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When Alhaitham first emerged from unconsciousness, he could deduce that the day ahead was going to give him its worst. From barely being able to divide his eyelids into a harsh squint, to feeling as if the entire hypostyle desert was stuffed down his throat, it wasn’t a far-fetched argument to propose he wasn’t feeling like himself.
Just perfect, the Acting Grand Sage moped with every pathetic connotation of a child within the protective confinements of his quilt. This is just what he needed to enter the week, a head smashing cold. If it weren’t for the upcoming Inter-Darshan Championship which he had the begrudging responsibility to oversee its preparation, then his circumstance would be far more affordable.
He gruffly rolled himself over onto his side, appearance far more attuned to a half crushed caterpillar, and slid his large knees closer to his abdomen. The more he began to gain coherence of his surroundings, the more discomfort his body seemed to elicit.
It had started with his vision, but as he lazily swatted the sleep from his eyes, a head-splitting thump welcomed itself with a far more distasteful entrance, and he noticed his nose departed from the indispensable role of receiving oxygen, substituting for his dry mouth instead. His lungs felt infected with cotton, and every muscle of his large physique ached terribly.
It had been too long ago for Alhaitham to recall the last time he was so ill. It had to have only occurred when his grandma still caressed his hair and fed him soup, gently chastising him to not throw himself carelessly into his studies. He silently waited for a phantom sensation of her frail, endearing fingertips to massage his temples. For her to whisper with the quintessential concern of a fretting mother, “Oh, my poor child,” and then scurry away in search of herbal medicine.
He half sighed after another moment of contemplation. Of course that wasn’t going to happen. He must’ve been seriously unwell to yearn for the improbable once again.
Then he coughed, and it sounded as repulsively wet as it felt. The motion caused his chest to spasm irregularly, fighting to replace the thick mucus embedded in his lungs with the luxury of air. He subconsciously brought himself to a sitting position, still hacking, his head hung as if his neck couldn’t support it to stay upright. Another five seconds went by, and he finally relaxed with a clear, shaky breath.
This was the precise moment Kaveh clicked his door open. He likely held the assumption Alhaitham was hungover and needed usual assistance cleaning up, as did himself after their typical tavern night outs.
But as Alhaitham didn’t look up, still capitalizing on his chance to take in the flourishing air, he assumed Kaveh would recognise his presence as unwarranted and retreat behind the wooden door frame.
So when Alhaitham nested back into his pillows and shut his eyes, the contact of a palm resting on his forehead took him off guard.
“Don’t move, just focus on resting. Act like I’m not here if that’s what it takes.” The firm voice of the blonde breaks the silence. His palm doesn’t move, and neither does Alhaitham.
But the bedridden male did reopen an eye, “It is not possible to numb the sensation of physical contact.”
“Archons, you sound terrible.”
“Actually, I think I sound quite like you.”
“You-!”
Kaveh’s cool hand snapped from Alhaitham’s warm skin, he scoffed and retreated to a standing position.
“Well, it seems like you’re not that bad if you have the brains to quip back at me,” he huffed, folding his arms and avoiding Alhaitham’s sight. Then, he furrowed his brow sternly, “Still, you’re way too warm to be considered normal.”
Alhaitham didn’t reply. Not that he was in the mood to willingly face defeat in one of their arguments, rather, he did in fact lack the brains to solidly quip back at Kaveh. At least in terms of verbal interaction, Wow, someone should give you an award in medicine for deducing that one.
As the silence grew heavy, said honorary physician turned his head back towards Alhaitham’s half conscious state, noticing the extent of his depleted energy. His frown deepened, “This is no good, I’ll have to visit the Akademiya and inform them of your absence.”
Alhaitham grunted lowly, finding it in himself to announce his almost offended feelings from the blonde’s conclusion, “I’ll be up in five, don’t involve yourself in something that doesn’t affect you.” His throat resonated with a far more congested tone than moments earlier, dampening his argument.
Kaveh merely raised a brow, “Is that so, why another five? Your shift started… I believe, two and a half hours ago?” Clearly whatever face Alhaitham was conjuring fed into the growing smirk on the other’s face, “It’s ten in the morning, Grand Sage.”
Now Alhaitham was aware of his losing position, yet that admission would be taken to his grave. In defending his dignity, he slid his unsteady legs over the side of the bed, sitting himself upright. That alone took more of his breath than he intended, but it was irrelevant.
In a swift yet partially wobbly motion, Alhaitham brought himself upright, barely towering over Kaveh. He then trudged past the blonde in navigating the restroom, waiting until he was at his room’s door frame before making a comment as the other stood unimpressed, “You can inform them that I’ll be there in five then.”
