- has never hurt a human before, not even at his most desperate. he can barely harm animals and always buries their corpses.
- got turned not long after he graduated from the Akademiya. he had too much to drink that night and was the perfect target for a vampire with much looser morals than his own.
- hes able to stay hidden relatively easily. Its not uncommon for people on Teyvat to have animal traits so people just assume hes part animal when he flashes his fangs, which he does, a lot. his very bright, happy, cheerful facade he puts on for the public makes people even more unwilling to connect the dots, even when he looks terribly sick from not consuming blood.
- on that note, blood consumption keeps him more human. it gives him a grasp on his humanity and keeps him in a sound state of mind. when hes deprived of blood for too long, he ends up lashing out at anything in his sight. Thankfully he hasn’t gotten that desperate (yet…)
- after consuming blood he looks fully human, aside from the fangs. hes got a soft heartbeat and brighter skin and looks irresistibly charming. he often uses that charm to convince clients to just go along with his plans, although he frankly feels terrible about it and usually saves it as a last resort.
- is able to consume human food, more so just to fit in rather than because he wants to. he’s stopped finding joy in eating human food a long time ago, and too much eating or drinking makes him ill, but he indulges due to social norms, celebration, or in the case of alcohol, a coping mechanism.
- Tighnari is the only one who has a hunch that Kaveh is not human, but doesnt call him out on it. Theyre good friends, and Tighnari would rather not betray his trust like that
- Alhathiam is a smart man, but not always as observant as he makes himself out to be. Kaveh looks sick when he moves into Alhathiam’s house, but he chalks it up to the several glasses of wine Kaveh consumed or the stress of debt, clients, and the aftermath of their relationship .
- Kaveh included a special scanning ability in Mehrak to better understand when he should be feeding to keep himself (and others) safe. She beeps more aggressively and displays a little angry emotion when he skips getting blood.
- When he moves into Alhathiams place Kaveh tries SO hard to suppress his urges, not wanting to show hes dangerous so he doesn’t get kicked out, but that ends up going very poorly when Kaveh eventually snaps and attacks Alhathiam instead.
- Alhathiam after getting over the shock and blood loss symptoms drags a (sleepy, almost drunk) Kaveh to Tighnari thinking theres something seriously wrong with him, like that hes cursed or possessed (takes place not long after Alhathiam’s story quest ending, which explains his higher level of stress. Part of him is worried Siraj or his followers got revenge by doing something to Kaveh)
- Kaveh’s dendro vision allows him to stay out in the sun, but only for short times. During the Inter Darshan Competition, he collapses in the desert due to sun poisoning
vampire kavetham/haikaveh au where kaveh is a half vampire and
he can taste food but can’t digest any of it except for alcohol, some half vampires can eat a lot of food fine but he got super unlucky
500 year life span as opposed to the regular vampire 1000
doesn’t burn in the sun for the most part but is very prone to it in the desert
hates drinking the blood of any animal, feels bad for them, and also doesn’t like it when alhaitham offers him his but at least he can consent to it
he could probably tell what he’s feeling too by the taste of his blood (bitter when he’s stressed and good when his mood is good, prolly through hormones)
hides his vampire identity from other people by constantly filing his fangs to the point of teeth pain and damage, ingesting normal food with people only to throw it up later, basically trying to fit in with everyone else even if it ends up hurting him cause society is scared of vampires or hates them
guys i think im cooking
anyways this is probably gonna be my next comic idea, once i finish the mermaid one :3
In the past four, nearing on five, months, Cyno could count the times he’s been in Sumeru City on one hand. On this trip, he meets Tighnari at Lambad’s tavern for a round and to play Genius Invocation TCG. Kaveh’s disappearance rattled all them, especially now that Cyno realizes how empty their table is without the drunk architect on his most recent rant and the quiet scribe invested deeply into his book.
Tighnari and Cyno have been trying to go back to normal recently. It’s mainly been Cyno, in his very frequent letters back home to Tighnari, working on getting their lives back on track. Tighnari took Kaveh’s absence incredibly hard in the first month or so, and almost killed himself in the desert trying to search for any sign that Kaveh was still in Sumeru, or alive at all. Cyno eventually, even though he didn’t want to, told Candace and Dehya to put Tighnari under custody if he were to go beyond Aaru Village. The two desert-dwellers, even though they had no real connection to the missing scholar, offered their aid in the investigation. Candace kept her eyes and ears out for gossip surrounding Kaveh in Aaru Village, whereas Dehya hunted for the mercenaries that kidnapped him. Cyno gave her the description of the dead Eremite that Kaveh killed, and from there she was eventually able to help Cyno apprehend three suspects, who confessed to the crime at the sight of the furiously angry General Mahamatra.
Alhaitham wanted no part in returning to normal life, and the stare he gave Cyno when he suggested a trip to Lambads the first time was enough to stop Cyno from inviting him this time. Two empty chairs reminded Tighnari and Cyno of their missing friends as Cyno set up their game. His most recent card purchase had been Kaveh’s card, a copy for both him and Tighnari. They kept the card of the proud, smiling architect face up on the table. Cyno is glad now that he told Albedo to include the detail of Kaveh’s shining, glowing smile and confident expression.
“You think he’s still alive?” Tighnari asks after they’re deep in their game.
Cyno didn’t answer right away, and that was enough of an answer for Tighnari.
“If he really is dead, out there in some Fatui stronghold, then The Doctor better not dare enter Sumeru’s borders again,” Tighnari’s voice wavered, and Cyno could see that the corners of his eyes threatened to let tears fall out.
