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“Well, how strong is he? Stronger than you?”
Kaveh’s voice is teasing, taunting, eyes sparkling with mirth as he tries to get a rise out of Cyno. He definitely does not give in to the urge to pout or sulk, instead very cooly crossing his arms as he matter of factly responds, “Of course not.”
He also pays no mind to the way Tighnari is silently laughing at him. If he turns his head just right, his hair blocks his view of the Forest Watcher. Out of sight, out of mind. Besides, Kaveh is more than eager to offer distractions in the form of stories about their fourth.
“You know speaking of, I actually ran into him last week while I was in the desert looking for creative inspiration.”
“Oh, and I guess you found it then?” Tighnari rests his chin on his hand, jumping in on his own opportunity to tease.
“Haha, very funny.” Decidedly not funny, if his half-hearted glare is anything to go by. Shame though, because Cyno himself found it rather amusing, even more so with the likely truth behind the statement.
Kaveh continues, undeterred, “If he was going out there to study ancient runes anyway, why didn’t he travel with me? We could have split the cost!”
Cyno isn’t sure whether it would be more accurate to call it a rant or a ramble, but whatever it is Kaveh launches into it with great passion as he does all his actions. Between all their duties and heck even living situations, it’s not often the four of them are able to all meet together so casually. It’s gratifying to know at least one of them is able and willing to fill the space with chatter and build a vivid painting of what their other partners have been up to in the spans of time in between.
Sure, they’re all comfortable sharing themselves and their words with each other—this relationship wouldn’t work otherwise—but there’s a certain level of animation that Kaveh exudes naturally that the other three of them do not, or choose to actively keep away from public view. They bring out and make up for each other’s strengths, in that way.
“And frankly, however strong he is or isn’t—” Cyno catches a glimpse of Tighnari’s ears flicking towards the entrance moments before he sees their topic of discussion himself walk in, hand raised next to his headset, no doubt turning off the noise cancellation feature the Scribe tends to use around the city “—you just don’t want to mess with him.”
“I thought you’d have learned to think before you speak by now,” Alhaitham greets them, sliding into the final seat at the table.
To his credit, Kaveh does not startle, not that Cyno really expected him to—the man definitely has the sharpest sense for Alhaitham’s presence of the rest of them, Tighnari’s hearing notwithstanding. It would not surprise Cyno if he had been able to, somehow, sense his arrival to the street the tavern is situated on and time the ending of his story accordingly.
(He’d asked Tighnari, once, if he could do the same and it was some sort of Dendro Vision specialty. Tighnari had laughed at him and called him a silly Spantamad, and not everything tied into elemental energies, sometimes people are just people and learn to tune into each other. Care and connection helps build that sense, cohabitating just tends to make it stronger.)
Alhaitham seems to ignore Kaveh’s appeasement that they’re only saying good things about him, but Cyno can feel the only somewhat begrudging fondness spilling forth from the man. With his arrival to close their little circle—or square, whichever—it feels as if a bubble has bloomed around them, encasing them in just each other.
A glance at the dice and cards on the table and a raised brow. “Surely you didn’t drag me out just to play cards?”
“We didn’t get that far yet. We were just debating how good you’d be in a fight.”
The way Tighnari says the sentence makes Cyno suddenly, desperately, want to see the two spar. Having now crossed weapons with the both of them at one point or another, he can confidently say that would be a rather spectacular clash of styles. Instead of bringing up that prospective future date activity, he instead elects to say, “You keep your cards close to your chest.”
“Not at all.” Based on the smirk he gives and the barest nod towards the table, Cyno knows Alhaitham caught his little pun and is choosing a very literal and most aggravating response.
“So you don’t fight much?”
“Yeah right! With his temper?”
Tighnari’s voice is colored with amused disbelief, clearly having picked up on the same double meaning and choosing to push back, and Kaveh’s is likewise fiery in joining that shove. Brats, the lot of them.
“I don’t need to fight. I only need to think.”
It’s the start of another should-be-patented Akademiya scholar ramble, and Cyno settles in to enjoy the show.
Alhaitham does not gesture as he speaks. He does not need to use his hands to illustrate his point when his words should be—are—more than sufficient. Still, that does not mean his hands are still as he speaks.
He reaches towards Kaveh’s wine glass, to which Kaveh, as usual, responds by taking his glass in hand and out of his reach. Tighnari today is seated across from Alhaitham, which means Cyno is next to him and this step falls to him now. He slides his own cup over towards Alhaitham, and all through this little game of musical cups Alhaitham does not pause in his explanation on his undoubtedly deeply thoughtful philosophy. Really, it’s too familiar a song and dance at this point to need any extra thought.
“Essentially, more time on contemplation, less time on execution. Simple, isn’t it?” A lovely conclusion, except—
Cyno exchanges both a look and a sigh with Tighnari, and together they chorus, “Not really,” while Kaveh grouses, “Ugh, I knew we shouldn’t have brought this up with you.”
It’s all in good humor, of course, and Alhaitham responds in kind. “I thought my answer was quite engrossing. Boss, this is good wine. I’ll have the same, please.”
Cyno finds his glass returned to him as Alhaitham procures his own, only to have it pulled away again by Tighnari, who flashes a smile at him before sliding over his marginally fuller glass. Thoughtful, but unnecessary, though maybe more precaution against Kaveh’s inevitable attempts to take from their drinks once his own is emptied.
These idle, comfortable musings are interrupted and pushed to the side for serious business as Alhaitham shifts and settles, reaching towards the cards still laid out.
“Now, what deck combinations are we testing out this time?”