sempiternals | How could your heart be stolen by a human?

( All the pieces making up the machine are exquisitely placed. Wriothesley knows a thing or two about engineering, considering he took so much time putting together his gauntlets. A high quality ancient core must have been used to bring this to life, and he studies every part as Kaveh explains how he should use it. Every now and then, he glances over at him. )

When I get it tuned up, I’ll make tea for the two of us. I love it, Kaveh.

( He rubs a thumb over the screen flashing its expression, then turns it around to check out the back side. )

The name is perfect as is— you could be a millionaire if you mass produced these, you know?

[ Kaveh's quick to lift his hands, wave them in a rejection with a shake of his head, even as the smile on his lips shows how proud he is, how the praise has settled happily under his skin.

The simple fact of the matter is that the average person wouldn't pay enough for one of these to cover the cost of the machine core. But he can't say that, because he doesn't want Wriothesley to feel bad, or perhaps (worse) wonder about his motivation. All he wants is to do something nice. Gratitude and apology alike. His feelings, no matter what they are, don't come into it.

He needs an excuse. Thankfully, the first reason he thinks up isn't actually a lie: ]

Ancient cores aren't all that common. Mass production probably wouldn't work too well. If I can do things like this for friends, that's enough for me.

Guess I’ll be having the best tea in Fontaine.

( He breaks down the box to bring it downstairs for disposing. )

Let’s get you settled in your room.

( The trip there is familiar and yet it’s as though they’re walking through the same first day again. Kaveh has double the eyes on him, attracting the attention with his coat. He’s like a model out of place despite having the intention of work.

The room is small enough which automatically makes it not as cold as others, but quaint. Every surface looks shiny and spotless, save for the rusted stains Wriothesley couldn’t get rid of. )

This is also closer to the bathrooms so you won’t have to walk a ridiculous distance to them. Anything else you need?

[ The feeling of eyes on him isn't any better than his first and second visits to the Fortress. The difference is that this time he has Wriothesley on his side to support him, so he doesn't feel quite as awkward as he did before. They make it to Kaveh's room without any trouble, and he looks around in silence.

Everything he asked for is there. Even though he shot everything to hell right after asking for it.

He feels very suddenly like crying, and so he protects himself with a warm, playful smile, eyes bright as they peer up at Wriothesley. The warden asks if he wants anything else, and— ]

What, no personal masseuse? And here I thought my requests were pretty clear...

( The momentary silence gets a nerve working up Wriothesley’s heartbeat. Is it not to par?
It is not until Kaveh offers a smile that he can finally release some tension through a sigh. He smiles back at him in the process, walking around the room to ensure one last time everything had no visible mold.

Then he glances at him with some hidden nuance, an impossible kind of look. )

You want to be more spoiled than you already are? This room is luxury.

[ In response to the look Wriothesley gives him, Kaveh just laughs. He's obviously joking, but there's something about the warden's face that makes him wonder if perhaps the other man doesn't get it— which somehow just makes the whole thing more amusing to him. He actually thinks for a moment about teasing him more... but in the end takes pity on him, just shaking his head. ]

I appreciate all the spoiling I've had already. Thank you, Your Grace.

[ He puts his suitcase down, and then sets about opening it up so that he can "move in", for lack of a better word. There's no time like the present, after all. ]

I take it I'll start tomorrow? That will give me time to settle in.

You're most welcome, Kaveh.

I'll see you tomorrow. Text me if you need anything.

( When he returns to his office, he immediately begins working on setting up a blend of tea for Darya to log into its core. Every finish is meticulously calculated, screaming Kaveh's designs and handiwork. Did he intend on delivering this to him despite potentially never speaking again? )

You can't tell me anything, can you, buddy? Look at me, losing my mind, speaking to a machine.

( The blue lights shine back at him, perhaps disappointed as Wriothesley reduces it to Clockwork Mecha. When the tea and water mix and boil through the system, the scent truly fills every inch of his office.

It's oddly comforting falling asleep at night knowing Kaveh is also in the Fortress.

And when the sun comes up over blue horizons, the clocks in the Fortress also ring. So workers come and go through the bathrooms, some visit the cafeteria and the scents make their place as exiles truly encompass the order of a home.

A guard stops by Kaveh's room. )

I was told you'd be here today. He spent all day yesterday getting this room ready. I watched him clean it himself. It was very odd seeing His Grace get his hands dirty like that. You must be doing very important work.