“If Dottore is treating Kaveh like an experiment, I doubt he’d let him die, especially so soon. Especially considering Kaveh’s unique condition,”
“I hope you’re right.”
Their game continued on, Cyno occasionally telling jokes that Tighnari rolled his eyes at. For a brief second, towards the end of their night, they could laugh like their two friends were at the table.
—
Alhaitham spent another long night combing through books on Teyvat’s ancient history. In Kaveh’s absence, his roommate has picked up his destructive habit of pulling all-nighters. Unlike Kaveh, however, Alhaitham spent the time in silence.
Out of the massive collection of books he’s read and annotated in the two weeks since his dream-meeting with the God of Wisdom, only two have offered concrete information on the Three Moon Sisters. Even then, Alhaitham noticed that most of the books that discussed The Moon Sisters or other primordial figures would disguise history with story. Alhaitham worked tirelessly to decipher the history hidden in the storybooks, cross-referencing every event he deciphered with several other books on history to ensure the most accuracy.
He hit dead end after dead end. It was almost as if the world itself didn’t want Alhaitham knowing the truth to the story. After Nahida told him about the fake sky, he wouldn’t be surprised if the Heavenly Principles were deliberately keeping people in the dark about this planet’s existence before they arrived.
—
“Hey, it’s Cyno and Tighnari!” A familiar high-pitched voice rose above the clamor of Lambad’s. Cyno and Tighnari looked towards the source, seeing the Traveller and Paimon walking towards them.
“Traveller! It’s been a while, how are things holding up in Fontaine?” Tighnari waves them both over. The arrival of an old friend, although not the blonde-haired friend they had hoped for, broke some of the tension and sadness of the evening. The Traveller took a seat in Kaveh’s usual chair.
“I see you guys are deep in your game. Where’s Alhaitham and Kaveh? Don’t you guys usually hang out here together?” The Traveller asks. Paimon floats by the Travellers side as usual.
Cyno and Tighnari lock eyes with each other, and then turn with a worried expression on their faces back towards the Traveller.
“It’s…a long story.”
“Did something happen?” The Traveller asks, leaning forward to cross her arms on the table. Her face turned from friendly to stern in an instant.
“Alhaitham is fine, there’s no need to worry about him,” Tighnari says while setting his cards down. That wasn’t technically true. Anyone who interacted with the Acting Grand Sage could tell that the disappearance of the Light of Kshahrewar affected him deeply, like it was a personal loss. “Kaveh, on the other hand…”
“He’s been missing for four months now, nearing on five. A group of Eremite mercenaries believed to have been hired by the Fatui faked a letter from Kaveh’s commissioner in the desert, and when he was deep enough in the sands they ambushed and kidnapped him. His current location is…unknown, but we have narrowed the search field down to somewhere up North, past Fontaine,” Cyno finishes Tighnari’s sentence for him. Cyno’s usual air of friendliness had disappeared when discussing Kaveh. It wounded him to discuss Kaveh’s abduction so clinically, but the Traveller would understand. She’s intuitive like that.
“Oh Kaveh…” Paimon sounds close to tears, putting her small hand over her heart. The Traveller’s face fell, then quickly bounced back into an expression that showed she was deep in thought.
“Fatui involvement…” The Traveller began, “We have connections with some of the members of the Fatui. Namely the Knave and Tartaglia. As well as recently gaining the trust and friendship of some of the children of The House of The Hearth…When Paimon and I return to Fontaine, we will ask if any of them have information about this,” Her voice was steely and stern. Paimon rolled her eyes at the mention of the name Tartaglia.
“If Childe is involved with this, then- then, Paimon’s gonna throw him into the Primordial Sea!” She shouted, stamping her feet and muttering something about how even if he can’t dissolve in it, he can hopefully drown.
Getting information directly from the Fatui is one source that Cyno and Alhaitham can’t reach. “Thank you, Traveller. Really. We’ve…pretty much reached a dead end with his case,” Admitting the truth outloud made Cyno’s chest seize up, “Even the other sages have ordered for the investigation to come to a close. Kaveh’s file at the Akademiya already labels him as dead. Any clues at all, no matter how small they may seem, are going to make-or-break our progress.”
“Of course we’ll help! Kaveh’s one of our friends, too! We’d hate if something truly terrible were to happen to him…” Paimon clasps her little hands in worry, and all of them had the worst possible outcome flash through their heads.
“Do you guys know where Alhaitham would be at this hour?” The Traveller asks suddenly, breaking herself out of deep concentration.
“Should be at his house. Even with all this going on, you’ll never catch him staying at work longer than he has to,” Tighnari rolls his eyes and Cyno can see his tail flicking in annoyance.
“Thanks! We’ll head over there now!” The Traveller stands and takes her leave, promising Cyno she’ll play a round of TCG once she returns.
—
Hiisi Island stunned Kaveh. Nod Krai already took his breath away, but the gorgeous atmosphere of the home of the Frostmoon Scions is by far his favorite sight. In the distance, there’s some tall pillar reaching out into the sky, waves of what appears to be kuuvahki orbiting around it.
The ruins and architecture here, unlike in Nasha Town and on Paha Isle, also drew in Kaveh’s attention. He didn’t notice something watching him until it nipped at his shoes.
A small puffin, likely a baby, stared up at Kaveh curiously.
“Oh hello there,” Kaveh says, carefully holding out a finger for it to sniff. Alhaitham would always tease him for baby-talking the animals in Sumeru, especially the desert foxes.
