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dankmaths · 24 days

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I'm like 90% sure if I don't get more of your ghost au I may just implode so like 🥺👉👈

not necessarily my AU but i ended up drawing smth based on a scene from @novethegreat's fic, "In Love With A Ghost". ooohhhh you wanna read it so bad ooooohh

+more google doc delusions ive had in my head for a long time and havent been possessed to draw under the cut please work god please

i like to think once yosuke gets over the whole undead roommate thing he starts to feel bad for leaving yu at home all day. (like a pet dog.....) so at some point he invites chie and yukiko over. maybe it’s a study session. but at first yukiko can’t make it so it’s just chie. yosuke tells yu to stay put in the room since chie is scared of ghosts (just like yosuke she’ll never admit it though lol). chie says that she and yukiko have been working on a new recipe and offers to cook which yosuke shoots down Very quickly, offering to cook himself, since a "friend" of his has been teaching him-- he very conveniently leaves out the whole undead roommate thing. but when he’s preparing the food he accidentally cuts his finger. yu forgets what he’s told and rushes through the walls into the kitchen scaring chie on accident.

yosuke: OW shit

yu: (phasing through the wall) yosuke! are you ok?

chie: yosuke! are youuuuuuUUUUAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHH

yukiko, the occult lover, is unable to see/hear ghosts… but when she hears abt "OHHH HANAMURAS APT IS HAUNTED ITS SO SCARY ITS AWFUL!!! i mean the ghost didnt kill me or anything he was actually pretty polite but its AWFUL!!!!!!" from chie, she gets sooo excited and begs yosuke to invite her over (for the ghost obviously not for yosuke. which is a bit of a blow to his ego LOL). and she comes in with a ouija board so she can talk to yu

yukiko: so. where is it?

yosuke: his name is yu. damn, not even a hello.

yukiko: well, where is he?

yosuke: …right over there.

yu tries to play along bc he thinks its fun, to yosukes exasperation. however he has trouble staying solid for very long so it takes foreverrrrr. but basically i think yu and yukiko writing each other notes to communicate like point blank pen pals would be cute… also when the others are around who can hear yu, playing telephone with what he says to yukiko and fucking it up (on accident OR on purpose) would be rly funny

#this has been in my inbox for a WHILE sorry anon. im sure you must be a ghost by now too. lol #askbox #souyo #p4 #i wish i had more time to draw or i could do it faster but alas. this is the path i chose for myself.#(started working on another doujin)#(abt to lurk for another 100 years #side note not too long ago i read a cute fic on pixiv where yosuke was the ghost and yu was the tenant #and yu could see+hear yosuke just fine but ignored him for a solid month bc he was scared the spooky ghost would attack him lol #but everytime i try to tell my friends abt smth from pixiv its like #“YEAH ITS IN JAPANESE YEAH YOU HAVE TO PUT IT THRU GOOGLE TRANSLATE AND/OR LOOK UP WORDS IN THE DICTIONARY EVERY TWO SECONDS”#“BUT ITS MAKING ME INSANE ITS CUTE ITS REALLY CUTE ITS SOOO CUTE REALLY GOOD I PROMISE”#and i know it sounds really really unhinged so i try to keep it contained lol

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supreme-leader-stoat · 1 year

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Heard something about Beowulf earlier and thought of this post, especially the xenomorph bear. Unfortunately, since tumblr has apparently just decided to make posts from deleted OPs completely unsearchable on any platform or something now, I can't find this post to reblog it, but thankfully reddit and pinterest had image backups.