And once he made the first teetering strides down the hall, lazily wiping his nose with the back of his wrist, his mind registered Kaveh’s obvious tease, “And it’s Acting Grand Sage.”
-
Partially true to his word, Alhaitham departed from their cushy home within the next fifteen minutes, as showering himself and chugging instant coffee was a slower series of habits than usual. Kaveh for whatever reason, stopped pestering Alhaitham after he managed to complete these tasks. He recalled the blonde having an indecipherable expression on his face when he placed his cup in the sink, but Alhaitham had no intention to engage with whatever bothered that man, lest he be a hypocrite.
As he trudged up the ramp to the Akademiya, the bustling noise from Treasures Street a few levels below him plagued his ears. That is when he recognises his fatal error of forgetting his headphones. But Alhaitham was already entering through the grand doors of the Akademiya entrance, students on their break stiffening their posture at the sight of him. It would look poor on his status to turn around, not that Alhaitham cared much about others' impressions of him, but he was conscious of his responsibility to uphold stability across all Akademiya matters, and such an act would only add to the uneasiness and skepticism this role received as of late.
“How can our city function with a disorganized Grand Sage?” A student older than Alhaitham would groan.
“We should file a complaint to the other Akademiya officials and have him replaced. Clearly he doesn’t want this job and neither do we want him to have it.”
These are mere speculations, Alhaitham reminded himself, while also making the conscious decision to not raise his left hand up to his ear and enable noise canceling on a non-existent headset. He instead strided past the fountain, not commenting on those who exchanged looks with him. He eventually found himself in the House of Daena, the bright lights from the many ceiling lamps going straight through his skull.
Still filled with the determination to complete his task of arriving at his office, Alhaitham shook off the chill that lightly trembled his skin. He stepped into the elevator, grateful it is designed to be soundproof and the fact nobody joined him, as he sneezed thickly. Evidently, his reaction time was detrimentally bruised, as he couldn’t catch it in his arm before another tickle settled itself in his nose and rendered him sneezing thrice openly.
He sniffled uselessly, wrist finally making contact with his reddened nose and sloppily brushing it. This was no doubt a setback, but Alhaitham would be able to manage. He would not let the gods meddling with his current fate obstruct his goal of completing the day.
When the elevator reached his destination, none other than Lesser Lord Kusanali awaited at the entrance to his office.
Alhaitham momentarily froze, trying to assess the probability of this situation having occurred. He blinked, as the young archon stared at him with a cheeky smile. He then opened his mouth to greet her normally, but a green flash startled his vision and he stiffened.
“Your head is killing you and you are irritated by a stuffy nose. Yup, that certainly seems obvious from a quick glance.”
The archon before him had her hands in the shape of a rectangle, as if reading his every thought. As her arms returned to her sides her smile remained, yet her eyebrows contorted into an expression most resonant with empathy, “How are you feeling, Alhaitham?”
“Pardon my curiosity, but why are you here, Lesser Lord Kusanali?” Alhaitham tried to squash the annoyance he was feeling, unprepared to face yet another obstacle in his way. He observed her carefully, and her expression did not change, if only brightened.
“Because you requested me to assist you with today in our last meeting, silly,” she giggled, unoffended by Alhaitham’s blunt greeting. She then walked closer to him, head tilting up to meet his, “Please answer my question.”
The male blinked again, still catching up to the situation and the archon stood below him. He coughed quietly, feeling an odd sensation of awkwardness, drifting his eyes away from her, “I’m fine, I apologize for not remembering.”
“So why are your arms shaking?”
They are? Alhaitham looked towards his arms and, yes, there was a faint shiver to them. It is something so subtle that only someone as observant as the god of wisdom herself would be able to pick up on it. He could feel the thin hairs on his forearm stand on edge, now that he also paid attention. But Alhaitham did not care if he was feverish, it was not enough to prohibit him from his duties.
“Actually, if you are feeling feverish Alhaitham, then I suggest you take the day off.”
His eyes widen, and all she does is smile. Her expression felt so reminiscent of his grandma, that the heavy emotions deeply rooted inside of him emerged in the form of shame. But he still had his logic, and his inherent inclination to argue was stronger, “In order for the Inter-Darshan Championship and the Wisdom Gala to perform smoothly, I’m the one who must monitor the construction of both events.”
“Do you really think you can do that, if you’re in so much discomfort?”
“I can manage, I assure you. I insist you don’t express your concern for me.” Alhaitham saw her lips form a frown, and he wondered if he broke one of the six cardinal sins with those words.