“You want some of this?” Kaveh reaches and pulls out some of the leftovers from breakfast. Varka had intercepted the two of them this morning and bought them each a dish of Berries and Meat, a common simple dish up here in Nod Krai. Kaveh enjoyed the meat portion of the meal, even though he couldn’t taste it, meat was close enough to blood that he could handle it better than other foods. Flins secretly fed his dish to his lantern. Kaveh had saved the berries for later, and now as he hands them out to the little puffin he is very glad he did.
Eventually the bird flew away, and Kaveh continued his walk to the Frostmoon Enclave.
“…oh, he seems like a gentle man then.” A soft voice catches Kaveh’s attention. He turns his head in the direction of the sound, and finds a tall woman with antlers on her head standing there. Hanging on her side, in a similar position to Kaveh’s, was a Dendro Vision, although on closer inspection Kaveh realized it was one of those Moon Wheels Flins had been talking about. The little puffin that Kaveh had just seen sat in her cupped hands, and two seemed like they were in a genuine conversation. Before Kaveh could say something and interrupt, the puffin flew off again, and the woman turned her gaze towards him.
“Ah, so you’re the one that little dear told me about. Open your eyes, stranger. My name is Lauma, Moonchanter of the Frostmoon Scions. Here, the light of the Frost Moon shines generously over all,” Her smile was sweet and genuine, and her whole figure radiated kindness in a way that reminded Kaveh a lot of Nilou.
“Ah, so you’re the Lauma that Flins told me to find,” Kaveh walks over to the woman. She’s ever so slightly taller than him, but her silver antlers make their height difference appear more drastic.
“I’ve seen you around Nasha Town with that Ratnik,” Lauma says, extending a hand for Kaveh to shake, “Don’t get me wrong. I believe Mr. Flins is a kind and courteous gentleman, and I have no reason to distrust him, so I will reserve my judgements for now. It’s just that…the animals seem to fear him, so until I get to know him better, I will keep my guard up around him,”
“The…animals fear him?” Kaveh asks her, looking a bit confused. He’s seen animals run away from Flins before, so it’s not that he’s really asking about. What he’s more curious about is Lauma’s deeper connection to the wildlife.
“Due to my bloodline,” Lauma explains, “I am able to communicate and understand the animals of Nod Krai. In fact, before I saw you, a little puffin flew over to me and told me that a kind man shared Lakkaberries with it. I’m assuming now that it was you, yes?”
Kaveh nods, and Lauma continues.
“Thank you for being so gentle with the animals. Lots of humans see them as expendable, or because they cannot communicate in the same ways as humans can, as unworthy of respect. Anyone who treats the animals with kindness is someone I can put a little more trust in,” She smiles at him. They continue their walk towards the Frostmoon Enclave, and Lauma decides to ask him another question after looking back and forth between a few of the deer.
“Can I ask you one more thing. Mr…”
“Kaveh.”
“…Mr. Kaveh? The animals seem to trust you, yes, but…they also are telling me that they sense a dangerous power within you. For what reasons do you come to this land?” Lauma fully turns now to look at Kaveh, and underneath her radiating kindness, Kaveh can tell that she is not a person to mess with.
He decided not to lie to her. The last thing he wants to do is take her kindness— any of the kindness from his friends here— for granted.
“I am here because I heard the Frostmoon Scions have a library? I’m conducting some research about a…very unique condition that I have. As well as wanting to know more about kuuvahki and who can utilize it. Although I’m not from this region at all, I hail from Sumeru as a matter of fact, I’ve noticed that I am a bit sensitive to the fluctuations of kuuvahki energy,”
Lauma’s expression relaxed, and she stepped a bit closer to Kaveh before asking, “If you’re ill, Kaveh, I have some knowledge in healing. I might be able to offer some relief.”
“Ahh, unfortunately it’s not that type of condition, I’m afraid…I’m a vampire,” he lowers his voice to a whisper, “and there’s not much information I can find about my species. I just wanted to see if maybe I can find some answers here,”
The deer-woman looked him up and down for a moment, before coming to her own conclusion that Kaveh is harmless enough to be brought to the library. The Frostmoon Enclave was an open-air space, and several members of the religious organization were out and about their day. When Lauma walked by, they greeted her with a special bow, and she returned the gesture with a soft smile.
“I’m still working on getting this place organized and getting more of history written down, but I’m positive there is a book on your history here,” Lauma skims the titles of books on the stone shelves, before picking up a book with its title removed, although Kaveh could see that was quite common among her shelves.
“Vampires are a more common sight up North,” she says, “Snezhnaya has a tiny, but open, vampire population. Due to your kind’s affinity for the gaze of the moonlight, the Far North is simply a safer region. I didn’t even know there were vampires as far south as Sumeru…” She flipped through pages, and already Kaveh knew more information than what he came here with.
“I only know of some of the more basic things,” Kaveh says, “Like symptoms, mainly, and a bit of history from around five hundred years ago, during the age of Khaenria’h,” Lauma nodded and took that into account as her eyes searched pages as quickly as students do in the House of Daena.
When she finally closed the book and handed it over to Kaveh, she retells the historical information she gathered.
“During the age of Hyperborea, a golden Elysium in which all three moons were worshiped, it is said that the goddess of the Iridescent Moon desired for a race of people made from the moonlight itself. And so, using her own light, she created the first vampires. Although, at the time, they were not the blood-drinking, cursed creatures that exist now. Since they were created from moonlight itself, when the Iridescent Moon’s rays hit them at night, it is said that these vampires would appear as ethereal as the goddess herself, and possess enhanced abilities in strength and the senses. Her creations were immortal, so they could forever revere the goddess that created them,”
“During the War of Funerary Flame, the goddesses of the Moons perished, and Hyperborea was destroyed by a Celestial Nail. However, the Iridescent Moon did not just die or shatter. Instead, she sank deep, deep into the Abyss, and overtime became corrupted. What rose from the darkest trenches of Abyssal corrosion was the Crimson Moon, a hollow effigy of the Iridescent Moon’s former glory. It was this moon that was said to have blessed Khaenria’h’s Crimson Moon Dynasty, giving them blood that contains unprecedented power.”
