agora | CROSS-CANON DOUBLE DATE OF THE MULTIVERSE

You look like you would... you made all those schematics for us without us even really askin'.

[ So... ]

That's different. [For like, a thousand reasons, but the easiest one is--] I get paid to design buildings, not any of those things.

Did you design this one?

This boring place? Absolutely not. I've barely managed to salvage the interior, no thanks to him. [ALHAITHAM.] It was already built while I was in school, anyway. Most of the buildings in the city were, which is why they're all so standardized.

[ Stares at him like. ]

If this is borin' to you then I don't wanna see what's gaudy.

Think a cheap motel on No Man's Land would just shock you dead on the spot.

[SOMETIMES you're spoiled by living in a beautiful place... Kaveh would despise 21st century architectural trends tbh.]

Give me some credit, I know the standards are different. But this place was built with Akademiya resources, so I'm not inclined to give them leeway. Though, granted, it was intended as a research center...

Harsh, and critical. You got anythin' nice to say about the place you literally live in?

Sure. All of the parts I decorated.

[Okay now he's being a brat on purpose]

Cocky. So that's how you are when you aren't under pressure.

It would only be cockiness if I couldn't prove my capabilities. Besides, who would hire someone with no confidence in their work?

Bein' capable doesn't automatically mean you're not cocky.

'Sides, it depends. Some employers hate someone who'll mouth off.

That's why I'm my own employer now.

[He talks big but actually he's extremely Customer Service Friendly up until a client pisses him off and then he's like "I'll kill you and feed these 17 revisions to your corpse"]

So...

You pay yourself...?

In a way, I suppose. The clients who hire me tell me their project budgets, and then I allocate the funds as needed--part of that money goes towards paying the laborers. I couldn't survive if I didn't put some money aside for myself.

[Would he work for free if he could. Yeah. But he DOESN'T... all the time...]

I guess so.

[ He doesn't have a problem with this business model really. ]

You ever gonna get your own place?

[ Not that he expects Kaveh to, just curious about his future goals and also his savings. ]

[He would judge harder if he knew the state of Kaveh's finances but it's fine we don't need to talk about that]

Of course. [IMMEDIATELY.] As soon as I can. I was going to use the money from the Championship to move out, but... well, you saw.

[The memory of Kaveh saying FUCK YOU RICH BASTARD USE YOUR MONEY TO HELP PEOPLE to Mr. Nihilist ghost]

[ Thinks back to dredge up his memories of the Championship. Oh yeah. ]

You really turned all that down, huh.

[ YOU COULD'VE TAKEN THE MONEY STILL, BOUGHT YOURSELF A PLACE, AND THEN DONATED THE REST TO CHARITY KAVEH. Your Genshin writing. ]

Well, good luck. At least you got all the space in the world.

[He couldn't do that because he and Alhaitham have matching idle animations about house keys. Also something something morals something something "sets himself on fire to keep others warm" yadda yadda.]

I'll invite you both as soon as it's ready. Then I'll be able to show you real hospitality, without anyone dragging down the evening.

[Alhaitham hasn't even done anything besides refuse to cook]

Don't get too lonely, Kaveh.

[ Just saying this because Vash likes... Company, despite trying to ditch Wolfwood for half of their time together. ]

Oh, don't worry. I'll finally be able to resurrect my social life once I have my own place again.

[Sometimes you believe that nobody knows where you live even though everyone knows where you live because you drunkenly talk about it in public all the time]

... I didn't know it was suffering right now?

[ HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT WOULD BE SUFFERING... ALL YOU DO IS SLEEP IN THIS HOUSE, NO? ]

Well, you know... it's nice to invite people over sometimes. But I can't do that here.

[Because then people will KNOW WHERE HE LIVES]

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piteous - 2023-08-24 20:38 (UTC) - Expand

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piteous - 2023-08-30 19:03 (UTC) - Expand

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ohthehumanities - 2023-09-01 06:12 (UTC) - Expand

With that tone, you might be the hostile one.

[ If he didn't already know, and also if Alhaitham wasn't seemingly the most chill person on the planet about it, he'd think this is the most belligerent roommate set-up ever. ]

[Wolfwood like "damn I see Kaveh is the one that sucks actually"

Kaveh just puts his hands on his hips and makes a little hmph sound.]

It's just honesty! Besides, mark my words, we won't get through this evening without him criticizing me in some way. [HE'S JUST PREEMPTIVELY LASHING OUT.]

Blink twice if you need help.

[ Dully, but also honestly. A little amused. Kaveh's struggle of Alhaitham being his friend but also apparently insufferable... do you like him or not...... ]