#I'm actually seriously starting to be irked by whatever they did to change how posts from deleted blogs are handled #in the past even if the OP's blog is gone I could type a word-for-word search into google and have it bring up a reblog or two at least #but ever since whatever change they made so that deleted-OP posts no longer display images/videos or the contents of reblogs in the notes #that no longer seems to work #like a major draw of this site is that old posts keep circulating as long as people reblog them even if the OP is no longer around #but that's not gonna keep working if those posts are getting nuked from orbit

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druidonity2 · 2 months

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Very often the only thing that gets me to work past adhd/depression/etc and actually draw and write my ideas down is the HOPE that someone will leave a comment or tag expressing a positive emotion in response. When no one says anything I often feel like I did something wrong. It's like that phrase 'silence is deafening'. I genuinely cannot even begin to explain how happy it makes me to see someone leave a sentence or paragraph in the tags. It reminds me I exist (in a good way).

It is people like you that keep artists alive. You are the backbone of art communities and fandoms.

#all this to say that alot of my art wouldn't exist if it wasn't for you #At most theyd be notes in a google doc where i think about drawing it but never do #Often when i draw something I think about specific people like you and go Oh I hope they see this! I hope they like it!#The joy when said person DOES see it and leaves a nice comment is priceless #Fandom feels so...quiet nowadays I think #There is this kinda...fear thats slowly seeped into fandoms that keeps people from expressing themselves #I think i know why...either way makes me sad #ANYWAY THANK YOU to everyone who is kind to me #See you in the next anduin-sad-boy fanart

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burningvelvet · 4 months

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Some notes and excerpts sent to Lord Byron from his many admirers — AKA, the Regency era version of sliding into someone's DMs:

“Dear Lord — A person whom you know well, and whom you have deigned to look on with some regard, taken by your extraordinary attractions awaits you this evening at ten o'clock in the back room of the Café San Fantin near the Fenice theater: do not be absent, my adorable Lord, if you do not want to force me to commit some indiscretion. Do not fear any sinister event; love me, though anonymous, as much as I love you, and I will be happy enough. Yours forever — if you want me — just now from home.”

“Milord — Excuse, my dear, the liberty that I take in sending you this note, but seeing you last night at the theater of San Benedetto my heart was smitten by you. Having no possible means of being able to speak to you, I have boldly taken the chance of writing you this note. If you accept my inclination that I feel for you, l will await your answer and will remain with the hope of embracing you if you would favor me with a simple reply by the bearer of this.”

“Being up to date on everything that concerns you, I knew of your new loves — daily you are offered rendezvous— all run after you because I permit a mere fifteen days to go by without seeing you — understand me. No longer an admirer, in order not to suffer your tricks any longer — but believe of me what you will — P.S. Tomorrow evening at eight o'clock I shall have the luck of seeing you.”

“From Home 25 Oct. 1818. Most Esteemed Lord — I would not have come to the Theater this evening except for the pleasure of being able to see your worthy Person and to let you know that I would like to spend, if you do not mind, a few moments in your House this evening after the performance. Awaiting this favor, I have the honor of declaring myself at your esteemed commands — most affectionate Servant — Eleonora de Bezzi.”

“Most Esteemed Sir — Although women are not the first to write, this time I permit myself to take the liberty, in order to let you know that if you favor me by taking the trouble to come to this Friend this evening at nine o'clock I shall have the honor of your charming company for a moment; otherwise there is no way for us to speak. Meanwhile I have the honor of offering my feeble service. P. S. I beg you not to let anyone know that you are coming to visit this Friend of mine.”

“A poor wife bows before your Lordship to ask for some help knowing how generous your beautiful heart is. I know that I am too bold, but the good report that I have heard of you, Sir, gives me courage to come before you, Milord; if my face were sufficiently pleasing to you I would consider myself fortunate to enter into some part of your beautiful heart, but I know I am not worthy and so I ask for your charity. Meanwhile I kiss your hands and declare myself your Most Humble Servant Suzana.”

“Are you ill? but why do I feel worse than you? Sunday evening after eight eternal days will I be able to see you? Yes.”

“Excellency — I wish to know if on Thursday at the appointed hour you will be available. The wise change frequently.”

“Tuesday at the theater Signor Petretin was in a box with you — bravo — after what you promised me, to let yourself be seen with him? If I were not in a very bad humor I would make you laugh by telling you what happened to me with the servant Marietta. If you are not engaged tomorrow evening with Signora Cortessi, at whatever time you like I shall come to see you — addio.”