Kaveh had heard tales of the Crimson Moon Dynasty. However, according to the very few records that survived the Cataclysm, the whole bloodline was said to have been wiped out by the last king of Khaenria’h.
“When the vampires heard of their goddess’s supposed rebirth, they migrated underground to the Godless city, in hopes that bathing under her moonlight once more would bless them again. What happened, instead, was that the Abyssal corruption of the Crimson Moon ended up cursing the vampires instead. The creatures, once blessed by moonlight with special powers but could walk around daytime like ordinary people, now were forced to spend eternity under the light of moon. The Abyss infected them, draining their life force, which in time they learned could only be replenished by drinking the blood of other living beings. Many of the original vampires ended up perishing during this time. Seemingly, they mostly took their own lives when they realized their goddess was truly dead and had wrought such a cruel fate on them.”
“Those that survived went mad, and discovered that when a person is killed from a vampire’s bite, that they would pass the curse to them as well. This is how the species managed to survive through the age of Khaenria’h, and after the Cataclysm. Most records get uncertain of events around five hundred years ago, but from this book, it seems that the vampires moved North where the sun is less of an enemy,”
This history, although Lauma explained to him to still take it with a grain of salt due to how ancient it is and how uncertain records from Hyperborea and Khaenria’h can be, finally gives Kaveh a sense of closure. It’s not complete— in fact, Kaveh doesn’t think it will ever be complete. But it’s enough information to satisfy his curiosity for now, and also give him a lot to think about.
After a long period of silence, with Kaveh staring down at the book in his hands (which Lauma graciously is letting him keep), he eventually spoke.
“Thank you, Lauma. I…really needed to hear all this. It’s been so hard, having no answers to my questions or others of my kind around. Heh, I guess this also answers my questions regarding my sensitivity to kuuvahki then.”
“It appears so, yes,” She nods her head, “I hope you aren’t too troubled by any of this, Kaveh. It’s understandable if you are, this is a lot of history and information to take in all at once…”
Kaveh looks up at her, both of them standing. “I’m not bothered at all by it, actually. Or, at least not yet, I guess,” he chuckles, “There’s always a price to pay for seeking knowledge, after all,”
“You can keep hold of that book if you wish to read more yourself. I simplified the history, so if you want a more in-depth understanding I recommend reading on,” Lauma and Kaveh walk out of the library together. Being around her made him feel at peace, as did being on Hiisi Island.
“I presume you wish to return to Sumeru at some point then, yes?” Lauma asks. They took a seat on a stone and observed some of the young Frostmoon Scion children, who run around in some kind of game. They waved and smiled at Lauma, and she returned the favor.
“Yes. As soon as possible, in fact. I don’t wish to get into the specifics now, but, let’s just say I did not come to Nod Krai on my own terms,” Kaveh says darkly. As time passed, Kaveh has worked hard to suppress the memories of what happened to him under Il Dottore. Everytime he catches himself thinking too deeply on it, he notices the violent, angry voice in his head getting louder and louder and louder. He’s been getting better with his control, regaining some of his autonomy back, but it’s still a long process. The only reason, Kaveh believes, that he hasn’t accidentally torn Flins to pieces while feeding is because the Fae’s blood is so much different than human.
“My sincerest apologies,” Lauma reaches out and gently grabs his hands, holding them together like she was about to pray, “I’ll keep your safe recovery and safe journey home in my prayers to the Kuutar. Although she is not the moon goddess that originally blessed your kind, I am certain that her light will shine a little extra bright on you tonight,” Lauma’s kind smile set Kaveh’s heart at ease.
Before he left the home of the religious group, Kaveh asked some questions about this so-called Moon Goddess, the Kuutar, and more questions about kuuvahki. Lauma was greatly informative, and also quite appreciative of his genuine curiosity into the Scions’ practices. She even showed him how kuuvahki enhances Dendro energy by taking him down to the shore before his departure.
“You know, Kaveh,” Lauma leads him over to the Statue of the New Moon, “If you ever change your mind, or wish to come back to Nod Krai, there will always be a place for you among the Frostmoon Scions,”
“I really appreciate that, thank you greatly, Lady Lauma,” Kaveh bowed to her in the same way he’s seen other Scions do, out of respect not just for her position but also for all her generosity.
She giggles, “Please, just call me Lauma. I think we can call each other friends now, can’t we?”
Kaveh agreed, and at Lauma’s insistence took a small batch of the Frostmoon Scion’s specialty, a simple dish they called Today’s Boon, over to Aino and Ineffa’s place where Flins waited for him.
—
“Alhaitham! We’ve come to visit!” Paimon shouts as she knocks on his door. Theres marks on the hinges, like someone or something had nearly ripped it off.
After a few minutes of waiting, their friend opens the door and wordlessly welcomes them inside. They’re used to his bluntness, and in the wake of discovering what happened to his roommate, Paimon and the Traveller expected him to be a little more moody than usual.