[ His first night in the Fortress passes more comfortably than Kaveh could have imagined. It's clear that Wriothesley really did make the effort to make sure he had the things he'd requested (seriously, at least): the best is comfortable and the bedding warm— in fact, there's one point in the middle of the night where he has to take one cover off— and when he wakes with the ringing of the clocks, he feels well-rested and content.

He's got his blueprints and sketches spread over the table when the guard pokes his head in, and Kaveh looks up in surprise, a confused tilt of his head as he talks.

Wriothesley... cleaned this place up himself? Kaveh manages to find a smile, fighting the embarrassment back from his cheeks by clearing his throat, shaking his head. ]

That's... very kind of His Grace. I hope my work proves to be as important as he believes it is, then. [ It's modest of him, perhaps, but he's still a little overwhelmed.

Before too long at all, the Warden himself comes to find Kaveh— who says nothing of what the garde revealed— and take him around once more, allowing him to get familiar with the different places in which he'll be working, and the people who'll be working for him. And like that, the first few days pass: he settles into his role, learns the layout of the Fortress with remarkable speed (but internally notes that signage would be beneficial), and starts the initial work of surveying, figuring out what and where parts of the structure need replacement with the system he's been working on. ]

It probably seems like not much is getting done, [ he explains to Wriothesley a few nights later over tea, ] but I've learned a lot about the foundation. Making changes to weight-bearing structures is always dangerous, and it's more so the case given that we're underwater. I've had to make some changes to my designs. But if things continue at this pace, I'll be able to give you a materials list within the week.

( He can’t fathom the amount of calculations happening in Kaveh’s mind as Mehrak scans and provides him all the 3D visuals needed to adjust blueprints. Sumeru must be mourning their lack of Kaveh and here he is, hoarded by Wriothesley to admire. He’s glad there were no issues found with the state of his room, he would have heard them by now.

As curfew hits, a batch of free tea gets brewed by Darya. If one could bond with a machine, he sure did with it. He’ll have to pick up books on ancient cores to be more acquainted with their mysteries.

It’s comfortable having Kaveh here now and pretending he belongs.

He slides his cup of tea over. )

Try this one. It’s more special than others.

[ Kaveh is certainly very happy to see how well Wriothesley has settled into using Darya. The device has so far worked exactly as the architect planned, and either it's done better than he anticipated, or the Duke drinks more tea than he realizes, because it seems to have accustomed itself to his tastes very quickly.

Speaking of quickly... Kaveh has become accustomed to things quickly, too. He's gone to the surface a few times already, but the journey is long and arduous for naught but a few hours in the city. More than anything, he's found he likes to go up there and just sit in the sun for a while before going back underground. And in the evenings, he enjoys sitting with Wriothesley in his office, or perhaps in Kaveh's dorm, sipping tea and discussing...

Mostly work, of course. But in actuality, anything at all. It's been less than a week and Kaveh has found to his relief that the awkwardness between them is receding faster than he thought. It's a relief.

Raising curious brows at the other, he sips at the tea, and then tilts his head. ]

Mm... [ It's certainly tea of a very high quality, but other than that... ] You might have to tell me how.

( It’s definitely a relief knowing Kaveh only spends little time in the surface, for whatever reason. As long as he’s comfortable it’s what matters. And if his comfort were to fall later on, Wriothesley knows to leave the cage door open so he can be free again.

He sips the rustic herbal tea slowly, savoring every drop. All the recent blueprints lay between them, full of corrections and precaution.

Then he glances at him, sipping again. )

The specialty comes from scarcity. Apparently the tea flower that makes this tea possible became extinct due to a large forest fire. What remained was distributed for a high price.

( His eyes close and another flavorful gulp is taken before he pours more in his cup. )

I’m kidding, there wasn’t a forest fire. The plant is a rare specimen, though.

[ For a moment, something akin to horror crosses Kaveh's features. The story he's just been offered is perhaps the most horrible thing he's heard in a long time, and to think he was just drinking the tea so casually and calmly when it's something special and sacred and important—

If Kaveh looks like he's about to burst into tears, it's because he is.

And then Wriothesley says he's kidding, and the blonde very nearly drops his cup, anger crossing his face. ]

That was mean, Your Grace. I was feeling sad about the— ugh.

[ Pouting, he takes another sip of his own tea. ]

( Kaveh better not ask him about his scars, then. He has plenty of fake stories to explain their existence.

The rim of his cup is at his lips, frozen as he observes Kaveh nearly on the verge of angry tears festering. It’s an endearing appearance, like seeing his true personality and care shine through the architect mask. )

Sorry. I thought it was funny. To be fair, it might as well be extinct with how rare it is.