“Having returned from Padua, I learned that in Benzona's circle it was being said that you made sacrifices for me — I, who know that I never inconvenienced you in the slightest matter, am surprised indeed by this gossip, and I beg you to do me the justice that I merit on this subject — I am certain that you are not the source of such a lie, for I do not believe you are capable of wronging someone who does not deserve it — addio, pardon.”

“I know that you divert yourself in your Gondola; I know about your romance with the Girl of Dolo; I know about the frenzies of Madame Segati; I know everything: and knowing everything — I also know that I am a fool still to concern myself with you. Friday I shall leave for Padua; I would like to say goodbye to you first. If your amorous occupations permit, you may see me tomorrow evening at eight o'clock. Farewell most noble Englishman, believe me with our customary excessiveness — your admirer.”

“You will forgive me for taking the liberty of sending you this simply to learn the reason I have no longer had the honor of seeing you since that day, given our understanding to see each other on Sunday. Subsequently I was deprived of it. Having had the pleasure of seeing you again at the ridotto on Sunday evening, I take courage to send you this letter through my maid. I await your reply. Yours affectionately — Giuliella.”

“Lord — Let an unfortunate Girl enter into your heart if she is ever to remain among the living.”

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radiantmists · 8 days

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me for the last month: why cant i have brainrot about my original projects instead of kids cartoons?

me last night: *lying awake until 3am bc i cant stop thinking about my OCs backstory* welp

#i need to stop keeping my phone by my bed #but how else will i write incoherent notes at 2am about the first time my guy killed a man #or google whether babies are born with wisdom teeth formed so i can figure out where they fit into the lore #writing

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existencebringsonlypain · 11 days

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just found out I'm pitch-perfect but only for bird calls

#i imitated a mourning dove #then was like “i wonder if i'm in tune” and googled a call and it was exactly the note i was doing. so #i did get the intervals a bit wrong though #however keep in mind that 1. birds are inconsistent and 2. reigonal difference may apply so that dove may be different from the local ones #the bird call in the video was missing the last hoo too #i should rewatch that video about bird calls and how they change #it was titled something like “the most viral tweet” with a twitter icon on the thumbnail. but it was actually about bird tweets #you kept waiting for the other shoe to drop but it never did #by the useless information guy. austin mcconnel?#aight i am Shocked i got all that information correct #i watched that video YEARS ago #anyway time to listen to more mourning dove recordings #existenceunrelateds

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roseworth · 1 year

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i went apeshit over that last one. anyway roy & anyone u choose w “i’m scared” pls 🫶

send me a prompt 😙

i chose mia is anyone surprised

For the millionth time in his life, Roy wished that Gotham rogues would just stay in Gotham. Whenever they got bored of Batman, they would come to fuck shit up in other cities, and everyone else just had to deal with it.

Today, it was the Riddler. His snarky tone and infuriating way of talking were already pissing Roy off, not to mention the fact that he had locked him in some kind of fucking escape room.

“Are you a mythology fan, Arsenal?” Riddler asked over a speaker. Roy rolled his eyes and started looking around the room for a way to get out. When Roy didn’t respond, the Riddler continued. “Artemis and Apollo, the moon and the sun, the twins of the hunt. Brother and sister.”

Roy narrowed his eyes and looked up, trying to find some camera to stare into or something. “What do you want?”

“I think you are going to be the one wanting,” Riddler responded. Roy couldn’t wait to punch him in the face. “Because you’ve got a kind of twin yourself, don’t you?”

Roy raised an eyebrow. “A twin,” he repeated, wholly unimpressed.

“A sister in arms, a replica of what you once were,” Riddler explained in his stupid droning tone.

Mia, Roy thought, his blood running cold. “What the hell do you want with Speedy?”

“Once again, I won’t be the one wanting,” Riddler sing-songed. “Maybe you should keep better track of your clothes.”