“We got some time off from our work in Fontaine, so we decided to drop by and see how all our friends in Sumeru are doing!” Paimon starts the conversation excitedly, hoping maybe her positive spirit can lift his mood, “How have you been? Paimon’s been doing some more reading lately. The Traveller picked up that book you recommended in your birthday letter, and Paimon’s been working through it in our downtime!” She crosses her arms confidently, a smug and proud smile on her face. The Traveller knows Paimon is doing this strategically, likely wanting to distract Alhaitham or not upset him further. Their host takes a seat on the divan, surrounded by a pile of books on both sides.
“I know you are intelligent, and given that neither of you have asked about Kaveh, you are already aware of what happened to him, so we can spare the unnecessary pleasantries,” Alhaitham states as he opens the book he was invested in before being interrupted.
If this was any other situation, the Traveller knows Paimon would have given him an ugly nickname for his awful mood. However, even though she can see Paimon’s face temporarily scrunch up in anger, it seems that Paimon does understand how to read a room for once.
“Cyno and Tighnari informed us of the situation at Lambad’s,” The Traveller says, “I already told them this, but I figured you should hear it in person. When Paimon and I return to Fontaine, we are going to ask our Fatui connections— Arlecchino, Childe, and children in The House of the Hearth— if they have any information regarding the situation. Unfortunately, Paimon and I are still involved with a massive crisis, so we can’t offer much help until we thwart Fontaine’s prophecy,” Alhaitham gives them a look, finally glancing up from his page, but theres a silent agreement between the two individuals that Fontaine’s issues are for a later conversation.
“There’s likely no point in contacting the other Harbingers. We believe the individual who kidnapped Kaveh is Il Dottore, and knowing his history, it’s highly likely he is working outside the prying eyes and ears of his colleagues,” Alhaitham returns to his reading, mentally searching for the line he was at, “Although, it wouldn’t hurt to try.”
Paimon and the Traveller both recoiled upon hearing that name, like Alhaitham had said something offensive.
“The Doctor! Oh just great! That makes three people we know who have suffered because of him!” Paimon stamps her feet, turning to the Traveller, “First Collei, then Hat Guy, now Kaveh! Whenever we next find that guy, we gotta get rid of him for good before someone else we care about gets hurt.”
“…Hat Guy?” Alhaitham has seen the newcomer around, and he is frequently accompanied by Lesser Lord Kusanali. He doesn’t care to know where he came from or what he’s doing here, especially considering he seems to be a somewhat decent student. Nahida’s business is her business, and Alhaitham doesn’t want to pry into it too deeply. However, if Hat Guy does have a connection to Dottore, maybe he can offer some more information on the threat they’re dealing with.
“He doesn’t really like to mention it, but considering how much he hates Dottore, it might be worth a shot trying to talk to him, The Traveller suggests, having come to the same conclusion Alhaitham did, albeit a bit too late.
“I’ll seek him out tomorrow then. Thank you for the information,” Alhaitham turns the page to a section on Descenders, a term that he hadn’t come across before. The Traveller isn’t from Teyvat, and given the shenanigans she always finds herself in, Alhaitham thinks it’s worth a shot to see if she might have any information that he can’t access.
“Traveller, do you know that the sky of Teyvat is fake?”
Once again, both Paimon and the Traveller pull the same startled stance.
“Yes, but how’d you find that out?!” Paimon says at a volume that made Alhaitham adjust the sound-proofing on his ear pieces.
“Lesser Lord Kusanali informed me when I asked her about Il Dottore,” he says it simply, so casually.
“My second question,” he begins, finally putting a bookmark in his latest read, “is do either of you know what Descenders are?”
This time, the Traveller didn’t look so startled. “Yes. Do you?”
“I just came across the name in my book. It’s a term I hadn’t heard before. I’ve recently been reading into Teyvat’s most ancient history, but I have not yet encountered this term. According to the brief definition I read, they are individuals from outside of Teyvat, am I correct?”
The Traveller nods, “Not every outlander is a Descender, but I am. This is information that was also shared to me by Nahida during her rescue. I am the Fourth Descender to have come here,”
Alhaitham wasn’t surprised by this fact. It explains her power in a way that is more satisfying than his previous theories.
“Is this information relevant to finding Dottore or his motivations?” The Traveller asks, her eyes scanning Alhaitham curiously.
“Yes. This has been a very productive conversation.” Alhaitham grabs another book, this one titled Hymns of the Far North, a volume that he has so far not been able to decipher. With this new information, he might be able to take a better shot at it.
“Paimon’s glad we could help!” Paimon gives him a little smile, to which he did not smile back, but she chose to interpret his flat expression as happy anyway.
“I have a question for you, Alhaitham,”
“Go ahead, Traveller,”
“Are you doing okay?”
Alhaitham was not a man who discussed feelings. He did not care for talk about emotions, something his roommate (he can barely bring himself to say Kaveh’s name anymore) absolutely despised about Alhaitham. His roommate was the artsy type, a romantic, and who would regularly talk about his feelings on various matters, although Alhaitham believed that Kaveh kept his true feelings on most matters held tightly to his chest.
“Yes,” Was all he said to the Traveller.
Paimon and the Traveller both looked like they didn’t believe him.
“Well, if there’s anytime you don’t feel okay, I’m open to talk. I…understand the feeling of losing someone that you are very close, and having no idea if they’re safe or still alive or…” The Traveller’s voice trailed off, before she shook her head, “Anyway, take this.” She hands him a thick paper sigil. Liyue’s script covered the front and back in delicate golden ink.
“An invitation to an adeptal abode?” Alhaitham says, flipping it over to read the back of it where the incantation to go to and from this subspace.
