If you listen to everyone else, I'm always some varying degrees of 'bad'. Especially Kaveh.
[It wasn't on purpose, but sometimes there were some people that acting a certain way toward yielded the best results. It was Kaveh's own fault for being just a great debate partner that showcased a tone of different emotions every time. It was great.
Aether was a bit different. He had the ability to volley back and forth with him. Even if he didn't fully understand the subject, Aether was usually able to keep up, and that meant everything to Alhaitham.]
Well, if you must ask, it was because I couldn't fight him in a true fight without testing how generous Cyno was going to be with assault charges. Azar is as delicate as a scholar with a bloated ego can get, so swiping at him menacingly had to do.
The acting really was what had to sell it.
[ He recalled the events while petting Aether's hair, leaning against the top of his head.]
If you ever need someone with experience acting like a cat, I guess I am at your disposal.
[ Aether smiles again. True, yes, Cyno would have been utterly uncompromising about pressing charges wherever it was warranted; true, yes, if Alhaitham had actually landed a real blow on Azar, he probably would've knocked the old man out.
Still. The traveler rubs beneath Alhaitham's chin, as if he's petting a cat, even as he's the one being petted in turn. ]
Oh? So I can get you to purr for me? Or should I be the one purring for you?
[ He lifts his voice slightly, affects a rather convincing catlike tone: ]
Meow, meow.
[ ...Blame that one woman in Sumeru who keeps teaching him how cats speak. ]
Oh? If you're the one being a cat this time, Maybe I can pet this gorgeous cat until he purrs instead.
[At this point, Alhaitham was already planning to do just that. Teasing him about how good and eager he was to perform only felt fitting, giving how much Aether had loved teasing him since they got there. He deserved to be treated like a cat.
So Alhaitham pets him, running his hand over blond hair, smoothing it in place and scratching lightly at his scalp. The hand trailed down the back of his neck, dragging his fingertip around until he could caress the back of his finger over Aethers jaw and give him chin scritches.]
You're even good at pretending to be a cat. Is there anything you can't do?
[Although usually he would be teasing, in this case, he sounded almost fond of his particularly large lapcat.]
Let me think. [ Aether makes a show of pretending to think, and then says — ] I can't read your Haravatat linguistics papers.
[ A giggle, a laugh at his own joke. A sigh that sounds almost suspiciously like a purr. As much as the traveler teased Alhaitham about being cute earlier, Aether does seem to greatly enjoy being treated like a cat himself, and he keeps looking adoringly up at Alhaitham, like a little golden kitten that keeps pleading for more attention, more pets, more scritches. Who would have thought that the great savior of Sumeru, Nahida's chosen, the First Sage of Buer... would be someone who would be perfectly content to be Alhaitham's lapcat?
Wonder upon wonders. Aether sinks into Alhaitham's embrace still more firmly. ]
Well, I can... but they're so very dense and difficult to parse...
[ He's only being softly whining; he's clearly not very serious. If it were a matter of life and death, Aether would most certainly get through even the most esoteric of Haravatat textbooks. But. ]
Actually, the ones you write are okay. The ones you like to read, though... those would take me a while to digest.
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no subject
[It wasn't on purpose, but sometimes there were some people that acting a certain way toward yielded the best results. It was Kaveh's own fault for being just a great debate partner that showcased a tone of different emotions every time. It was great.
Aether was a bit different. He had the ability to volley back and forth with him. Even if he didn't fully understand the subject, Aether was usually able to keep up, and that meant everything to Alhaitham.]
Well, if you must ask, it was because I couldn't fight him in a true fight without testing how generous Cyno was going to be with assault charges. Azar is as delicate as a scholar with a bloated ego can get, so swiping at him menacingly had to do.
The acting really was what had to sell it.
[ He recalled the events while petting Aether's hair, leaning against the top of his head.]
If you ever need someone with experience acting like a cat, I guess I am at your disposal.
no subject
Still. The traveler rubs beneath Alhaitham's chin, as if he's petting a cat, even as he's the one being petted in turn. ]
Oh? So I can get you to purr for me? Or should I be the one purring for you?
[ He lifts his voice slightly, affects a rather convincing catlike tone: ]
Meow, meow.
[ ...Blame that one woman in Sumeru who keeps teaching him how cats speak. ]
no subject
[At this point, Alhaitham was already planning to do just that. Teasing him about how good and eager he was to perform only felt fitting, giving how much Aether had loved teasing him since they got there. He deserved to be treated like a cat.
So Alhaitham pets him, running his hand over blond hair, smoothing it in place and scratching lightly at his scalp. The hand trailed down the back of his neck, dragging his fingertip around until he could caress the back of his finger over Aethers jaw and give him chin scritches.]
You're even good at pretending to be a cat. Is there anything you can't do?
[Although usually he would be teasing, in this case, he sounded almost fond of his particularly large lapcat.]
sorry for the delay!!
[ A giggle, a laugh at his own joke. A sigh that sounds almost suspiciously like a purr. As much as the traveler teased Alhaitham about being cute earlier, Aether does seem to greatly enjoy being treated like a cat himself, and he keeps looking adoringly up at Alhaitham, like a little golden kitten that keeps pleading for more attention, more pets, more scritches. Who would have thought that the great savior of Sumeru, Nahida's chosen, the First Sage of Buer... would be someone who would be perfectly content to be Alhaitham's lapcat?
Wonder upon wonders. Aether sinks into Alhaitham's embrace still more firmly. ]
Well, I can... but they're so very dense and difficult to parse...
[ He's only being softly whining; he's clearly not very serious. If it were a matter of life and death, Aether would most certainly get through even the most esoteric of Haravatat textbooks. But. ]
Actually, the ones you write are okay. The ones you like to read, though... those would take me a while to digest.