A hatch clicked, and a drawer opened with a single comm sitting in it. He took it out and shoved it in his ear. “Speedy?”

“Roy?” Mia said groggily. “What’s going on?”

“Riddler got us,” he explained. “I thought it was just me, but looks like we’re in it together, kid.”

Mia laughed quietly. “Always dragging me into your problems, huh?”

“Guess so,” he smiled. “Where are you?”

“I, uh…” she trailed off. “I don’t know. It’s dark in here.”

“Dark?”

“As you may recall,” Riddler shouted over the speaker, “Artemis’s temple was burned to the ground back in 356 BC.”

No.

“Riddle me this, Arsenal,” he said, a grin evident in his voice. “What is not alive, but grows? Doesn’t have lungs, but needs air? Doesn’t have a mouth, but is killed by water?”

“Damnit,” he said under his breath. “Mia? Are you okay?”

“Fuck,” she whispered. “I don’t want to be burned alive.”

“You won’t be,” he promised. “He gave me some riddles, that’s his whole shtick, right? I’ll get you, no problem.”

“‘No problem,’” she repeated in a mocking tone. “I can’t believe I’m getting fridged.”

Roy laughed breathily. “You’re not getting fridged, I promise not to go through any emotional development after you die.”

Mia snickered. “Just do the riddles, asshole.”

Roy turned back to the room. There was a drawer with a small slot, with the label What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?

Roy rolled his eyes and searched the room for a penny. If all the riddles were like this, he would have Mia out in no time.

He found a penny sitting on the ground, then pressed it through the slot. The drawer popped open with another riddle. He breezed through them, making small talk with Mia all the while.

“How are the Teen Titans?” he asked.

“Fine,” she said. “Cassie started dating that one girl that we think might be Ollie’s.”

He snorted. “Cassie is sorta-half-sister-in-law material, right?”

Mia laughed. Roy worked through a few more riddles, picking up a pair of gloves after the riddle They have no flesh, nor feathers, nor scales, nor bone. Yet they have fingers and thumbs of their own. What are they?

He looked inside the gloves and pulled out a strip of paper.

I make two people out of one. What am I?

He read the riddle a few times. “Hey, Mimi, you good at riddles?”

“No. Also, ‘Mimi’?”

“There’s no better time to try out nicknames than right next to death, Memes.”

“Ugh.”

“I’ve got the riddle ‘I make two people out of one,’ any thoughts?”

Mia thought for a moment. “I’ve got a friend that’s a clone, maybe it’s a cloning device.”

“I don’t think that’s it,” he said. “Besides, Donna’s kind of sort of a clone, and she–” He cut himself off.

“What?”

“It’s a mirror.”

“And you got that with the power of Donna?”

Roy searched the room for a mirror. He looked at a wall across from him and inspected the mirror. “What can I say? Donna’s smart, I guess just thinking about her makes me smarter.”

“Huh, you must not think about her a lot.”

“Very funny,” he drawled. He couldn’t find anything on or behind the mirror. He frowned, then threw it on the ground.

“What was that?”

“Mirror.”

“And you broke it?”

“Riddle’s behind the glass,” he said, flipping it over and picking up a slip of paper that had fallen out. “You have me today, tomorrow you'll have more. As your time passes, I'm not easy to store. I don't take up space, but I'm only in one place. I am what you saw, but not what you see. What am I?”

“I hate riddles,” Mia replied. “This is stupid.”

“‘I don’t take up space’ probably means it’s a concept.”

“Sounds like a thought,” she said. “You have them today and more tomorrow, and everyone has thoughts. Well, most people have thoughts, I don’t know what you have.”

“Love you too, my darling sister,” Roy said sarcastically. “It’s what you saw, so it’s in the past right? Memories?”

“Ah, yes!” Riddler yelled over the speaker. “Memories! And you’ll have to live with the memories of your sister for–”

“That ones a bit of a stretch,” Roy interrupted. “Not a good riddle if you have to explain it.”

“Roy!” Mia yelled. “Fire!”