“Yes. It’s a space that was gifted to us from some Adeptus friends back in Liyue. You’re free to come and go as you please, even if Paimon and I aren’t in there. We have a lot of friends already that have invitations to this place.”
“Please don’t lose it the Traveller spent a lot of currency gambling to get you,” Paimon says flatly, to which the Traveller playfully hit her to get her to be quiet. Alhaitham chose not to comment on that very strange sentence.
“Who else has one? That I would know?” Alhaitham asks.
“Hmm…so far, just Tighnari, Collei, Candace, and Dehya.” So Kaveh has no access to this subspace yet, either.
“There’s also lots of friends from other nations as well! Recently, we were able to get Lynette, Navia, and Wriothesley!” Paimon sounds excited by those unfamiliar names. Alhaitham is not one to make new friends, especially friends he can only really interact with through chance in an adeptal subspace, but nonetheless he thanks them for the invitation.
The Traveller and Paimon depart from his house, and Alhaitham returns to his reading. The invitation remains in his hands, seemingly hand-crafted just for him to utilize. Makes sense, if this sigil were to fall into the wrong hands it’s standard procedure to make sure there is a safeguard. Especially for something as complex as adeptal magic. Alhaitham for now uses it as a bookmark.
The house is plunged into depressing silence again. Alhaitham would give anything to hear lively sounds from the room across from his own.
Kaveh stared down at the table, unwilling to meet Alhaitham’s eyes.
“You almost died last night, Haitham. I almost killed you. You- You made me so fucking angry,” Kaveh’s voice deepened slightly, the sound damn near animalistic, “And there was this voice in my head that wanted nothing more than to rip you to shreds right there. I would have done it, too. If Tighnari hadn’t been there you would have most certainly died.”
The air hung heavy with Kaveh’s confession. Tighnari was a better mediator than he gave himself credit for. Kaveh feels his face burn red with shame. That little voice in his head has been there all along. Ever since was turned, Kaveh has had it whispering to him to simply indulge in his urges. The first time it was so difficult to ignore. Kaveh woke up from his sleep, having practically locked himself away in his room, and couldn’t understand why he was in so much pain. He was starving, but couldn’t swallow any of the food in his house. Hunger pangs threatened Kaveh with losing his goddamn mind in public, a sensation that only worsened over time as Kaveh refused to indulge in his urges. He could hear the voice in the back of his mind slowly start to emerge, whispering to him just how easy it would be.
It’s the middle of the night and no one is around. You can kill so easily, just do it! Rip out his throat, make him drown in his own blood. Drain his body dry and make sure that the coroner will need dental records to identify his corpse. Let yourself be satisfied.
Those thoughts would go away after feeding, but when he’s hungry like he was last night he can’t always suppress them. After feeding from Alhaitham the first time, Kaveh noticed how much more monstrous he felt. Before, his condition was a light annoyance. Animal blood kept him sane, and while he hated going hungry it was far better than the alternative. Kaveh lived off this routine for years with very few slip ups, but even when he nearly let that voice in his head win he never hurt a soul. Until Alhaitham. Until Alhaitham had to go and be stupid and piss him off, and accidentally cut himself in the kitchen.
The voice in Kaveh’s head was causing him headaches that day. It had been for a week, it was the longest he’d ever gone without feeding. He thought he could hold out another night to come up with a plan, but as soon as the scent of blood hit his nose, half the battle was already lost. His stomach was desperate for a real meal, after years of denying it, and the voice practically shouted in his head to tear Alhaitham to pieces. Kaveh almost did, too. He didn’t leave two perfect little teeth marks like he did this time. Instead he almost tore out a full chunk of flesh. Instincts prevailed over rationality, hunger consuming his whole body. He shook like a leaf, almost like he was a human with hypoglycemia. Vampires couldn’t starve to death, but they were affected by starvation quite similarly to that of humans anyway.
Ever since that day Kaveh has been so deeply afraid of himself. He never really understood just what he was capable of until he saw the viscera covering his hands and mouth and clothes.
Last night was the breaking point. Kaveh was angry in a way he hasn’t felt since his big fight with Alhaitham. Neither that man, nor Tighnari, bless him, would understand his point of view. He knows that he’s being difficult, and that feeding from a human is the best in the long run, but this wasn’t something he had experience with. It was like being thrown into the deep end of a pool with no prior swimming instruction, or being dropped in the desert without a map. He had no idea how to navigate drinking someone else’s blood on purpose. Kaveh must have looked so stupid crawling over to Alhaitham, awkward and nervous and inexperienced. He was more careful with his fangs than he usually is with animals, not wanting to tear out any more flesh.
When Kaveh felt blood touch his tongue, he felt like a drowning man washing ashore. All the instincts in his body kicked in to overdrive, the deep hunger in his stomach and soul almost overriding Kaveh’s self control. If Tighnari wasn’t there, maybe it would have.
Kaveh wanted Alhaitham to feel fear.
He wanted that stupid, stubborn, awful man to know that Kaveh could hurt him at any time, that Kaveh could kill him whenever he wanted. When Alhaitham finally let the words slip from his mouth, Kaveh’s inner desire to scare Alhaitham finally managed to manifest in action.
So how about I prove that I’m dangerous right fucking now?
Kaveh had growled at him, like an animal ready to kill. The voice in his head sounded like it was real, like someone was standing right by his side and telling him all the ways he could rip that stupid smug look right off Alhaitham’s face, each more violent and bloody than the last. Kaveh only seized control over himself at the last second, when Tighnari pulled him back and threatened them both with his arrow. Kaveh half wishes he had staked his heart with it then and there. Finally, he’d stop being a burden on everyone around him.