She stared, squinting her eyes as if trying to see through him. He could also feel her small palms squeezing his lethargic wrist. Then she sighed, appearing satisfied with her observation, and stepped back.
“Alright, I’ll let you work, but as per our agreement I am to join you at least until midday. Is that okay?”
Alhaitham nodded, trying to ignore the growing feeling of guilt forming in his stomach. There’s part of him which believed she was disappointed with his decision. It would fade off soon, he trusted.
-
After meddling at his desk for a while, Lesser Lord Kusanali suggested they visit the Grand Bazaar, and check in on everyone’s preparations. Alhaitham may not be the most emotionally intelligent, but he knew the offer was only to grant him some fresh air, since sneezing had become a constant recurrence. It worked in his favor at the very least, and the change in temperature to the warmth coming from the citizen’s liveliness helped to also rejuvenate himself.
It was also, however, incredibly loud. He chastised himself for being so forgetful in one day, yearning for the security of being able to manually summon silence. Instead, he had the dendro archon pulling him further into the crowds, perhaps overtaken by her own childlike excitement to see the constructions. Surrendering, he followed her, attempting to use this as an opportunity to actually manage the events.
“L-Lesser Lord Kusanali and Acting Grand Sage?! What are you two doing here?” The surprised voice of Nilou snapped his attention to his left, where the young archon appeared to have taken him. With the dancer was Dehya and Candace, among other performers of the theater. Deduced from the little duration he had to scan the environment, he assumed she was rehearsing for the opening ceremony, and the other two were accompanying her.
“Alhaitham is here to check up on everyone’s hard work, and I’m here to check up on him. Please, don’t be so nervous.” Lesser Lord Kusanali giggled, her eyes glistening with an unwavering childlike wonder. Clearly, she also wanted to watch Nilou perform. Although, Alhaitham did not align himself with the end of her statement.
“Check up on him? Is something the matter?” Candace and Dehya walked towards the three, having overheard Nilou’s initial gasp. Alhaitham shared a quick glance with them both, then back to Nilou, and then to his god.
He cleared his throat, “Actually, Lesser Lord Kusanali is-”
“Alhaitham has the sniffles, so I’m making sure he doesn’t collapse!” For such an odd announcement, she seemed quite proud of herself. Alhaitham’s mouth hung with his unspoken words. He went to correct her, but was silenced by her kind wink, “Also, remember you can call me Nahida.”
Nahida. Had he been using her title this whole time? Alhaitham was not one to feel embarrassed, but that didn’t stop him from turning away awkwardly, quite similarly to the first interaction he had with her in the morning. He was unaware of whether his cheeks dusted pink, but by the strong series of chuckles sounding in front of him, that didn’t seem like a doubtful assumption.
“Well what a rare sight this is, sick and shy? I should have brought my kamera.” Dehya grinned, though her teasing clearly had light intentions. Candace nudged her shoulder playfully, not hiding the faint smile on her own lips.
Despite her own giggling, it appeared Nilou was the only one who cared for his dignity, “That’s quite a shame, it’s unlike you to fall ill, isn’t it?”
Alhaitham coughed into his fist bashfully, gathering himself to firmly look at the four, “I’m fine. The duration between my last and current ailments does not concern me, so I suggest it should be the same for you.”
The red head nodded quickly, falling rather timid after his reply, “R-Right! Sorry, I shouldn’t press into matters that aren’t mine,” she wore a guilty frown, evidently unprepared for Alhaitham’s stern voice. Truthfully, Alhaitham didn’t try to appear stern. His congestion had it come naturally.
“Hey, apologize to Nilou, there’s nothing wrong with asking how you are,” Dehya’s expression changed dramatically, standing up for their friend. Alhaitham, really losing his ability to converse, quietly sputtered, which was even less like himself. That effectively made the flame mane also fall silent with a look of bewilderment.
He glanced at Nahida for assistance, and the archon sympathetically smiled, but shook her head. So he sighed, stiffly turning back to Nilou and resolving the situation in the only way he could, “I apologize, but none of you really need to offer your concerns. I said I’m fine.”
Candace also shook her head, her look reminiscent of an older sister, “You should let others express their worry for you. There’s no shame, we are just being considerate of your wellbeing.”
Honestly, this conversation progressively made Alhaitham feel as if he were devolving into a child, “Alright, well I suggest we move on.” He cleared his throat again, forcing himself not to wince, “Nilou, how has your rehearsals been fairing? Do you need me to consult anyone?”
With the conversation turning over a new page, Nilou’s expression returned to her kind smile and she declined, “Everything has been fine on my end, I should be ready after a few more days of practice.”