( It’s worthy to be had in a special occasion, or to celebrate— yet he’s sharing it here with Kaveh, under the waves. )

Do you like it?

[ Kaveh huffs— but he's not about to make too big of a deal about it past his initial outburst. It seems Wriothesley has a strange sense of humor, and while the blonde feels as if the joke was a little tasteless (perhaps because he lives in a forest), he's not about to fault him for it.

As for his question... ]

I do. A lot. It's a pity it's rare... it's been a while since I've had a tea this full-bodied, I think. It has a really unique flavor.

[ Truth be told, he's not liable to ask about the scars— if only because it's not his place. But that doesn't mean he hasn't noticed them, or the way they seem to disappear under the neckline of His Grace's shirt... ]

Darya definitely makes a difference, it gives it proper justice.

( That is a reason to celebrate. It’s the small moments in life that truly add up even when his past is so muddled up in blood.

When his phone vibrates, he knows who it is on the other side. But Wriothesley is busy with spending time with Kaveh. He’s not about to ruin it by checking his messages in front of him, so instead he ignores it. Navia can scold him later if she wants to. )

[ Darya, of course, beeps and chirps at the praise, and Kaveh beams in turn. No matter what strangeness passed between them previously, the fact that Wriothesley likes his gift is warmth to his heart that he probably shouldn't allow himself to enjoy too much— yet he can't help it, smiling as he shakes his head, sipping at his tea again. ]

I'm glad it's working so well for you. I was worried, because I couldn't test it as thoroughly as I wanted. But it seems like it's going to be a good partner for you.

( You know, the text says, it's been almost three weeks and I've heard nothing from you about how things are going with your friend. Are you really going to leave me in the dark after everything, Wriothesley~? )

[ Kaveh doesn't hear the vibration of Wriothesley's phone. ]

So... tell me. I know you box, and you drink tea. But what else do you like to do with your time?

Edited 2023-12-19 15:45 (UTC)

I doubt you have that bad of a taste in tea anyway.

( Kaveh bleeds luxuries even when he’s troubled by finances, not that Wriothesley has an idea of how deep his debt goes.

The sudden shift in his curiosity has Wriothesley silent for a moment, and feels the weight of urgency in his pocket. He regrets keeping Navia out of the loop, and he does in fact miss seeing her. But Kaveh’s presence is temporary. He’ll make it up to her. )

Hm. It’d be easier to show you than tell you.

Follow me.

( With that, he rises out of his chair and turns off Darya, gulping the rest of his tea.
He does have a wide range of interests, from mechanics to academic topics. All of which he has had to teach himself during his time in the Fortress.

He leads Kaveh down to the first level, lifts a latch that slowly exposes another set of stairs leading down. He glances at him. )

Are you spooked easily?

[ Well, don't mind him while he preens a little at that. Despite attempting not to make it too obvious, he certainly smiles to himself as he stands from his chair to follow Wriothesley— after all, it's high praise coming from a man who likes his tea as much as the Warden does.

He's not really sure what he's expecting when the other triggers that latch, but it's not a set of stairs going downwards. Aren't they already at the bottom of the ocean? How can they possibly go further down?

(Of course he knows "how", but admittedly the idea is a little...)

well. Yes. Spooky. Even so, he levels Wriothesley with a Look. ]

I'm a grown man, Your Grace, I'm not about to be spooked by a set of stairs. [ He knows that's not what Wriothesley means, and also it's kind of a lie because he is spooked, but he refuses to admit as much under the circumstances. Especially when the other was teasing him just a few minutes ago pretending forest fires destroyed an entire source of tea. ]

( Air closes in on them as they spiral downward. Every detail of this area is dressed with intricate symbols along the metal wall beside them. It must have taken years to complete the original establishment digging deep into bedrock for what would become the seabed. )

Perfect. We’re far from Sigewinne’s office after all.

( Only he can make that sound like a threat.

The next room they land in is large and rectangular, but empty. There’s a small desk that doesn’t look like it has value, it’s for his staff to clock in and out.

Because ahead is a large window overseeing a chasm, where a ship as large as a city rests for maintenance.
There’s no people working currently, but lights are on. )

This was my latest project. Want to check it out?