“What?”

“Fire!” she repeated. “It’s fuckin– It’s coming closer, I’m gonna–”

“Stay calm, Speedy,” Roy said, instantly shifting into seasoned vigilante mode.

“Now that we’re properly focused, let’s move on,” Riddler said smugly. “What is it that given one, you'll have either two or none?”

Roy frowned. “A…” he trailed off. He had heard this one before. “A choice?”

A door flew open behind him. “Exactly!” Riddler yelled. “You have a choice: You can stay here and save Speedy, or you can leave now and save yourself! You can’t do both.”

He heard the comm in his ear click. Fuck. “Speedy? Can you still hear me?”

“No outside help,” Riddler cackled. “Now, a choice!”

The choice was pretty clear. He could leave to get help, but he had no guarantee Riddler wouldn’t kill her while he was gone. Even if the man killed him after Mia was safe, it would be better than her getting hurt.

“I choose Speedy,” he said, crossing his arms.

Riddler said nothing, but the comm in his ear clicked again.

“...Roy?”

“Right here, kiddo.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought you left me.”

“Never, I swear.”

She didn’t reply. Roy wished they could go back to 2 minutes ago when she was teasing him instead of the nervous silence she had now.

“Talk to me, kid, I’m still sorting through these riddles,” he said, flipping to the back of the memory riddle and finding a new riddle to work through.

“There’s still a fire,” she said quietly. “It’s slow, but it’s getting closer.”

“You’re gonna be out of there in no time, don’t you worry.”

Mia stayed silent for a while, and Roy kept moving through riddles. They were all softballs from here, like “What has hands, but cannot clap?” then the next riddle inside the clock.

“Roy?” Mia said, her voice raspy and shaking.

“Yeah?”

“I’m scared.”

“You’re gonna be okay,” he assured her.

“How do you know?”

“Would I ever lie to you?”

“Yes,” she answered. “You lie to me all the time.”

“What? Name one time.”

“The other day you told me Nightwing was raised by a family of monkeys and that’s why he’s so acrobatic,’” Mia ranted.

Roy couldn’t help but laugh. “Okay, fine, that was–”

“And you tried to convince me that the real way Ollie got off the island was by growing gills and swimming away.”

“Come on, those were all–”

“And just last week you told me you were going to visit home, then you didn’t,” she yelled. Roy’s stomach twisted at the way her voice wavered like she was holding back a sob. “And I waited! I-I was waiting all night because I thought you were coming like you said, then you didn’t and I just–” She took a deep breath, then mumbled, “Whatever. Didn’t even care.”

“Mia, I–”

“It’s fine, you were doing something important, or whatever, I get it.”

“I’m sorry, kid,” he said, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. “I would’ve, I swear, it wasn’t about you.”

“I know,” she said. “Still hurts.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again. “But trust me now, you’re going to be okay, and you can yell at me to my face about it soon.”

“I don’t want to,” she mumbled. “I don’t want to be mad at you about it, I just want you there.”

“Mia…”

“Whatever, man, I’m in a room of fire right now, just– just do what you need to do.”

Roy grimaced and looked at the next riddle, only to find that there was no riddle. Just the sun on a piece of paper.

“Congratulations, dear Apollo, you’ve seen the sun!” Riddler yelled. “But alas, the moon cannot be seen without the sun’s light! Rise, dear moon, and reflect the sun’s shine as your own!”

“...What?”

“Roy,” Mia said. “A door to the roof just opened above me, I’m getting out.”

“Thank god,” he sighed. “Get far away, don’t let him find you again, okay?”

“What? No way, man,” she argued. “You’re still trapped, I’m not just gonna leave you.”

“I can get out myself, don’t worry about me,” he replied, not sure if he even believed himself.

“Don’t lie to me, I’m– wait a minute."

Roy frowned. “What’s going on?”

“I need you to trust me.”

“That’s not very reassuring.”

“Duck.”

“What?”