He nodded, satisfied. Nahida then spoke up, bouncing on her toes, “Please perform for me, Nilou!” She wore a wide grin, her hands balled into excited fists. It almost made Alhaitham forget she was their archon and not a festive child.
Nilou’s face flushed a sweet pink, endearingly overwhelmed by her god’s request, “Of course! I’ll try to make it my very best for you, Lesser lor- I mean, Nahida!” She clapped her hands together gleefully, subtly lowering her height so she was closer to Nahida’s eye level. The archon cheered, and Alhaitham found himself being directed by Dehya and Candace to where the crowd normally stood.
Alhaitham assumed Nilou’s performance was to her usual outstanding degree, given by Nahida’s wondrous gasps and claps. Himself on the other hand had taken to shutting his eyes. It wasn’t because he didn’t enjoy the dancer’s performance, rather, the bright lights of Zubayr Theater were beginning to really affect him. Thankfully none of them had noticed his issue, likely too enthralled by Nilou’s choreography.
He sighed, fighting the urge to rub his temples lest he looked impolite. It appeared his migraine was worsening, and the bustling air around him was gradually becoming harder to receive. He half coughed, upholding his respect, yet also suffering from the thick congestion constricting his throat.
Thankfully, it seemed Nilou’s performance was reaching its closure, as Dehya and Candace had joined Nahida in a proud applause. He found the energy to also clap tiredly, as the environment around him felt far too spaced out.
Distantly, his mind wandered back to the events of the morning, when Kaveh approached him as he laid in bed. Alhaitham was no fool, he had suspected Kaveh to be correct all along, but it was only now that he wished the urge to prove the blonde wrong was weaker than his consideration of his health. It felt as if the room was beginning to spin, and an unsettling nausea developed in his abdomen.
This was his largest predicament yet. He could not afford to pass out, not in the great publicity that is the Grand Bazaar. He had responsibilities to execute, and falling unconscious in the midst of the Wisdom Gala’s construction would demolish that. So he clenched his jaw, battling to remain focused.
His temples throbbed, and he felt himself losing balance. His next actions were a disrespect to his dedication to logic and reason, but Alhaitham found himself giving into desperation and nudging Nahida’s shoulder. Only she and all her omniscience would be able to release him from his suffering.
-
Silence rang until Alhaitham recognised a familiar squeezing of his arm, “Alhaitham, Alhaitham!”
He blinked, recalling his surroundings. Nilou had definitely stopped dancing, and was now joined with the rest of them. He felt short, and strangely wet. His attire was damp, and his black top felt stuck to his skin. His hair had droplets of… seemingly water dripping onto his face. His legs were far closer to the ground and oh, Alhaitham was sitting on a chair.
“Can you hear me Alhaitham?” A soft, gentle voice wafted into his eardrum. He turned to its owner, and found Nahida watching him wide eyed with a distinct frown on her lips. Her hands were latched onto him, with what Alhaitham could only assume was fear. Fear? That felt unnatural coming from an archon. His archon, no less.
He nodded, finally noticing the clenched, empty bottle in his hands. If he were in better shape, this would be the moment he caught up to the situation and recuperated himself with remarkable efficiency. Instead, he coughed and glanced at Nahida, such as a fish out of water, “..What happened?”
The archon sighed with what was likely relief from his coherent state, yet her frown remained, “You didn’t pass out, but were overcome by some kind of dizzy spell.” She leaned forward to touch his cheek with a coolness Alhaitham wanted to have lasted forever.
“You’re warmer than before, I don’t think our earlier plan should hold out..” She fretted, detaching her palm from his face. “I sent Candace and Dehya to go find help. Nilou offered you the water, but unfortunately she has to now participate in a group rehearsal with the rest of her theater troupe.”
Alhaitham nodded carefully, still gathering his bearings. Admittedly, having this many people involved with his fickle cold was the opposite outcome he planned for, but everything was primarily out of his control now. His breath hitched and he abruptly hunched forward with a wet sounding sneeze. It resonated so deeply that he would have easily mistook it for a stranger, but his congestion endeavoured to prove him otherwise. He leant back against the small wooden chair, which was likely used as a prop on normal occasions.
He took a moment to look around, and noticed they were in a much quieter location than earlier. Still in the Grand Bazaar, although what appeared to be backstage of Zubayr Theater. For once the lights would work to his advantage, as citizens wouldn’t be able to spot him from the shadows of Nilou’s troupe.
“Alhaitham, why do you tend to push yourself?” Nahida asked quietly, voice a lot wiser than what it had been earlier.