[ Unfortunately for Wriothesley, it's around this time he loses Kaveh, threats and all. The blonde's eyes are on the symbols in the walls, wondering at their meaning, trying to take in every last possible detail as they spiral down. His lack of focus in the moment is bad enough in fact that when they reach the large, empty room at the end of the trip, Kaveh blinks, only then realizing that the other was talking at all.

His eyes lift from the walls, start to move across to the Duke— but freeze halfway on the beauty of the ship sitting on the other side of the window.

It's almost childlike, the way he rushes to the window and presses his hands to the pane of glass, eyes wide and full of wonder as he peers out into the chasm. And Wriothesley is saying something, talking about his project, and it's all Kaveh can do to gape, unable to force himself to take his eyes off the thing. ]

You built this?

( He thinks Kaveh is simply too spooked to say anything but when they reach the point of the ship, he realizes it wasn’t the case.

He’s a complex one, that Kaveh. The brisk flip of emotions are still a phenomenon he has yet to get used to.

His footsteps near beside Kaveh until they’re next to each other, gazing over at the expanse of space and engineering resting ahead of the glass. )

It was my idea but I didn’t build it, exactly. I hired others to help me with it.
You wouldn’t see much of me at all if it were all up to me.

Are you familiar with the prophecy?

[ Despite his amazement and the temptation to just stare at the ship in front of him, he manages to keep enough attention on Wriothesley to hear him speaking. The comment the other makes— "you wouldn't see much of me at all" is a curious one, and he almost wants to press him on it... but that's something to file away and revisit later, he thinks.

Instead, he addresses the question asked of him, looking up at the Warden with a quiet, serious nod. ]

Of course I am. Even if it wasn't well-known in practically every corner of Teyvat, my mother lives in Fontaine, remember? We argued back and forth about it for years.

( The logic is simple: As talented as Wriothesley is leading the Fortress for what it is, he can’t be everywhere at the same time. Normally, his staff and laborers report to him with concerning matters while he sticks to performing day to day tasks. A lot of the time this means plenty of free time. He does visit the ship often, though.

He wonders about Kaveh’s family life. Each time his mother comes in conversation he gets a sense that there’s more. Like an iceberg rifting across the water, drowning his truth in the underside.

Wriothesley’s attentiveness is heavy on him as he keeps drawing theories about him in his head. He’ll have to ask him eventually, if Kaveh allows. )

I remember, did she tell you what happened last year? When the prophecy came to pass judgment on all of us and the city flooded, I used this ship as an emergency vessel for people to board. It would have been able to sail for months, but luckily it didn’t come down to that.

Hopefully her residence didn’t sustain too bad water damage. It took months for most places to recover.

[ He has no idea how closely Wriothesley is watching him. Realistically, even if he did notice, he'd have no idea how to handle it. There's a certain amount of wall he's had to put up between them in order to protect himself from what he knows he wants, after all— and perhaps it helps too that he's being given questions to answer, and about his mother too, which only ever serves to distract him.

Also, there's the part about the Duke being an entire goddamned hero—

He nods, the expression thoughtful and slow... and perhaps there's a certain amount of schooling of his features to something more neutral. ]

She told me what happened. She never mentioned this ship, though. Even from here, it's magnificent. [ And in response to the question that follows, he makes a face. ] She's an architect. She restructured her interior to protect against flooding, just in case. So nothing was affected too horribly. She lost some books, I guess, and some blueprints she was working on. I'm sure other people had it far worse. She just...

[ He sighs. ]

She's just grateful that whatever was happening with the primordial seawater didn't happen with my step-father and their kid.

Ah, that would be due to the fact it wasn't in the publication on the Steambird. Best to keep it that way.
( He crosses his arms proudly and sounds cryptic for no real reason other than to protect his privacy. Soon enough, the ship will be rumors among myths, and legends to come.
From reservations to sly humor, a set of keys dangle from a hooked finger as he walks over to a side door leading out into the chasm before them. He doesn't have to say it, does he? Kaveh knows to follow. )

So architects run in the genes, then. No wonder you're so dedicated. If she hadn't reconstructed she definitely would have been caught up in a bigger mess. Now that I think about it, she should submit the idea of those blueprints to Palais Mermonia. Who knows when the next big flood will come?

What's most important is that everyone, your mother and family included, are safe now. They shouldn't have to worry about primordial seawater ever again, according to Neuvillette.

( The general public probably doesn't know this, though. He doesn't mind handing Kaveh free information like this, in a place where their voices could echo in the vastness of the construction area and deck. )

Do you get along with your stepfather? Ah, you don't have to answer if you don't want to. I'll show you the inside of the ship.

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