO ZHONGLI'S INVOLVEMENT AND KAEYA AND DAIN'S UNENDING BANTERS YET- but huhuhu I'll have to pause on it like OCMC until I see more reasons to continue writing ;;;---;;;. Sorry, my husband Dain, and my bestie Phitre's wife, Lumine. 

Love you very much for sending this ask, anon, thank you for reading HysHum <3333 (I'd probably be more inspired to continue this fic if we actually get more Dainsleif and Abyss Twin screentime and not just a "wake up traveler" moment- but that depends on my schedule yet again)

Have this pic for now :))

[nightiingaled]

SHIPPING PSA. - Regarding Haik.aveh/Kav.etham

I’m sure it is pretty blatant that I romantically ship Alhaitham & Kaveh outside of roleplay and their relationship is canon in the fic I base my Kaveh on. However, despite this I have no desire to bring this bias to the feet of every Alhaitham roleplayer I come across. Each of you have your unique portrayal of Alhaitham, as I hope my portrayal of Kaveh is unique from others.

This is all just a fancy way of saying you are not beholden to a ship with me simply because you roleplay Alhaitham. Nor am I beholden to ship with your muse either (reasonable rper etiquette imo) or immediately going to jump into one. Each portrayal I believe creates its own unique dynamic and I want to respect that.

I do wish, however, to say that my portrayal of Kaveh DOES make use of the idea that the two of them are AT LEAST friends, despite their harsh words and protests otherwise. If you wish for the two of them to have a solely antagonistic relationship, please tell me ahead of time and I will do my best to accommodate.

[dustofthedailylife]

📜 do you have a food you use a lot?

🧵 who’s your favorite character mechanics/kit-wise?

📰 who’s your least favorite character mechanics/kit-wise?

🌾 what’s your favorite character trailer?

[Genshin Ask Game] Hi Rin!! <3 (answering your other ask later, I want to properly sit down for it 👀)

📜 do you have a food you use a lot? It's definitely between Sweet Madame and Matsutake Meat rolls because they restore a lot of HP and that's pretty much all I need. My exploration team doesn't have a healer so, they come in handy. Also the ingredients are cheap and I have piles of them lying around all the time anyway.

🧵 who’s your favorite character mechanics/kit-wise? Alhaitham and Ayato! (the why is answered here)

📰 who’s your least favorite character mechanics/kit-wise? Out of the 5*.... Eula. I pulled her because a friend of mine is a hardcore simp for her and he insisted she was the only physical character and therefore essential to have (that was a lie... but I was a genshin newbie at that time and didn't know better). Then I pulled her and didn't even try her. I got her early but then again I leveled her and then just never wanted to use her because she just feels so clunky and unsatisfying to play. With her weapon and some cons she is so much better but at C0 she plays like an absolute tank IMO. Eula? Pure whale character imho.

🌾 what’s your favorite character trailer? Alhaitham and Wriothesley. Is my bias showing yet? It was the visuals together with the music and dshfkjhdfk. (I'm taking both trailers they release for a character into consideration here.) Alhaitham's teaser felt so deep and the visuals were so pretty, the part where he walks through the library with the visuals? Chef's kiss right there. Wriothesley teaser was so cool too because it showed the depth of his character perfectly. He treats the child so nicely and is considerate and tries to hide the fact he is here to arrest and take away her father while being super rough with him because he is a criminal at the end of the day. AND THEN THE DEMOS OMG. First of all, I loved that the Sumeru crew was there for Alhaitham's and was just gossiping. It's canon y'all. I love them sm help... Then Alhaitham's shoulder glance and then when the drop hits and the cool guys don't look at explosions part and and and the thing where he goes all nerd and explainy. I love him dsfhdkj. Wriothesley? The cut was so good and on beat with the music pls. He looked so badass I wanted to smooch him fr. Then the "ora ora" and then "Itte-rashai"???? I dropped dead and ascended to heaven. Daisuke Ono... the goat fr.

[roleplay-abiogenesis2]

do you have a ship bias list for any of your muses mun? :o

//Guilty! Honestly, who doesn't?

I have a vast majority of muses who have never shipped with anyone and for whom I have no fandom-fed ship bias. Some boys are just good on their own, and if stuff happens and clicks, that's great and all, but not something I necessarily look for. And then there's GLaDOS, too. The queen of the blog needs no ship to thrive in my heart.

I will talk about Cyno simply because, out of my full multimuse roster, he's the only one who has achieved shipping stage. The only other being Sephiroth, who has his own sideblog.