The male was silent, contemplating the question himself. It shouldn’t be difficult, Alhaitham was a man known for his intellect, enough to be admitted the role of Grand Sage - only ‘Acting’ as per his request. He knew he was more attuned to the laws of logic when navigating difficult situations, or simply in everyday disputes. He didn’t hesitate to act without empathy, if the outcome had the chance to affirm his reasoning.
Alhaitham never viewed these qualities as him being apathetic, however, as contrary to the rumors of scholars, he was not devoid of eliciting emotion. He could recall many experiences from his past on his fingertips if he so wished, which invited that behavior over applications of logic or reason.
Yet, in terms of how he treated himself lately, would him prioritizing empathy be of more value? Being the argumentative type, Alhaitham seldom viewed the judgment of others as valuable when calculating his own opinions. Of course, collaboration in the Akademiya was most optimal and inherently unavoidable, but when Alhaitham derived a conclusion for himself, he refused to adjust these thoughts to align with the proposals of others.
Was this rejection of opinion impeding on his own emotional intellect? Would agreeing with the word of the opposition be more optimal during academic disputes? No, not necessarily, but as he glanced helplessly towards that same omniscient smile of his archon, Alhaitham recognised his misjudgement.
He always calculated the reality of situations without an air of compassion, to others and himself. Not that he rejected the value of emotions, rather, fact simply led him to the optimal solution. But today in his condition, he chose to resist his and the feelings of others in order to once more be triumphant in a dispute, albeit minor. Was he led to the optimal solution? Did he even win the dispute?
Loosening his grip of the bottle, Alhaitham rested his forearms on his legs and let his head hang low, “I prefer to lead life with a clear mind, and if that means avoiding to hastily act on my physical condition, in instead maintaining my days regular schedule and harbouring satisfaction with such, then it is what it is.”
“Is what it is…” Nahida pondered, “But surely, you also notice this leads you to a rejection of both your true emotions and desires?”
“Yes,” Alhaitham nodded, arriving at the same conclusion as her, “I see that now.”
So his archon clapped her hands, seemingly satisfied, and looked towards his glum form, “I’m not only talking about how you see those around you, but how you approach yourself,” she paused, and Alhaitham could sense her hesitance.
“I don’t mean to be invasive, but I have seen many of your dreams, Alhaitham.”
“You yearn for your grandmother, don’t you?”
Alhaitham didn’t move, and if it weren’t for the mind reading capabilities of the god before him, anyone would believe he hadn’t heard her.
He surrendered to a heavy sigh, and glanced up at her, “She once told me,” he got straight to the point, “That I must discern my path with the greatest of wisdom."
Nahida nodded, as though this information wasn’t new to her, “Yes, and you have,” she paused, adding weight to her statement, “However, I also seem to recall an emerald book that you’ve found?”
The man made the conscious decision to not reply.
May my child Alhaitham lead a peaceful life.
“Alhaitham, do you think acting like this has brought you peace with yourself?”
He remained silent, devoid of any answers. Nahida watched as he contemplated his thoughts, grasping for his composure simultaneously.
And then, with the most emotion the god of wisdom had seen on his face all day, Alhaitham shared her soft smile, “No, I don’t think it has.”
“We’re back!” The ragged voice of Dehya rang as a disordered flurry of footsteps interrupted Alhaitham and Nahida’s conversation. The Acting Grand Sage huffed, wondering if such commotion would interrupt Nilou’s performance.
The flame mane heaved, wiping the sweat from her brow, and behind her emerged Candace, Tighnari and Cyno. When they saw the sight of him, they expressed varying levels of horror.
“Were you just.. smiling?” Dehya stumbled.
And Alhaitham hardened his regular deadpan, “Welcome back,” being sure to enunciate his words with every degree of sarcasm he could muster.
Nahida giggled beside him, and Alhaitham realised their private talk had reached its conclusion. He sighed heavily, trying to maintain his uplifted mood. Tighnari stepped forward, approaching Alhaitham’s stiffened form, “Dehya and Candace informed me of everything, and Cyno was with me when I heard, so I’m sure you won’t mind him also joining us.”
“When would I ever,” he grunted, sending an immediate glare towards the General Mahamatra, receiving one in turn. Of course, he was only partially serious.
The forest ranger huffed, only becoming more hands on with Alhaitham’s unwell physique. He prodded around his neck, likely to observe his glands, then shifted to stare at him with a deeply quizzical look. But he wasn't looking at Alhaitham, he was looking his nose, eyebrows, cheekbones and lips. He then removed a glove from his right hand, and planted it firmly on his forehead. Alhaitham welcomed the touch, but knowing he had a crowd of four watching expectantly, he chose against leaning into it.