He didn’t sleep that night, and with that voice in his head finally calm he felt almost alone. Kaveh ranted quietly to Mehrak about the whole situation, finding it easier to confide in his beloved creation that won’t give him any attitude. Kaveh sobbed his eyes out to her, which to any other person might be absolutely pathetic. Crying while talking to a briefcase sounds like something that would get Kaveh exiled to the desert for mental instability, but it was a frequent occurrence between creator and creation.
Kaveh settled at his desk once his pity party was finished, and decided to work while he had the clearest mind possible. Finally comfortable—hunger always rips at his insides, claws and threatens to tear him apart, however recently it has been harder to control—Kaveh worked on his commission with teary eyes, until a certain foxy friend knocked on his door.
Now, though, Kaveh wants to bolt from the house. He and his mother shared more things in common than just looks, as it turns out.
“Kaveh…” Alhaitham began, his voice soft with what sounded like pity. Kaveh felt fury flare inside him again. He didn’t need Alhaitham’s pity.
“I’m sorry.”
Those two words were enough to stun Kaveh, Alhaitham, and even Tighnari into silence. Kaveh locked eyes with Alhaitham, briefly, before adjusting his gaze to focus on his lips instead. He knew Alhaitham despised eye contact, and he usually tried to respect that.
“Say that again…?” Kaveh broke the silence.
“I’m…sorry,” it was finally Alhaitham’s turn to feel shame, and under any normal circumstance Kaveh would have asked for those words in writing, but it felt awkward to gloat about it now, “I shouldn’t have talked to you the way I did last night. I went too far, and I know it hurt you.”
Kaveh didn’t let Alhaitham get away with this fully scot free, for a smug smile starts to form on his bloody red lips, “They say earnest apologies should be given thrice, so…one more time, please?” The architect did quite a good impression of Alhaitham.
“Yeah, no.”
“Had to give it a try,” Kaveh lets the smug smile rest into a smaller, softer grin, before his face fell again.
“I’m…sorry, too. For almost killing you. Twice, now, actually. Uh, that, that won’t happen anymore! Unless you really piss me off again-Ow!” Kaveh was cut off by Tighnari kicking his foot sharply under the table, “Fine, fine! I won’t try to kill you again, no matter the circumstances.”
Even though this earnest conversation was a good start, fully mending things between the scribe and the architect would prove to be the hardest challenge they have ever faced. Once Alhaitham leaves for the Akademiya, Tighnari and Kaveh lounge around the house and catch up. Kaveh pours himself a cup of wine while Tighnari sets up the table for Genius Invocation TCG.
“Really? Drinking already? Kaveh, it’s ten am.”
“Sorry for wanting something else to drink, Nari, I wasn’t exactly allowed to have a full dinner last night.” Kaveh took a long sip from his cup after that.
Tighnari flattened his ears against his head, giving an annoyed look at Kaveh, “If you get drunk I’m not cleaning up after you,” was all he said on the matter. Kaveh insisted he’d be fine, although after only three glasses he had to stop drinking or else he might actually throw up.
They played several rounds of the card game, Tighnari winning every match. He says Cyno taught him pointers.
“You’ve been getting along quite well with the General Mahamatra, haven’t you?” Kaveh teased, a bit tipsy.
A bit of blush ran across Tighnari’s face, before he came back with, “And you’ve been getting along better with the Acting Grand Sage recently. What’s your goal with that, because I’m quite sure that it’s not to get more funding for your Darshan?”
Kaveh’s face burned bright red, a similar shade as from last month when Alhaitham called him beautiful, “That is none of your business!” He scrambled to say.
“I think it is, actually,” Tighnari rolled the dice and cursed when none of them landed on the Dendro or Electro elements he needed, “You’re my best friend, so anyone you fall in love with has to go past me first,”
Kaveh laughed, louder than intended as he gathers the dice for his roll, “Fall in love? With Alhaitham? Nari, you can stop teasing. It’s never going to happen,”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”
Kaveh used his card, one he borrowed from Cyno that featured a Hydro-wielding woman with pink hair surrounded by jellyfish and other sea creatures, to attack Tighnari’s card, which featured Collei. The Kuragi’s Oath attack delt just enough damage to knock out Collei’s card. Kaveh almost felt bad, but it was the first time he’s succeeded in beating one of Tighnari’s cards all day
“What makes you say that?” Kaveh continues their conversation after ending his turn.
Tighnari follows suit, “Just a hunch. I see the way you look at him, that’s all.”
“How do I…look at him?”
Tighnari smiles, rolling his dice, “Like he hung every star in the sky.”
Kaveh fell silent for a while, engrossing himself in the game to keep the burning embarrassment down. Alongside the Hydro-Wielder, Kaveh also had a card of red-haired Pyro-Wielder from Mondstadt. Cyno has actually met the man, albeit only briefly. Kaveh thinks his name is Diluc.
“He doesn’t feel the same,” Kaveh finally says after Tighnari performs a powerful hit, knocking out Diluc’s(?) card in one fell swoop.
“What makes you think that?”
Kaveh pulls another card from his deck, his last remaining character along side the Hydro-Wielder. It featured a blonde haired woman in Fontainian attire.
“I think all of our research does. You know what my magic can do to people. I thought…for those few weeks after I first bit him I truly thought he loved me. He was a lot nicer than usual. He bought me little presents and even though we still argued it felt…softer than usual. Like he was trying to play nice. But, after reading that stupid book—he translated a whole book for me, Nari. It was well over a hundred pages and he translated the whole thing just for me. It’s…still in Mehrak’s casing. I haven’t been able to open it since I found out about…anyway, I really thought that maybe he did like me, or even love me. Of course he doesn’t. If anything, I fear that I manipulated him. I worry that my magic, my charm, might have influenced his feelings in the ways I wanted. I don’t want to charm him into loving me…that he has to come to on his own.”