Anyways, Cyno. Odd ball, this one. I find that my favorite ship for him keeps swinging, and it's highly dependant on mun rather than muse. If a mun makes me vibrate with their writing, my brain will find openings to get invested into a ship between my muse and theirs.

Before writing with anybody, my shippy fixation for Cyno started with Candace, I just thought the two of them looked great together. This was before I knew the Genshin characters to any less-than-superficial degree, mind you. After Candace, my attention moved to Nilou for a bit. I think I started to give Tighnari a chance after writing with Shae, her Nari just stole my heart and still does. Now I love all the silly foxy rangers out there.

I remember growing interest into Cyno x Aether after that, but that has yet to happen, so it's still in the drawer and waiting to be explored. Ironically, while dipping my toes into this ship by starting to write with Pluto, that was when I gave their Wanderer a shot (without expecting much of anything) and was bludgeoned behind the head by Cyno x Arakan straight out of left field with a random hug joke thread.

These two are by the tippy top of my shippy iceberg and still clinging tight to it. I blame my obsession for all Wanderers on them.

And there's so many I could write more paragraphs about! Thanks to lovely A, I was able to fulfill my Cyno x Candace dreams, and I'm head over heels for them with each new reply. Then there's unexpected out of fandom ones that I never saw coming, like with Maxie's Genesis, and that I now consider as good as canon!

There's lots of other ships I am absolutely intrigued by but haven't had a real chance to fully explore yet (Alhaitham, Xiao, Albedo just off the top of the head~ and thanks to Spencer, Chongyun right now is being very loud in my brain) and that I am shaking to write. I do have RP partners with these muses and I'm staring with bloodshot eyes at them. But these are just a few!

The truth boils down to what I said in the beginning: it's not the muse that my bias stems from, it's the mun. If the mun gives me continuous threads with good plot and character growth, chemistry, and in general a muse that does show care for what goes on with my own muse (while having stuff of their own to share, of course), I know I will fall for them and so will muse. I crush on writing, more so than characters.

This is more a gush fest than a list, but I hope it works as an answer~

Saru-mun\\

[dollgutzzz]

Hi hello!!! Saw your post!! Firstly I hope you’re doing better and that everything’s okay~

soooooo prompt 👀 how about a sick Cyno caretaker Nari (my bias I won’t even lie) but consider, something where tighnari is giving a treatment to Cyno that’s very common place but on rare occasions can have some nasty side effects, (nausea vomiting etc…whatever you please! Like a medicine gone wrong scenario.) He makes Cyno *swear* to tell him if anything comes up so he can help but Cyno is dumb and assumes he will be fine. He isn’t.

Maybe later they all (kaveh and alhaitham perhaps?) meet up for tcg and Cynos hardly keeping it together and Nari drags him off to yell at him (and help) or!! Who knows!!! The possibilities are endless~

honestly anything sick Cyno is a 10/10 in my book lol

stay well!!

Absolutely ADORE this! You know I’m a sucker for sick!Cyno/caretaker!Tighnari. 🥺

Like the concept that Cyno NEVERS gets sick like ever and is always this reliable, unstoppable force but is brought to tears by an illness? Meanwhile, Tighnari always has remedies and solutions for things but gets completely perplexed by whatever is ailing Cyno and panics internally when he can’t figure out what’s wrong or how to help. +added emotional well weight of it being *Cyno* of all people?

Delicious 😭

I really appreciate you dropping this prompt. This is such a comfort writing topic for me 🩷 I’ll get to it!

[euthymiya]

salute to them for convincing you to finally touch l&ds <3333. it’s probably gonna be a while more before you meet sylus in the main story so all i can say is patience (or maybe you’re already close to meeting him because of that determination)— BUT ON ANOTHER RELATED NOTE !! the upcoming cards/memories for the boys though!!!! the trailer for the cards!!! let me tell you, my jaw was on the floor the entire duration of the video. it was…damn. DAMN.

and YES !!! i saw what the streets were saying about wrio potentially being in 5.4 and all i can say is haha, fuck me pls. he might just be the one to finally force me to 100% all my exploration on every nation (minus mond) because i’ve been procrastinating doing everything for years lmaoo. i pray that we win that 50/50 on wrio’s banner (and everything else before and afterward) !!!! holding onto that thin thread of hope for luck. TRUST!!

your bias towards mavui is sooo valid because, again, same. those funds i used up for neuvi’s banner were actually my mavui funds— my hands were just itching to wish so i gaslit myself that i was only going to be building pity for mavui…then the thought of finally getting neuvi made me excited so might as well, yk?? if i win, then i have neuvi, if i lose then i’ll have mavui— it’s basically a win-win situation (that c1 diluc still hurt tho ahahaha).