Rescuing him from his temptation, Tighnari retracted his hand with a shake of his head, “Yep, that is quite the fever, and your sinuses appear inflamed, so you likely have an infection,” He put a hand on his hip speculatively, “Is there any symptoms you can bring to my attention so this diagnosis can be grounded?”
Alhaitham swallowed down his vulnerability, and made sure to only focus on Tighnari’s expression. He knew the others would find amusement from his admission, “Hard to breathe, migraines that are worse than usual, unsatisfactory coughing, essentially the regular cold symptoms.”
The male nodded with each of Alhaitham’s words, as if they all fell into his assumption, "Mhm, mhm, sound about right." But then, Tighnari removed a brown bag off his shoulder, and pulled out a cotton swab and test tube, "You likely won't enjoy this, but I'll need to make one more examination," there was an underlying pleasure in the male's tone that Alhaitham wished he could purge.
As Tighnari grew close to his face another time, Alhatiham made sure not to hide his skepticism. However, before he had a chance to question what the forest ranger planned to do, the swab was jabbed up his nose in an effortless motion. To say it hurt was an understatement, but he did not appreciate the tears which unwelcomely pricked his eyes. Furrowing his eyebrows, he sent the male a harsh glare that had been humbly ignored.
Thankfully, the room was too dark for anyone to notice the wounded look on Alhaitham's face, or if they did, they chose not to comment. He was not interested in seeking that answer, only focusing on recuperating his tender nostrils after the swab was extracted. Time was drawn out as no one dared to break the careful silence, save for his own sniffling, as the collective respected Tighnari's needed concentration. As said male inserted the used swab into his test tube, he hummed with fascination as the translucent liquid within gradually changed colour.
Then he turned to the others, the fine furs of his tail barely brushing Alhaitham’s knees, seemingly having a definitive conclusion, “You can all relax, it’s only an infection affecting Alhaitham’s sinuses,” he then turned back to the sluggish sage, “Your dizziness and supposed migraines probably occurred because of the pressure in your sinuses, and multiplied in severity because of your incessant urge to go on with your day.”
“Just why, would you of all people decide that would be a good idea?” The irritated whine in Tighnari’s voice did not go unheard.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already assisted with that predicament,” Nahida spoke up politely, with a considerate look. She gave a subtle thumbs up in the forest ranger’s direction, to which he only sighed and calmed down.
“Alright, I trust you, Lesser Lord Kusanali. You seem to be the only non-meat-headed person here.”
Everyone minus Nahida, and Alhaitham because of his exhaustion, gawked at Tighnari, "Hey, who are you calling meat-headed?" Dehya argued, a bold hand on her hip.
He only smirked, pulling Cyno by his arm to take their leave, "What, with you blubbering too many words at once and needing Candace to spell things out to me, I think that is quite an accurate judgement," he turned, no longer facing the group, “If I don’t hear tomorrow morning that the Akademiya’s Grand Sage has taken leave for the coming week, then I will have no choice but to force him to do so myself.”
It’s Acting, was what Alhaitham intended to quip back with, but instead, he uselessly hunched over with a sharp sneeze. But after a thick sniff and a pissed off frown, he noted the hush chuckles filling the vicinity confirmed that was still communicated.
However, they all fell silent when the mess of a blonde architect came flying up the Zubayr Theatre stairs, shoving past both Tighnari and Cyno.
“What on earth is going on here?!”
-
It took fifteen whole minutes for everyone to coherently fill in Kaveh with Alhaitham’s situation, ten over the average person’s comprehension skills in the junior’s opinion. If it weren’t for the insufferable scoffs, loud ‘I told you so!’s, and face palms, the ordeal would have gone far more smoothly. But now, as the blonde gathered himself and reassessed the situation, his demeanor tamed.
“So,” Kaveh pinched the bridge of his nose, “You admit I was right, right?”
Alhaitham was growing irritated by how obedient this situation was forcing him to be. Everyone turned towards him expectantly, as the silence grew uncomfortable. He only clenched the bottle in his hand tighter. Alhaitham had been wrong, he knew he was wrong. He didn’t like being wrong, “Yes, I do.”
And the satisfaction was clear as day on his roommate’s face, that it almost made Alhaitham retract his statement, but the tender hand that was placed on his thigh from the archon herself restrained him from doing so.
Candace, who had remained awfully observant the whole time, finally spoke up, “Alright, I think this is where we all take our leave, wouldn’t you agree?”
Hums of affirmation sounded across the area, and that was when Alhaitham remembered everyone was currently backstage of an ongoing performance. He mentally noted to file compensation to Zubayr Theater when this was all over. Alhaitham was experiencing far too many emotions than he was normally inclined to, but guilt seemed to be the most prominent throughout his day.