Tighnari was torn between telling Kaveh the truth, that Alhaitham did really love him and that his magic had nothing to do with it, or keeping it a secret for Alhaitham to reveal in his own time. Even though it killed him, he kept Alhaitham’s confession a secret from the architect. That was one battle that Tighnari refused to fight.
“Kaveh, I think you overestimate your abilities,” Tighnari said instead, “Maybe Alhaitham isn’t as susceptible to your charm as you think.”
“You really think so?” Kaveh sighed, watching Tighnari use Cyno’s card to wipe out the Hydro-Wielded, leaving only the blonde-haired Fontaine girl on the table.
“I know so. If it’s any comfort to you, your charm hasn’t worked on me at all!” Tighnari smiled, Kaveh flicking a dice at him with playful irritation. With nothing else to do but watch as Tighnari use his own card— he had crafted his own deck, something Kaveh has neglected, to include the cards featuring himself, Cyno, and Collei, as well as a few Mondstadt individuals that know Collei. Kaveh knows by now that the artist, apparently the white-haired Geo alchemist featured on one of Tighnari’s cards, has created cards for both himself and Alhaitham. He wonders how much it would cost him to collect two of each, one set for his own deck and the other set as a gift to his roommate. Peace offerings were Alhaitham’s style, but Kaveh thinks that a Sorry I Tried to Kill You gift is in order.
Kaveh eventually opened another bottle of wine, ignoring his body’s aching, and drank absentmindedly as Tighnari caught him up on the happenings in Ghandarva Ville and Collei’s studies. He wants Kaveh to come down and teach some lessons to her, as Tighnari wants Collei to have explored every possible career choice.
Kaveh was resistant to the idea of Collei exploring architecture, although he would love to see more new talent in his Darshan.
The rest of the day passed by in a blur. Tighnari made dinner for himself, and like the other day with Alhaitham, Kaveh asked him what it tasted like.
“I really do miss your cooking,” Kaveh said with a sigh. He thought about indulging in some of Tighnari’s lunch, but the two bottles of wine he had consumed earlier was making him sick already and he didn’t want to push his luck.
“What if we blended food up into some kind of smoothie, do you think you’d be able to taste it then?” Tighnari asks, genuinely. Kaveh makes a disgusted face, to which Tighnari laughs.
“Gods, no. Just thinking about that texture makes me want to gag, and I’m already nauseous enough as it is.”
“I told you to go easy on the wine. You can’t hold your liquor like you used to,” Before Kaveh was turned, he first fell in love with alcohol at parties hosted by older Akademiya students. Tighnari, who also frequented these parties at the time, remembers that Kaveh once set a record for the amount of shots he drank without getting sick. Kaveh does not remember this.
“That’s the second worst thing about being a vampire…” Kaveh lamented, staring into his nearly-empty wine glass.
“What is it like?” Tighnari asks softly, watching Kaveh curiously.
“Huh?”
“What is being a vampire actually like? And don’t start listing off symptoms. I’m not asking you as a doctor, I’m asking as your friend. I want to know what you feel.”
Kaveh had a hard time describing it to Tighnari. He was, technically, a corpse. He didn’t need to do most human functions, although Kaveh found out after some rough testing that he still does need to breathe. His life since that day has been defined by his hunger. He clumps client meetings around the days when he knows he’s still full and he avoids most social interaction after a certain day of the month where he’s at his hungriest. Now that he’s adopted stronger sensations than before, it’s been a bit harder to adjust.
“I don’t really feel much of anything anymore. I still feel like, pain and everything, yeah, but most of the time I just feel like there’s nothing on the inside,” This has become the main reason behind Kaveh’s increasing alcoholism. Alcohol, it seems, is the one thing that can make Kaveh feel human again. The red color of wine, the darker the better, was the vampire’s preference. It tricked his mind momentarily into thinking he was actually feeding himself, and offered temporary relief from his hunger. That’s why he drank it now, so he could mimic the feeling of fullness that he was used to after finally giving in to his urges.
Their conversation is stopped short by the sound of a key turning in the lock. Kaveh’s face dropped to a slight scowl at the sight of the scribe. Instead of being welcomed home with a “Hi, how was your day at work?” Alhaitham was frequently greeted by Kaveh’s varying levels of anger.
“Looks like you two are having fun,” Alhaitham replied as he walked into the kitchen, not tearing his eyes away from the book in his hands. Another book on Nod Krai, according to the title this time he was reading about some religious cult up there.
“Well we aren’t anymore,” Kaveh finished off his drink, having swirled the last droplets of wine in his glass for the past hour or so as he explained to Tighnari as much as he could about being a vampire.
Alhaitham peered up from his book and thankfully the architect didn’t catch him. Kaveh looked just as ethereal today as he did the first time he fed from him. He reminded Alhaitham of the sun itself, and if he looked at him for too long his eyes would start to burn.
Tighnari gave Alhaitham that look again, it was a mix of exasperation and annoyance, anger and frustration. Kaveh didn’t catch Alhaitham’s staring, but Alhaitham didn’t break away until Tighnari cleared his throat.
“I made dinner earlier. If you want any of the leftovers just heat them up,”
After a brief academic conversation at the table, Tighnari parted ways with the two scholars, hoping that maybe one of these days they’ll both stop being so stupid.
