Work Text:
Aether and Paimon were overhearing, no, listening to Alhaitham and his friend arguing. Here is a library, a public place, they were not counted as "overhearing", right?
"Where were you when Sumeru needed you most?" Alhaitham said.
"I was in the desert for a large project, but considering Haravatat's utter ignorance of architectural and aesthetic matters, you probably wouldn't understand." His friend said.
"It's so rare to see Alhaitham emotional." Paimon kept her voice down, and spoke to Aether privately. "Does this blonde hair a friend of Alhaitham?"
Aether shook his head, he had no idea of it.
"If it's a stranger, then this guy has already been dead to Alhaitham, I'd never seen a person talk with him like this."
Talking? The 'quarrel' is better. Aether spoke to himself.
"I'll ask around. You're dead if I find out you're lying to me." His friend finished his word and turned around his body to leave.
His friend was walking in their direction, Aether took a curious glance at this young man, he was tall and dressed as nobility. This young man was looking forward when he was walking, but he spoke to Aether before he passed them.
"Come with me, Aether and Paimon."
Paimon watched the figure of this young man, shocked and confused, "Does he know us?"
Aether frowned, he certainly didn't know anything about Alhaitham's friend. However, given this kind of situation he had come across so many times, he chose to follow this mystery man and the most interesting for him was the totally different face of this man between arguing with Alhaitham and speaking to him.
--
This young man stopped outside the library.
"Nice to see you." The young man smiled kindly. "I assume I have no need to tell you what side I'm standing on. Since you already trusted me and went there. Speaking in advance, I'm Kaveh, an architect. And as you heard, a roommate of Alhaitham."
"Why do you know our name? I think we just met for the first time?" Paimon asked.
"If you want to stay with Alhaitham and keep one piece from the beginning to the end, information would be the only weapon," Kaveh said.
"It makes sense, I can't imagine who can live with Alhaitham. But, wait, you seemed to know nothing about the most important event happening yesterday. How could you say information is your weapon if you are missing this big point." Paimon said.
"Ah," Kaveh coughed drily once, "That's why I come here to ask what was happening to the Akademiya's Scribe, after all, he is the core of the information net."
"The people who live with Alhaitham are the same type of being hard to read." Paimon watched him with suspicion, "By the way, Alhaitham isn't a Scribe now."
"Yeah, now I know, he will become a sage. Considering this situation, he also has the high possibility to be the Grand sage." Kaveh said.
"The Grand sage?" Paimon wide opened her eyes, "How could it be?"
"Four of the Six Great sages were dismissed. There aren't more candidates for this position, Alhaistham has his obvious advantage. He always chooses an easy way to live with his books, now we can see what will happen to him when he was the Great sage."
"It's still strange, you look concerned about him and appreciate him as well, why you're being so mad to argue with him," Paimon asked.
"I thought you knew it's so hard to stay cool with him?" Kaveh said with his innocent eyes.
Aether raised half of his brow, glanced between Paimon and Kaveh for a while, and finally spoke, "I still have no clue why we stay here."
"Here is a good spot." Kaveh smiled, "It's not far away, and also provides a good cover for both of us."
"Cover for what?" Paimon asked.
Aether followed Kaveh's eyes and saw Alhaitham sitting in his chair, although his back was to them, it wasn't hard to imagine Alhaitham was reading his book again.
"Could you tell me what's really going on with Azar and Alhaitham? He doesn't look well after Azar stepped down." Kaveh stared at the figure of Alhaitham, but the question was pointed to Paimon and Aether.
--
"Is it OK that we tell him everything that happened yesterday?" After Kaveh left, Paimon said to Aether.
"He will know it anyway." Aether looked at Kaveh was walking toward Alhaitham, "At least, I'm sure he is getting really mad now."
"Because he'd missed this thrilling and meaningful event and Alhaitham even not to care to mention it?"
Aether shook his head, "He turned emotional again after I told him that Alhaitham had been knocked out by Azar, and the whole plan has its unpredictable danger even though we did the math, weighed the pros and cons, and prepared plans B and C."
"Hum, that's interesting." Paimon pondered for some seconds, "Wait, we totally forget we still need to speak something with Alhaitham. Do you..." Then she found Aether already hiding his body behind a wall and almost stuck his whole body on the surface of the wall, only his head reached out. Any inch of his body language implied his open curiosity for the certain corner of this library.
--
"...But none of these sound very likely, if you ask me, I think the people spreading rumors around here don't have access to any real information."
"Really? Then I'm sure you can use your abilities to uncover the truth for yourself."
Alhaitham was perfect at his sassy words, always as a sharp knife hit the target's home, and he also was smart enough to know the different ways to irritate people without their chance to speak back. Although Kaveh was the least one who was able to find the point to fight back, staying calm and remaining rational was still tough for him.