“Before we do that, I would first like to apologize,” he mumbled, awkwardly. He offered a quick glance at Nahida’s proud eyes before resting back at the group, “For causing unnecessary hassle over a circumstance that could have easily been avoided.”
At first they were all stunned by the genuine expression of Alhaitham's words. It had to have been the most discomfort anyone had seen out of him all day. His eyebrows were knotted uncomfortably, and his eyes pierced them with a bashful, oddly shameful stare. No one knew how to respond, and the man who stood closest to him, Kaveh, could only afford to exchange an astonished look.
It was Dehya who shook her head, adjusted her arm resting on Candace’s shoulder, and hastily grabbed the reins, “I must say, you did throw us in the spinner trying to stop you from blacking out. But that was inherently out of your control, for the most part, anyway.”
Candace nodded, a warm smile resting on her lips as she helped tie up Dehya’s lackluster attempt at comfort, “That’s right, all we wish for is for you to prioritize your health over your status, in avoiding this in the future.”
A resounding grunt from Cyno declared all he wanted to offer to the discussion, yet it confirmed his agreement with their words. Tighnari beside him shared an earnest look with Alhaitham, before waving as he turned to leave, “I’ll be at your home tomorrow, nine’o’clock sharp, to deliver you the medicine you’ll need. I expect one of you to be awake to retrieve it.”
By one of you, the forest ranger had obviously implied Kaveh’s cooperation. To which the blonde made no indication of his compliance, but Tighnari was satisfied enough to depart with Cyno anyway. Candace and Dehya also took their leave, wishing Alhaitham kind regards and a fast recovery. The area felt too spacious as it merely filled himself, Kaveh and Nahida.
A beat of silence went by, and Alhaitham sluggishly rose from his seat, deciding he was not in the mood for Kaveh’s berating. He was not well enough to take an earful, or have his defeat smugly waved in his face. A chesty cough worked its way up his throat, twisting the silence into bitterness. And yet, the young archon by his side still wore her upturned lips and knowing eyes.
“Alhaitham, I honestly didn’t expect you to..” Kaveh uttered, words half dying on his lips as he blinked away his bewilderment. Or was it disappointment? Anger? Alhaitham was nothing of the mind reader that was their archon.
“Guilt doesn’t suit you, you know. I was expecting you to somehow blame this all on my earlier teasing, or to at least point fingers at me once-”
“That’s nonsensical, what has occurred was only brought on-” Alhaitham tried to correct the other, yet instinctually grimaced at the way his vision faltered for a moment, beginning to edge the waves of vertigo, “..By myself.”
Kaveh and Nahida immediately noticed his deteriorating condition, and forced him to sit back down. The blonde frowned deeply, unsure how to interact with this distinctly floppier Alhaitham.
Finally, Nahida chose to speak up with a hand resting on her chin, “I think.. You both have misunderstood each other,” she then stood, shuffling in between both of them. Her little palms grasped theirs separately, sparing them each an empathetic, wise glance.
“Alhaitham, you understand your error in assuming you can risk your body and ignore the advice of others to seek an indisputable argument, and Kaveh,” her hopeful eyes blinked away from him, “You believe the reason for Alhaitham’s current condition is because of you pushing him to go down this path out of spite,”
She took a moment to shake her head, “But actually, I think it’s more of an issue that you both are feeling ashamed, when really, neither of you should be.”
Her grip on their hands tightened, reminiscent of a supportive, little sister, “You two both understand how you could have behaved differently, and we can only look towards a brighter future. So why plague yourselves with regret caused by the actions of your past, learning selves?”
Her words coaxed Alhaitham into returning the strong stare of his senior, as the two of them both recognised their misconceptions. Although, he would have appreciated the sentimental value of this conversation far more, had he not been fighting the urge to collapse.
“Sorry,” he declared, blinking himself awake. “I don’t deny a word you said,” he mustered the ability to utter, as he felt his shoulders falling limp against the chair. The bottle he had been holding slipped from his fingers, and he was too out of it to conclude whether it cracked.
"Alhaitham? What's wrong?" Alhaitham hated the anxiety that teetered into his roommate's voice. And yet, and yet, he wished he had the energy to calm those concerns.
"Dizzy, very..." The response slurred as he barely comprehended the distorted figures in front of him. This time, he really didn't feel good. And perhaps by uttering out that admission, the raw extent of those feelings reached their understanding. There was so much movement around him, a light source appeared from somewhere, and he felt forced to lay down.