—ayatoless et al anon

GIRL (gn) I AM TRYINF TO MEET HIM. technically I’ve unlocked his story but ppl say for best experience I should finish the main story and then get to him and I’m so 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹 sobbing and throwing up I need to speed it up but ZAYNE and XAVIER keep ruining my day. Rafayel is fine he’s pretty cute but I’m not that interested atm GIVE ME SYLUS AND HIS VEINS

But u should def finish exploring and doing world quests for wrio if ur short on wishes when I first started playing it was not too long before alhaitham’s release so I speed ran every exploration and world quest possible like literally every single one so I could get as many wishes as possible for him and I think I saved deadass 40-50 wishes in a week. Do not ask me what my screen time was for that week.

We do not discuss that.

But if u do pull mavuika MAY SHE COME EARLY!!! I love her and wrio so much I can’t even suggest who to save for i think they both are a massive win

[scarletwritesshit]

Kaveh x Reader ✦ Oh my God! Roommates! ✦ III: Ajilenakh

It was probably due to your lack of rest beforehand, but you fell asleep with ease and slept through the night quite well. When you awoke, Kaveh was still unsurprisingly out cold, so you took care to not disturb him as you crawled out of bed. You went through the usual routine of dressing yourself and preparing for the day, with a breakfast once again being offered by Alhaitham. It initially felt like a one-time welcoming ritual to ease you into the residence, but perhaps it only felt that way because you were so used to skipping breakfast to account for the extra workload.

Despite the immense amount of work ahead of you, Alhaitham insisted that you sit down at the table and finish your meal. He glanced at you, puzzled in exchange for your somewhat curious expression.

"I thought we had a lot to cover today," you pointed out.

"We do indeed have a great amount of material still left in your introduction. However, none of it will be retained should you study on an empty stomach."

It felt like there was some kind of catch.

"So, when is it my turn to make the food?" you asked, untrusting of his generosity.

"It's your job to focus as a student. As long as you hold your end of the deal and show great strides in your studies, then I shall bare the responsibility of chores," Alhaitham said, with a gentle shake of his head.

It was nice to know that you weren't going to be burdened with extra responsibilities that would distract you from what was most important. Though, what about Kaveh? He doesn't seem to be that useful to Alhaitham currently, so why isn't he doing anything?

"But...what about Kaveh? He doesn't seem to help around the place at all."

"Because he's absolutely useless," Alhaitham said, quick to snap back.

"Then, simply give him a use?"

"Believe me, I've tried. He always makes up some excuse about his imaginary architectural job to get out of it. When I am actually able to convince him to do something, he does it completely wrong, so I've given up on him."

Imaginary job? He seems like he’s been hard at work, at least these past two nights.

"But what about all of those papers accumulated on his desk?"

"Most likely, they are mere scribbles that he has come up with these past few nights to make himself appear better so that he doesn't get kicked out in favor of you. Why are you so quick to come to that freeloader's defense, anyways?"

Alhaitham made a good point. Why were you so quick to defend a man that you've only just met?

"I'm not sure. Curiosity, or an outsider's lack of bias I guess."

Alhaitham gave you a brief judging look, but didn't inquire further. It seemed like something had crossed his mind that he was about to ask you, but decided against it.

Seems like the goal here was to hold your ground on your studies and stay out of trouble with Kaveh. The first felt much easier to do compared to the latter, considering Kaveh’s apparent bratty nature.

When the short exchange of words between you and Alhaitham ceased, Kaveh decided to finally make his long overdue appearance. Upon his arrival at the table, Alhaitham's mood soured, and he took his meal to the same spot he did the day prior.. He didn't say another word to you or one to Kaveh as he silently left to eat in peace, alone.

"What's his problem?" Kaveh aked, confused.

"I think you are," you said.

He looked dejected and glanced down due to the sharpness of your response.

"Well, yeah. Tell me something I don't know."

He perked his head up and looked at you with a smile, brushing off your previous comment.

"Never mind him," he said, "How about I join you for the remainder of your meal?"

You weren't going to object, as he seemed less likely to bring up the other in such a condescending way. He was also a resident of the household long before you, so there was ultimately no room for objection on your part.

You weren’t sure how to carry out a conversation with him, so the morning was once again spent in relative silence. He seemed so insistent on spending time with you, yet he didn’t seem to be much of a conversationist in the mornings. Kaveh simply looked at you as if he wanted to say something, but couldn’t quite find the words to do so. You too, wanted to have a leisurely discussion over breakfast, but there wasn’t exactly a common ground to strike a conversation with him, at least to your knowledge. Was he perhaps afraid of going on a rampage about Alhaitham again, and scaring you off? It wouldn’t be so bad if you kept the topic on something he’s interested in, such as architecture, but that always had the potential to quickly spiral into “Alhaitham doesn’t understand because he’s too stuck up” or something.