Seconds later, a wall blew up behind him, and Mia walked through the rubble.

“Explosive arrows!” she exclaimed, holding her bow above her head. “He left my quiver on the roof.”

“Jesus, give a guy some warning, Mimi,” he grunted, dusting himself off.

“I told you to duck.”

“Alright, fine,” he said, then opened his arms. “C’mere, kiddo. I’m just glad to see you safe.”

Mia’s face broke out into a grin as she sprinted straight into his arms, tackling him into a hug, nearly causing him to fall over with the force of it. He beamed and lifted her off her feet as she hugged him tighter.

“Can we find Riddler and punch his stupid face now?” Mia asked from where her face was smooshed against Roy’s shoulder.

“Absolutely.”

#*slaps roof of mia* this baby can fit so many abandonment issues #i was thinking about using roy and lian but i know my own abilities and i would not be able to do them justice #roy harper #mia dearden #fanfic #my writing #dc #ps all artemis and apollo knowledge comes straight from google so i tried to keep it vague but i apologize if i said anything wrong #also side note i have a new respect for every dc writer thats every written the riddler #because how the fuck. do u come up with riddles.#i stole a bunch of common ones & used a website for some fdhfakjfha #i was halfway through this and knee deep in riddles.com (which apparently exists)#and i was like why. WHY. did i choose to use the riddler in this #i love his asshole energy so i love writing him but holy fuck i cant write riddles #i think i have a fic on ao3 with him in it and i very deliberately Did Not use any riddles in that one #bc how tf do i come up with riddles!! how do the arkham games have like 200 riddles per game!!!!!#absolutely insane. who thinks of these

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orbdotexe · 3 months

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Arsenal Check is going to be the death of me, i think

#2.3k words and going into 7 pages in google docs rn #its not in comic sans (one of few) so like... 7 pages in a different way than Hunter Gossip was 2 pages (not even 900 words)#bc comic sans is formatted and spaced much differently than like. arial is #2 thousands words of Wolf suffering. yipeee #orb rambles #on another note #Drifter is keeping the funny thoughts in Encounter #(height comments. the unstable on their feet/mentally. etc)#just writing them slightly better lmao--

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hardboiledteacozy · 8 months

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"Making a big deal out of any dish they make for you" combined with "help fix their outfit before they leave" for any combination in 4ggravate. You can pick two, three, all four, i just want to be at least a little vague for revenge.

You definitely get to be a bit vague for revenge since my own prompt was pretty vague. Wonderful prompt, btw, so thanks Alex 💜

Prompt list here

I surprisingly ended up focusing on Kavetham, though the whole thing is still 4ggravate and does involve all four of them. I tried to be brief because otherwise I would have ended up with a multichapter thing here.

Story under this readmore:

"Will you hold still for a moment?" Kaveh hisses.

His hands pull at both ends of a dark green silk tie which currently hangs listlessly around Alhaitham's neck, as though it has given up on ever getting tied. Haitham sighs, not for the first time this evening, and rolls his eyes far back enough that his head tilts back with the motion.

"I swear, you're like a petulant child sometimes," Kaveh goes on to say, but Haitham can feel the warmth rolling off his tongue, completely at odds with his words of choice. The architect's fingers find their way to Haitham's chin and hold him in place. "There, stay just like that. I'll be done in just a second."

"Why are we doing this again?" Haitham finds himself asking. He actually holds himself still this time, perhaps enjoying the way Kaveh's breath tickles his exposed neck as he leans in to do an intricate knot that will inevitably feel too tight the rest of the evening.

"It's our anniversary," Kaveh replies matter-of-factly.

"Our anniversary was two months ago."

Kaveh's hands stop, but they keep a gentle grip on Haitham's collar. This lets him know Kaveh is not done with him yet, so he does not move. He does, however, stare the man dead in the eye and cock his brow at him in silent question.

"You actually remember." It should feel insulting that Kaveh sounds so surprised, but Haitham supposes he can't blame him. It's not like they've ever made a big deal of it at any point over the years.