Hands then hastily grabbed him, slightly tilting his neck up. The back of his head met flesh, and as the telling ends of white hair brushed his nose, he could only assume it was the lap of his god.
"Your words.." he panted lazily, barely conscious of what he was even saying, "..I agree," but that wasn't his point. Alhaitham tried to force his body to move, to efficiently gather the words he wanted to say so they could be properly executed. But encountering failure yet again today, only his misty eyes drifted towards his target, "Kaveh... do you..."
…Do you also feel the same? Was what Alhaitham would have wanted to say, to Kaveh, clearly and not nauseously, but his vision grew dark and only the alarmed shouts of said male and the dendro archon wisped into his fleeting consciousness.
-
When he next awoke, it had to have been late, as natural light no longer wafted into view. Or any light, for that matter.
He blinked the sleep from his eyelids away, drowsily recognising the material of his mattress and pillows. So he was back in his room, it seemed. A washcloth was folded on his forehead, his hair neatly tucked behind it. As for how, the pressing weight on his lower thigh seemed to be enough of an explanation.
Sprawled carelessly on top of the duvet was Kaveh’s torso, as he slumped half off a chair, fast asleep. Alhaitham could not understand the logic or reasoning behind why or how, but regardless, the gesture filled his heart with sheer affection.
As he further came to his senses, notably with less of a migraine, he spotted a folded paper nesting within the blonde’s fingers. Unable to quell his curiosity by other means, he leaned over and carefully extracted it from his roommate’s grasp.
Successful, Alhaitham switched his lamp on, glad that Kaveh had always been a deep sleeper. Then, he delicately unfolded the letter, as if it shared the same value of a distinguished novel, and began to read.
I helped you home after you passed out. We discovered your fever spiked and you needed immediate rest and medical attention. Thankfully, Tighnari hadn’t strayed too far and saved us the need to pay the Birmastan for assistance. That’s when Lesser Lord Kusanali departed from us, asking me to deliver you her great wishes for your recovery.
When you finally relaxed, Tighnari also left, preparing a hurried concoction of herbs for you to try in the morning (so no, I won’t need to be up at nine anymore). Frankly, I think this is the most uncomfortable I’ve ever felt, as I’ve never seen your face contort with pain like that before.
I... couldn't make out what it was you were trying to say, you were extremely delirious. But, I think you wished for my opinion. So, I find it important that I tell you yes, I also agree with Lesser Lord Kusanali.
Alhaitham, you understand I’m always open to helping you, right? Lesser Lord Kusanali told me you had a chat prior to my arrival. I never thought I’d see the day where you acknowledge your wrongdoings, but I’ve always been willing to be proven wrong in that regard.
Honestly, if it weren’t for my ungrateful client who wasted my time, I would’ve found you much sooner. Initially I had come to the Grand Bazaar, assuming you’d be nearby to oversee the Wisdom Gala’s preparations, but when Nilou gestured to me during her rehearsals and I had the chance to shortly speak with her, I knew something had gone sour.
Alhaitham, I know we argue, I know you value facts and default to logical deductions, but I don’t want to see you push yourself over something as trivial as our bickering.
When you showered this morning, I decided I wasn’t going to disturb you with your day, and I really assumed you’d come home and take care of yourself once you realised how bad you felt. I thought that would be the best way for me to respect your boundaries, and allow yourself to make the ultimate decision. But now, I also see how my lack of interference after our first conversation drove you to try and spite my reasoning, and gain the upper hand on another one of our quarrels. I mean, I still won in the end, but I’ll spare you the gloating this time.
If it wasn’t obvious before, then I plan to inform you of this when you wake up tomorrow. I care about you Alhaitham, despite our differing ideologies. I don’t find pleasure in seeing you hurt, and knowing you forced yourself through the whole day because of my influence fills me with regret. (I know Lesser Lord Kusanali told me to not be harsh on myself but still!) I feel I need to demonstrate to you this notion more openly, as to avoid another situation like this from happening again.
But for now, if you’re going to take any of the words of this letter to heart, then please listen to these words of your senior, and of everyone else you encountered today: have a well earned rest.
I’ll be by your side when you wake up.
Sincerely,
Kaveh
Alhaitham stared at the thin paper, carefully absorbing every word. Then he glanced over to the pathetic lump of a man spread across his blankets, and couldn’t fight off the tender smile growing on his face. He hadn’t felt such warmth since before his grandmother’s passing.
Of course the fool forgot to place the letter on his nightstand.
He tiredly leaned forward to return the note back to its original location of the other’s fingertips. He would wait for Kaveh to say those words himself.
Yes, because Alhaitham would learn to cherish the voices of those he held closest to his heart.