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It had only been a minor concussion. That's the exact diagnosis Tighnari had given after he'd rescued Kaveh from the Treasure Hoarders that had taken him captive in the Avidya Forest last week.
A minor concussion was barely even a concussion at all, in Kaveh's personal opinion. And yet the bursar had said point-blank that if he wanted to get his hands on the grant money he needed to break ground on the newest site that had caught his eye, he'd have to hire proper guards this time, or else learn to defend himself.
It's possible that the latter option had been intended as some kind of a joke, but unfortunately Kaveh had taken it to heart. He doesn't exactly have a lot of mora to spare on mercenary assistance, and every single coin of the grant he'd been approved for would be wholly required to afford all the supplies he'll need for this next project. He isn't about to skimp on that.
So, self-defense it is. And how hard could that be, really? After all, though he'd never tried to use it for combat before, he does already have a Vision—a significant advantage that should certainly tilt the scales in his favor.
When he inquires at the weapons shop, the owner spots the Dendro Vision at his hip, looks him up and down, and then ushers him over to a shelf of gleaming trinkets and tightly-bound grimoires.
Kaveh makes a face at the tome-type catalysts, focusing instead on the ones that look more like orbs and disks. The books remind him too much of a certain thorn in his side, whom he had often witnessed carrying on with all sorts of nonsense without bothering to pull his nose out of whatever text he'd gotten engrossed in—nevermind if people are trying to talk to him at the same time. So, if Kaveh were to begin fighting Treasure Hoarders with a book in his hand? Well, he could say goodbye to his moral high ground on that issue.
He plucks the first catalyst that catches his eye off its stand, lifting it into the light. It's passable, but... He sets it down and selects another whose coloration would complement his favorite outfit better. He's confident in his eye, but just to be certain, he pulls at his cape to bring the end of it up next to the catalyst to see their colors juxtaposed. He flips the fabric over as well to compare the inner side. If he's going to be using this weapon to fight, he expects that enemies will be seeing him primarily from the front, so it's important to have his aesthetic choices be coherent from that direction.
The shopkeep had remained hovering at the other end of the catalyst shelf all the while, as Kaveh took his time considering the matter. "Um, if you have any questions about any of the items' properties and capabilities," he offers up, after a while, "I'm happy to assist?"
Kaveh turns his head and smiles at the man politely. "No need! This one suits me quite well. I'll take it!"
…Fortunately, he does have enough mora for it.
Barely.
---
The catalyst hums under Kaveh's fingers as he channels Dendro energy into it. He channels a little more, and it begins to repel away from his hand to float in midair, the way he's seen other catalyst users wield them in the past. He's always wondered if they were all just doing that on purpose, but no, it appears that it's a natural property of the weapon. Huh. The more you know.
He's sitting cross-legged on his bed as he tries out his new self-defense tool. He'd decided that his first try with using the catalyst to draw on his elemental powers should happen in the privacy of his own room.
Thankfully, Alhaitham isn't home yet. Gods forbid his irritating housemate see him being inept at something…
Ugh, no, focus, Kaveh. Don't let him get you down—he's not even here!
Kaveh shakes his head vigorously, trying to clear it. He's figured out how to put Dendro energy into the catalyst. Check. Now, time to figure out how to hit things with that energy.
Biting his lower lip, Kaveh casts about for a good target. Something that he can hit without damaging it, or maybe something that it wouldn't be too bad to damage. He settles on using one of his pillows, taking it from where it rests against the headboard and propping it up at the foot of the bed instead—a nice, soft target to aim at, with nothing breakable in the area.
With the catalyst hovering over his palm, Kaveh focuses his attention on the pillow. His brow furrows in concentration.
It's as surprising to him as anything when the pillow actually goes flying, propelled by a burst of green energy.
"Huh," Kaveh says, aloud, staring at where it lands. "That was easier than I expected."
And then he startles at a sudden, sharp noise from the doorway—the door which he'd definitely closed before he'd started this little experiment! Kaveh's catalyst goes flying, clattering against the wall before falling to the floor, as he swings around to face the intruding sound.
Alhaitham—obnoxious, obnoxious Alhaitham—is there, slow-clapping at him.
"Nicely done," the asshole says, completely insincerely. "And, just as I predicted… a catalyst user." He crosses the room in a few steps and bends to pick the fallen disk up from the floor, turning it over in his hands and examining it with a critical eye.
Kaveh itches to snatch the thing back and hide it away, but he refuses to give Alhaitham the satisfaction. "Predicted? What's that supposed to mean?" he demands.
Alhaitham raises an eyebrow as he looks back up at Kaveh. "Does that mean you didn't actually consider your weapon options before committing to your purchase?" he asks, dryly.
Kaveh… hadn't, really. He'd just taken the weapons shop owner's suggestion that a catalyst would suit him and hadn't really questioned it. But, he wasn't about to admit that to Alhaitham!
Alhaitham just ignores his wordless spluttering, though. "If you need it explained in small words, I suppose I can spare a bit of time," he says. Then he steps closer to Kaveh, sets Kaveh's catalyst down on the bed next to him, and says, "Stand up, and put your hands out."
Kaveh obeys without quite intending to, still caught up in being too insulted for words. He stomps his feet and thrusts out his hands, ready to disprove Alhaitham's point, whatever it happens to be.
What he isn't ready for is for Alhaitham to pull a weapon on him.
"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Kaveh exclaims, half-withdrawing his outstretched palms.
"Calm down," Alhaitham says, his voice just as level and condescending as it always is. He grabs one of Kaveh's wrists, holding it in place, and adds, "If I was going to stab you, I would have done it a long time ago." And then he dumps his sword into Kaveh's startled hands.
…Okay, fine, 'dumps' is a strong word. It's just that Kaveh doesn't have the time to react—or maybe just can't seem to react—to the way Alhaitham places the hilt of his sword in Kaveh's palm and guides Kaveh's fingers one-by-one to close around it. He pauses there, Kaveh's hand in his, for just a moment. But it's not long enough for Kaveh to realize what's actually happening here and to tighten his grip. When Alhaitham pulls back, the sword's full weight hits Kaveh's unprepared wrists, and the thing twists its way through Kaveh's suddenly-sweaty fingers, clattering to the floor—thankfully not severing any toes on the way down!
"You see?" Alhaitham says, at a level of smarmy that Kaveh can't quite handle right now. "With those delicate wrists of yours? And your absolute lack of muscle tone? You're a little more suited to wielding a pen than a sword."
Kaveh can feel how red his own face has gotten. With anger, obviously. "We don't all need to put our—our—our bulging deltoids and—and biceps on display like you, Alhaitham!" he exclaims. "I could wield a sword if I wanted to!"
Alhaitham is looking at him like he's a strange bug in need of further examination. That only emboldens Kaveh. He snatches up the catalyst he'd just bought and tucks it under his arm. "I'll show you," he insists, already storming out of the room. "I'm going to take this back and get the biggest sword I can find!"
He slams the front door shut on his way out.
---
Alhaitham watches Kaveh go, with eyebrows raised. Then, after a moment, he huffs out a sigh and leans down to pick up his discarded sword.
The sword hadn't been the point, really. Alhaitham could have gone on to explain why none of the other major weapon types would have suited Kaveh either. But now Kaveh has gotten it into his head to get hold of, what, a claymore? Good grief.
Ah, well. Kaveh is one of the more tolerable scholars Alhaitham has ever had the misfortune to work with. He'll surely learn his limits soon enough.