"How could I forget? I even cooked for you that evening."

"You mean you made that yourse-- Alhaitham! You should've said something. I thought you'd just happened to order takeout that day."

Haitham sighs, again. "I learned the recipe from the owner of the tavern because I know you like that dish. Before you say anything, Cyno was the one who did the actual talking. I don't know if he sweet-talked it out of the man or just intimidated Lambad into giving it to him. He just handed me the paper, and I simply followed the instructions."

Kaveh opens his mouth but can't seem to find the words to say, so he just closes it again. He repeats this motion a few times, lips flapping uselessly, before finally remembering he has a half-tied tie in his hands and Haitham is still waiting for him. So he pulls at the ends once again, this time to wrap the tie up in an intricate knot that contrasts beautifully with the subtle pattern on Haitham's dark suit. He then pulls him by the tie into a kiss, hoping this will convey all that he cannot bring himself to express in words right now.

"You're welcome," Haitham mumbles against his lips once Kaveh pulls back. "Now why are we doing this again? Since we've established it's clearly not our anniversary."

"Not our anniversary," Kaveh corrects him, poking Haitham in the chest and then pointing to himself. "Our anniversary." And as he says this, he draws a circle in the air to also encompass two people who are, unbeknownst to Alhaitham, currently waiting for them at a candlelit restaurant in another part of town, overlooking the moonlit bay.

"Oh," is all he can think to say.

Haitham takes a moment to think back and try to pinpoint the exact day Kaveh is referring to. It's clearly not the first time the four of them shared a bed; that happened some years ago during a shared leave where they had happened to coincide in their choice of lodgings at that lakeside resort in Fontaine. It couldn't be when they'd teamed up to overthrow the government because they weren't all together at that point yet. Perhaps Kaveh was thinking of something more mundane... And that's when it hits him.

"You mean when the four of us had that talk at the tavern last year."

"Of course."

"You've been keeping track?"

"You mean you haven't?"

Haitham ignores the jab. He takes a deliberate step back, turning around to look at himself in the mirror where Kaveh had been touching up his make-up before he saw Haitham struggling behind him.

Not bad, he thinks as he inspects Kaveh's handiwork on the tie. Having given himself time to think this through, he finally speaks, "Not keeping close enough track to consider today as significant in our relationship, or to even think of it as our shared anniversary, no. Especially not as our first one."

Kaveh steps up behind him , chin resting on his shoulder as he joins him in the contemplation of their reflection. Their eyes meet in the mirror. "Then when /would/ you consider is a good date, since you're getting pedantic about this?"

Haitham doesn't answer right away, taking the time to consider the significant times the four of them have shared together over the years. They've toed the line between casual involvement and established relationship for quite some time, perhaps never actually needing to give it a name or anything like an official status.

It wasn't until a year ago, when they had been gathered at the tavern on a regular night out, that the topic had been broached - by Kaveh, no less.

Cyno had been idly shuffling a deck, talking about the beauty of probability with Haitham, who was in turn debating with him over the use of strategy in a controlled environment. Tighnari had been lightly leaning against Haitham, partly to listen in to their conversation and partly just because it was a cool night and Haitham's cape always felt comfortably warm to the touch. Kaveh, half-finished wineglass sitting before him, had been sketching them, as much for the dynamic posture the three men had adopted as for the simple desire to capture this moment and freeze it in time, even if just in a simple drawing.

He had suddenly stopped and looked up from the sketchbook, waiting for their shared attention to focus on him before asking, "What are we?"

The ensuing debate had continued late into the night, spilling out of the tavern after closing time and back to Haitham's house.

And the rest, as they said, was history. Perhaps Kaveh was right in this regard. This simple night probably did count as their 'official' anniversary, in a way.

"I'm not being pedantic," Haitham clarifies first. "I just hadn't considered that we even needed a shared date, especially since the process itself was a lot more involved than just the four of us deciding we were together. Are we supposed to celebrate every iteration of our joint relationship?"

