Marana.

|| Going to try to make replies here-- I've been really struggling everywhere

[ He's... not sure.

Tighnari says maybe a week. Or so. Because he needs to observe him.

This is frustrating. ]

[ It's just the sand and dust.

And maybe the residual heat from his trip.

. . . .

Tighnari's telling him to stay in one of the huts. ]

[ He's fine. Tighnari needs to stop insisting—

/Sneezes/. ]

"Oh? I thought you had a busy social calendar?" He would note as he stood up to head towards Lambad and pay for their meals and drinks.

"Whatever. Just don't talk too much on the road. I hate ceaseless prattle underneath the desert sun."

[ Tighnari is already scolding him for taking a flower out of Archons-Knows-Where in an ancient temple underground.

.... he's being put in quarantine while the Forest Ranger looks into it. ]

[ .... Hm. He'll have Tighnari look at it first. ]

[ @senseinsensibility.bsky.social ]

Perhaps I should take this back to Pardis Dhyai.

He's brewing coffee.

Paperwork is piled high on his desk but he's not getting to them until he finishes drinking.

"...."

He would sigh and shake his head. Alhaitham wasn't looking to dance, though it seems Kaveh, in his current state, does not even recognize the state he's in.

"How much did you drink this time?"

"For starters, that's the closest place I could have somewhere to stay before heading out to some of the expedition sites the Akademiya has in the desert."

He points out. It was simply logical.

"The desert. I have to check on something in Aaru Village and gather some archaeology reports."

He kept his answer simple, not really elaborating on his plans.

"Lucky for you, you'll have the place to yourself for a couple of days."

... and just like that, he's pumping the volume on his headphones UP.

-I'll try to pool my days off.

And who knows, maybe I'll bring someone home by the end of it."

"I don't think there's a direct correlation. If you continue to pick fights, I will continue to be a pain in your neck, regardless of whether it is my intention or not."

He would sigh and shake his head.

"All I'm saying is, I plan to take what I think might be a lengthy trip in the future, so-

|| Art from twitter.com/paimon_gensh...

There's a curious thought in his mind as he visits Pardis Dhyai.

"For someone who is not fixated, you sure have a wild imagination of what I get into on my personal time."

He paused for a moment and thought carefully. It's not as if...

"And what if I do find a lover for intimacy? Does that mean you'll be fine if I brought them home?"

Nothing better than a book to wind down after the end of an excruciatingly long day.

-that's simply a foolish metric."

"You seem so fixated on whether or not I'm seeing someone."

Alhaitham countered, as he took another sip of his drink. "Do you think that I would be so shallow to think, like most people do, that solitude or the lack of intimate companions somehow lessen my social capital?

If that's the case, then-

- are only now starting to look to a different telling of history.

-Akademiya that were looking for material on certain stories from the time of Nabu Malikata, and how the alliance of the three god-kings were formed."

There is a renewed interest in such stories-- particularly after Lesser Lord Kusanali was freed. After centuries of lies from the Akademiya, people-

- remembers.

Perhaps he'd been closed off, all those years ago-- and still keep everyone at arm's length even until now. But in the depths of his mind, there was always room for those memories.

"I heard Mr. Zubayr is looking to produce another play-- there were envoys from the theatre to the -

- those words, it would be clear by the way her eyes glimmer at the thought of the stage.

... They were the same glimmer he could glean from the shadows of a dimly-lit room. She truly...

"Of course. But I imagine you would take to the task with much gusto."

A part of him wonders-- if she-

Not much has changed, indeed, and yet so much has.

Nilou's earnest smile, her demeanor, and her passion for the craft-- all these things have not changed. She simply knew where her strengths were, and focused on that.

Being a performer was what she loved most, and even if she hadn't just said-

As Kaveh's meal arrived, he asked for a glass of water. He'd already had dinner, and was simply waiting for Kaveh to finish.

"Mhm. I would, but not right now. I want to save my days off for something."

-glad Nilou had some time to go on an adventure. At least, it seems, she had decided to take time to see the world and enjoyed it.

"You know how my life goes. I prefer peace and quiet."

"Things have been quiet."

He would remark— there wasn't anything new or unusual that happened, save for the fact that the Zubayr Theatre seemed a little... quieter in her absence.

"I do think you were missed at the Zubayr Theatre. Of course, that goes without saying."

He would add. Alhaitham was