indigently | 𝒪𝓅𝑒𝓃 𝓅𝑜𝓈𝓉 🏛️

[ i'm not - kaveh starts, and tighnari levels him with a hard, but sympathetic look.

this isn't an easy discussion, for either of them. kaveh as the confronted, and tighnari as the confronter - he needs to stick to his guns, and force something incredibly uncomfortable out into the open, not an easy task, even for someone as bold and forward as tighnari. but it must be done. for kaveh's sake, for the sake of their friendship, for all of kaveh's friendships, this wound must be scrubbed and debrided to properly heal.

it will be painful. ]

.. there's a family I work with, often, they always come to me when one of them is ailing. Both parents passed away some three years ago, of Eleazar, and the eldest child did not take it well. He began to drink, just a little, at first, but then more, and more. It crept up over time. Last week, he nearly died on my table of alcohol poisoning.

[ a beat, and tighnari's lips press together. ]

Between myself and his siblings, he finally accepted help. I can only help you if you allow me to.

[ He falls silent as Tighnari speaks, an uncomfortable heaviness sinking into his gut, a realization that the other truly does see beneath the surface to that one thing Kaveh desperately wants for him not to see, that shame he protects almost as closely as he does the guilt over the loss of his father.

What the Forest Watcher describes though is a situation far worse than his own, a realization that chases his anxiety and shame with relief, because it's not lying to hold Tighnari's hand a little more tightly in his own, to shake his head with genuine conviction. ]

It's not... I promise I'm not as bad as all that, [ he says, and he means it— even if the detail about the parents does little but remind him of the painted-over cracks in his own heart. ] I know I drink more than I should sometimes... and more often than I like to admit, but it's just... [ He pauses, and sighs. ] Sometimes it's too much. Work. Life.

[ Guilt.

But he can't tell Tighnari about that, can he? The only person who knows the whole truth of it is Alhaitham, and that's only because he doesn't care what that person thinks of him anymore. ]

This time of year is hard. It's not always like this.

[ tighnari sighs, slow and soft. he knew this would be difficult, and it is; kaveh is resisting. maybe he isn't ready yet, but still, tighnari needs to try. ]

No, it isn't as bad as all that. Not yet. It's a very slippery slope.

[ and you're already on your way down.

tighnari's hand tightens, grasping kaveh's fingers, grounding them both, while his fluffy tail flicks, curling gently around kaveh's back. it's warm, and soft, and he hopes that it is a comfort as well. there's a moment of tense silence before tighnari pulls that hand into his lap, so he can hold to it with both of his own. it's not always like this, no, but it's been getting steadily worse, slowly but surely, time of year or no time of year. ]

Will you tell me why?

[ A slippery slope, Tighnari says, and the implication isn't lost on him: the fact that they're even here now, talking about this, is enough to tell him that his lupine friend feels that he's already making his way down said slope, even without the gentle insistence that he's not "yet" that bad.

And of course Kaveh is going to resist, because in his mind, he has it under control; he really, truly does. It's bad now, it's been bad other time before, but it's not always— he can stop if he wants to, he's not gonna get that bad...

(Besides, killing himself with drink would be the coward's way out for someone who deserves to live through the pain.)

That last one is a thought he shakes off as he moves to lean a little into the curl of that tail, eyes closing and face turning into the softness of it, accepting it as a source of comfort even as Tighnari pulls Kaveh's hand into his lap to cradle it in both of his own, even as he asks that one question that Kaveh can never fully, truly answer.

Forgive me. ]

It's coming up on the anniversary of my father's death.