Kaveh shrugs and moves away, rummaging through a small lacquer box where he keeps his jewelry as he looks for the perfect accesory to go with his white suit.

"I don't see why not," he says as he reaches back to tie an emerald pendant around his neck. Haitham wordlessly grabs it from him and attaches it himself. Kaveh nods in thanks as he continues speaking. "Any excuse for a celebration is worth pursuing, isn't it?"

"Says the man who likes to lavishly spend on everything," Haitham chides him.

"This is just a one time thing. Tonight is special... Well, they're all special, but tonight is a cause for extra celebration because it was a culmination of sorts. I'm sure even you can see that."

Haitham sighs. "Alright, you've made your point, and I see where you're coming from."

Kaveh beams, and Haitham swears the room feels a little brighter than it did a moment before.

"So you agree?" Kaveh prods.

"I never said I agreed. I just said I see your point, which is not the same."

Kaveh then grumbles for some time, as though debating with himself whether to take Haitham's bait or not. Eventually, he throws both hands in the air with a huff. "You know what? Fine, I'll take that. I'm sure Nari and Cyno will agree with me anyway."

"So long as this doesn't set a precedent for how we're supposed to celebrate our respective anniversaries in the future," Haitham warns him.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you and Cyno can keep locking yourselves up in your room all day."

"And Tighnari will still be perfectly content not even acknowledging the date beyond sending a flower and a simple homemade dish," Haitham agrees with a curt nod. "Where are we going now anyway? You wouldn't have made me dress up like this just to head to the tavern."

"It's a surprise," Kaveh sing-songs.

Haitham makes a face at that. He does not like surprises. He does not like having to deviate from his usual routine. Kaveh is more than aware of this fact, so he's quick to amend. "Don't worry, it's just going to be us four, and the place is quiet. Nari and I scouted out the site beforehand to make sure you'd be comfortable."

"I trust you," Haitham nods, and Kaveh knows this encompasses all of you. He looks visibly less distraught too, which feels like a victory. Kaveh is confident he might even convince Haitham to repeat this every year, if he plays his cards right.

Haitham goes to fetch his keys, wallet, and book, stuffing them inside his belt pouch before opening the front door. No turning back now. "Fine then, let's go."

Kaveh is in the process of grabbing his own set of keys when a thought belatedly occurs to him.

"...Wait. Does this mean you've had Lambad's recipe in your possession for two months, and you haven't let me have it yet?"

"We're going to be late."

"Alhaitham!"

The two men step out into the night, softly bickering all the way to the restaurant. Here, at the only occupied table, one of the two men opens his eyes, one long ear twitching.

"They're here," Tighnari states.

"Did you h-ear them coming already?" Cyno asks with a grin.

Tighnari masterfully manages to avoid even acknowledging the pun. "They're talking about hummus, apparently."

"And they say romance is dead."

This actually earns Cyno a chuckle from Tighnari, but their conversation is cut short as they spot Haitham and Kaveh approaching. Nari waves at them and sees Kaveh visibly perk up as he spots them sitting at the table.

"Sorry for the wait," Kaveh greets them. "We ran into a little problem."

"I hope you two have bean well," Cyno replies, getting up to kiss the two in greeting.

"You heard us talking about hummus, didn't you?" Haitham states as much as he asks.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," is all Cyno will offer.

As Haitham sits at the table and regards the three men before him, he feels something tugging in his chest, and the feeling only intensifies as both Cyno and Nari reach for his hand and give it a gentle squeeze to welcome him.

As they raise their glasses and toast to the four of them, to whatever it is they have cultivated here, Haitham admits one thing to himself, albeit privately. Perhaps Kaveh was right in this regard. Perhaps some things are worth celebrating, if only as a culmination of their existence.

#jay writes #jay's genshin tag #kavetham #4ggravate #tag you're it #thank you Alex as ever #also this one went straight from my Google Keep notes to the post so I hope I didn't leave any typos #almost forgot to add the link to the list whoops

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