They were roommates, or schoolmates a few years ago. Arguing took up the larger part when they spent their time together. Sometimes Kaveh was really mad at his unkind roommate, but most of the time he enjoyed these squabbles. The joy drove him to immerse himself in this kind of play, he started to retreat when he came back from his anger evoked by Alhaitham and went on that state. He started to pretend to be the person who easily for Alhaitham to throw his bitter tongue on, and create opportunities for Alhaitham to make fun of him. In the end, the acting and the reality turned unrecognizable. He couldn't find a suitable description for this strange situation, and he couldn't help wondering whether the feeling was mutual.
When he found Alhaitham this morning, they were arguing as usual. However, there were some unusual nuances enveloped in his mind that he couldn't catch. After Aether and Paimon's new additional details in yesterday's big story, he finally had the clue.
They were in front of a bookshelf, the lamp light kept on even though it was before night. Kaveh spoke his words, and his eyes never moved from Alhaitham's face. The years of indoor work made Alhaitham's complexion paler than others, but today it changed into an unhealthy pallor. Sometimes Alhaitham would slightly frown and blinked when he was speaking, which was impossible for Alhaitham at this moment, because Alhaitham could still speak ironically with Kaveh even if his brain was dead.
"...Oh, I think that's just a coincidence. Besides, whatever you were doing won't have any significant impact now or in time to come."
Kaveh felt his blue veins stand out on his temper, Alhaitham's irony never let him down. Before he was going to open his mouth, Alhaitham walked towards the big table and sat on the chair which was close to them.
"What are you doing?"
"Sit on the chair."
"That's not what I'm asking, why do you suddenly sit on the chair."
"Hmm…because I want to sit?" Next second, Alhaitham used his right hand to support his forehead.
"Then what's this? You want to take a small nap right now?" Kaveh crossed his arms.
But this time Alhaitham didn't answer. He tightly closed his eyes, as if he was suffering pain.
Kaveh stared at him for a while and released a deep sigh, walking near to Alhaitham, speaking in a soft voice.
"Just tell me if you're not comfortable."
Alhaitham finally admitted, "I think I don't feel well."
--
The Akademiya's internal structure was as complicated as the people who controlled this place. Fortunately, Kaveh's acquaintance was one of the architects of this building, so he had read the blueprints before. This reduces a lot of unnecessary trouble when they were finding a closer lounge. The lounge was designed for the students who passed out at the library. But it was shut down recently, since it was close to the deadline for some students' thesis defense, no room for losing conscious students anymore.
Kaveh helped Alhaitam to lie down on the bed, and pulled a chair to sit beside him.
"Do I need to remind you that you are a scribe, not an Eremites? You should be glad Azar just gave your smart brain a little attack instead of cutting one of your legs."
"Why are the legs?" Paimon floated in the air, sincerely asking.
"Azar wasn't stupid. His scribe's head is still useful for him, he also needs the hands to write, as for the legs, not much necessary." Kaveh took a quick glance at Alhaitham who was lying on his back, eyes shut.
"It seems you already know," Alhaitham said.
"Know what? Know you're a scribe?"
"You seem to know some precise details that only a limited number of people know."
Standing at the corner of this small room, Aether swallowed once even though he knew Alhaitham wasn't looking at him. Paimon flew to him and hid behind Aether's back.
"Don't change the subject. How can you be sure your plan was hundred percent safe? If Azar was cautious and double-checked the knowledge capsule, do you think all your collisions would live to see another day?" Kaveh didn't give Alhaitham any chance to retort, "Don't throw me the quotes 'not any plans are hundred percent safe' or 'Revolution and danger coexist'. I won't buy it."
Alhaitham didn't move and also spoke nothing.
"I remember when we asked a scholar where Alhaitham is, and he mentioned Kaveh and Alhaitham don't get along well..." Paimon lowered her voice and said to Aether's ear.
"Do you want to see a doctor? Alhaitham." Aether broke the silence.
Kaveh unexpectedly didn't pick up this point to speak ironically again, he looked at Alhaitham and waited.
Alhaitham kept his eyes shut and he frowned once in a while, "Dizzy, nausea, headache. I assume it's just a mild concussion."
"It means you need a doctor. I don't want to see a dead body lying on the ground when I come back home one day. Furthermore, the top management of the Akademiya has been in chaos recently, and the agenda in every Darshan is like a mess, it's better not to disturb the current state worse, especially the only candidate of Grand sage." Kaveh stressed the word "only".
"Oh, I already rejected the nomination of the Grand sage."
"Huh! What?" The three of them all with one voice.
"Why are you so surprised? I've mentioned more than once that I'm not interested in being a leader. But I will be responsible for handling important affairs within the Akademiya before the new sage takes office."
"Fine. Then what about seeing a doctor?" Kaveh stood up and crossed his arms. "At least, you have to survive before the new sage shows up, don't you?"
Alhaitham opened his eyes and met Kaveh's red ones, "After you finished the Palace of Alcazarzaray and were in debt, you turned to me for help and I'm not the only one who agreed to share the residence with you."
"How many friends do you think I have?" Kaveh shrugs his shoulders.
"I'm flattered that even though I'm not the first one in that long sharing-agreement list, I'm still your roommate in the end."
"I'm glad you finally noticed that." Kaveh smiled.