As much as you wanted to have a little chat with him, you decided that it was best to remain silent. After finishing your breakfast, you were once again stopped by him before you had the chance to take care of your dishes. Rather than put up a protest, you let Alhaitham’s “useless roommate” take care of the mess so that you could get to your studies.

Alhaitham wasted no time introducing you to your lesson for the day. He gave you absolutely no opportunity to distract him with any form of useless, irrelevant questions.

Straight to the point.  

It was nice knowing that he wasn’t the type to mess around with unnecessary filler. At the same time, it was a little frightening thinking of the potential sheer difficulty of the material you have yet to cover.

The introduction to your long-term studies was some large, well-read book documenting the oldest days of Sumeru known to man. Alhaitham claimed that this was to set a solid foundation for what lies ahead, but to you, it felt like a bunch of outdated nonsense. None of the policies you noted even remotely applied to modern day Sumeru or its schooling, but you continued without protest in order to simply please Alhaitham.

Out of the corner of your eye, you could occasionally catch a glimpse of Kaveh staring in your general direction. You couldn’t exactly break your focus and turn away from your paper to get a better look at him, but he seemed to be observing you and Alhaitham as you were being lectured about seemingly useless dusty old Sumeru texts. There were times you wanted to take a better peek at him in an attempt to take a guess at what he was conspiring, but any distraction from Alhaitham’s lecture at hand would ultimately scar your reputation. You did sort of want an explanation from him, though.

Did he want to finally make himself useful by joining in on your private study session? Or perhaps there was a lingering sense of jealousy that kept him fixated on you? Either way, there wasn’t a chance for you to ask. Alhaitham didn’t seem to notice, nor did he care, so you ultimately decided to let it go for now.

Kaveh made absolutely no mention of anything unusual before the two of you went to bed for the night, either. Perhaps it was simply a little jealously over Alhaitham treating you better than he treated him, but if that were the case, wouldn’t he be acting rather hostile towards you? There wasn’t an ounce of resentment against you present in that man. In fact, he didn’t spend nearly as much time working on his projects as he did the night before, allowing him head to bed a lot earlier.

Didn’t he want to prove to Alhaitham that he wasn’t useless? You’re not complaining about him getting proper rest; it just seemed unusual considering the excuses he gave prior.  

Maybe the dust from those old books were starting to get to you.

It was better to forget about Kaveh’s odd ways and simply sleep through the night.

The next day was the same repetitive cycle; you joining Alhaitham for breakfast, Kaveh coming to crash his peaceful morning, and then sitting through hours of outdated Sumeru history.

Your notebook was starting to become awfully thick for how early in your studies you were. At some point, you were going to have to sort through these notes for yourself and shift out what you believed was of higher priority, or at least ask Alhaitham for advice organizing your thoughts. Finding the time to focus on that was going to be difficult, however. Every day, it felt like Kaveh’s supposed jealousy was growing stronger and stronger. The strange thing was, you could feel him intensely focused on you during the day, but while you two were chatting before bed, he seemed as casual as ever.

One night, you stayed awake to catch a little peek of him working. He seemed lost in thought, but hardly scribbled down any notes. Something else must’ve been weighing down his mind. There was an urge to ask him, but he would most likely be more focused on the fact that you were supposed to be asleep rather than what was directly occupying his thoughts. He was convinced that you were always asleep by the time he went to bed himself.

That wasn’t exactly the case. You always seemed to fall asleep shortly after he crawled under the covers himself.

You rolled to your other side, at a loss for what to do. You were never going to get answers for his unusual behavior unless you asked, but it’s possible that he wasn’t even aware of these habits that you have picked up on. Maybe he was on the verge of giving up after seeing how much Alhaitham clearly favored you, and so all creative inspiration for projects of his own faded away after a while. It almost made you feel bad even though you were there for your own benefit and shouldn’t be worried about the behavior of the teacher’s freeloader.

Still, he didn’t show any hostility towards you. He always made sure to attend meals, even if a little late at times, and he would always talk to you before you turned in for the night. It seemed highly unlikely that he was faking it, otherwise, he would’ve lost himself by now.

By this point, you had been sharing a bed with him for little over a month now. You have finally adjusted to your studies with Alhaitham and had a regular routine that allowed for proper down time.

Lately, you haven’t been thinking twice about going to bed, until a warm, heavy weight clinging to the back of your body woke you up one night.