Sometimes life changes for no reason. The interesting thing is whether these changes are good or bad.
Does waking up in an unknown world with many people who develop a crush on you count as a nice thing?
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“Perhaps.” It is a male’s voice that answers from outside. Both Tighnari and Cyno remain calm, but their postures give away their tense mood. Cyno stands up from your bed and walks a few step closer to the entrance of the hut, crossing his arms. Meanwhile, Tighnari stays right next to you. Standing in the doorframe there is… Isn’t that the grey-haired friend of the drunk blond-haired guy you met after eating-out with Aether? What were their names again?
“Alhaitham.”, says Cyno calmly. “What brings you here?”
“I was looking for (Y/N) and I thought that either a) they got kidnapped like Aether feared or b) that they ran into someone they were familiar with and went with them for whatever reason. Since option a) is harder to prove I decided to follow the only person in Sumeru (Y/N) was friends with other than the Traveler himself.” Alhaitham’s dual-colored eyes wander towards you, starring at you so intensely that one might think that he is analyzing the core of your very soul. “Even though looking at them I believe that, originally, the Traveler was correct.”
“You met Aether?” A hint of joy sparks up in your eyes. It has been a while since you last saw him. How much you miss being around him, talking to him, braiding his hair, listening to him how much of a naïve idiot you are… The good ol’ times.
“Yes, we crossed paths a while ago in Sumeru City. He was looking for you, saying that you weren’t with him anymore when he woke up one morning.”
“And since when does the socially-avoidant Scribe go out of his way to help a total stranger find their friend?”, asks Cyno with a calm voice.
A slightly annoyed sigh escapes the scholar’s lips. “Ever since a blond someone couldn’t stop talking about that one person who fell because of him and started crying. I honestly never seen anyone as desperate as him at meeting a stranger before…”
Tighnari has to hold in a laugh.
Alhaitham sighs again. “Anyways, after Kaveh got wind of the fact that (Y/N) went missing, there weren’t many options other than helping with the search.”
“So the only thing left for you to do is to tell him about their location and you will have some of your peace back.” Cyno crosses his arms again, tapping his elbow pensively.
“In fact, I don’t even have to do that. Soon, Kaveh will arrive as well. We arranged that if I don’t return after a certain period of time, he will come to this place.”
“In that case, shall we wait until everyone is present?” Tighnari's right ear twitches.
Cyno nods. “Yes, we should. Otherwise we will have to discuss the same topic multiple times.”
Sitting up in a more upright position, you tap at Tighnari’s shoulder as he is still right next to you. “Do you guys… know each other?”, you ask in a hushed tone.
“Yes. You don’t have to worry about them. As you will see soon, they love to argue with each other, but at their hearts they are good people.”
“Given that you don’t have a thick skull like them. If you do, they will give you just as much of a headache as they give each other.”, adds Cyno.
Time passes while it becomes darker outside. You feel yourself growing sleepier with each passing minute, too. Does Kaveh even know how to get here? Looking over to Alhaitham, you can’t really see any signs that could confirm your concern. He remains as coldly calm as before when reading his book. Someone mentioned before that Alhaitham is a scholar and the way he speaks aligns with that, but when you look at his physique you get the impression that he prefers to beat other people with books over actually reading them. Even Itto, who is a gang member I might add, looks like a twig in comparison.
Your train of thought is interrupted by the sound of fastly approaching footsteps coming from outside. Shortly after, a man with blond hair and somewhat elegant clothes appears at the entrance of the hut. “Sorry, I got held up by a child that was being attacked by a group of fungi…” His ruby eyes scan the room, seemingly searching for something. When he spots you, a happy expression finds its way onto his face and he walks towards you. When he is only a meter away from you he stops in his tracks.
“(Y/N), you… what…?” Kaveh’s initial excitement gradually vanishes from his face until only worry is left.
“I know, I know. I look horrible and all, but I am alright. The bandages make it seem worse than it actually is. Thank you for your concern though.” Offering him an appreciating smile you hope to ease his worries. It kinda feels weird when someone you have met only once displays almost the same degree of concern as your long-term friend Aether… On the other hand, he gives off golden retriever vibes, so he is forgiven.
“Are you sure? Maybe I can somehow help-“
“Kaveh.” Alhaitham speaks up to interrupt his blond friends rambling. “They were patched up by Tighnari, are under the protection of Cyno and now have our assistance as well. Considering the circumstances, they are in good shape and realistically, it is very unlikely that something will happen to them here either. So, do them a favor and calm down.”, he reasons. If Kaveh can be compared to a golden retriever then Alhaitham has something cat-like to his personality. You don’t mean it in a negative way, but just as Tighnari and Cyno had warned you, the difference between those two is pretty striking.
Kaveh looks back and forth between you and his muscular friend and takes a step back from you. “Sorry (Y/N).”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Having said that, the conversation ends awkwardly.
Someone’s stomach grumbles, interrupting the collective silence. A few seconds later the same sound can be heard from another corner of the hut. Finally, your stomach joins in as well.
“How about we discuss the topic at hand at the dinner table? As it appears, all of us are hungry. And if we go on like that we might start eating clocks out of depertation, which would be rather time-consuming. You know, because-“
Tighnari quickly stands up and claps his hands, interrupting Cyno mid-sentence. “I will go and prepare a mushroom plate and some samosas. Any other wishes?”
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