[ He's not sure if he's ever talked to Tighnari about the fact that his father is gone. All he knows for sure is that the Forest Watcher doesn't know why he's gone— and Kaveh is intent on keeping it that way. ]

[ oh yes, tighnari is quite sure that kaveh is already clinging precariously to the edge of that slippery slope, he's seen far too many cases like this, far too many people in this shape, to think any differently. kaveh is like all the rest of them, asserting that he's just fine, that it isn't a problem, but tighnari knows full well that it is, and he has a feeling that kaveh knows the same, beneath his false smiles.

kaveh leans into the curl of his tail, and tighnari allows it, undoing one hand to smooth it through his blonde hair, curved claws scratching gently at his scalp, soothing. ]

I see. I'm sorry to hear that.

[ even though tighnari can't help but feel suspicious that there is more to it, that he is not telling the whole truth, but revealing only a sliver. kaveh is a softhearted man, but with the way he drinks, the way he hides.. there must be more to this. a violent passing, perhaps? a shocking death? too soon? tighnari cannot know, and he also cannot wrench it forcefully from kaveh's lips, but he can continue to gently coax. he is a medic, after all, it's in his nature to want to treat wounds, to never give up on a patient. ]

Will you tell me about him? What he was like?

[ Kaveh sighs, something almost contented in the way he tilts his head into the gentle scratches of claws at his scalp— it would actually be easy for him to fade out of his crowded thoughts and enjoy the tranquility and peace of the moment if not for the continued questions on Tighnari's lips. He knows the other man well enough to know what he's doing, recognizes the gentle peel of layers as the botanist attempts to work his way to the core of the problem.

Attempts, because even in this state— tickled by the barest touches of the alcohol over dinner and lulled into the peace of this moment by the softness of Tighnari's tail and the touch of his hands— there are some things Kaveh thinks he can never give up. And so he takes a deep breath to steady himself, wanting— needing— to avoid the potentiality of getting too emotional and losing control over his words. ]

My father... he was an academic. Rtawahist. He was always smiling, and he had the best laugh. [ With his eyes closed, he can still see it splitting the man's mouth in two, bright and warm. ] Maybe it's because mother is an architect too but he never judged me for wanting to make things. He says— used to say that if people could see the world the way I saw it, it would be a more beautiful place.

[ He pauses, taking a deep, shuddering breath. ]

But he died when I was young. Before I could enter the Akademiya. [ My fault. ] So he never got to see... you know, the Palace. Or anything.

[ kaveh's assessment is entirely correct. gently, little by little, he is attempting to peel back the protective layers that kaveh shrouds himself in to reach the festering core of his issues. not unlike debriding an infected wound, the dead cells must be stripped away in order for healing to occur. it's a painful, bloody process, yet a necessary one, lest the infection set in too deeply, and the patient becomes septic.

emotional wounds, tighnari thinks, are not so different from physical ones, in how they must heal. ]

He sounds as if he was a brilliant man. I would have loved to have met the person who helped bring you into the world.

[ tighnari's hand continues to move, smoothing through kaveh's soft hair, the tip of his tail twitching back and forth, back and forth. ]

And he's right, you know. About how you see the world. I think it doesn't matter that he isn't able to see your work, because he knew you had it in you to begin with. [ turning his head, tighnari nudges his nose against kaveh's temple, placing a gentle kiss there. ] Losing someone so close to you is incredibly painful.

[ Kaveh's eyes squeeze tighter shut at the soft press of lips, a salty wetness spilling over his lashes as he takes another shaky breath. Yes, it hurts, but it's a hurt that he deserves— something he's not sure he can ever make Tighnari understand. How can he not deserve it, after all the pain he caused his mother? After he ruined his family? ]

It was... unexpected. He died too young. [ His voice is hoarse. ] And it changed my mother. She was never really the same afterwards. Once I started at the Akademiya, she left too... she got a job in Fontaine and she's lived there since. She remarried a few years ago, a little while before we met— She's happy now, but it took a long time for her to get there.

[ All it took was leaving him behind.

(But how can he begrudge her that, when he took away the person she loved the most?)

Another sigh, and Kaveh wriggles the hand that's still tangled with Tighnari's, almost as if to bury it deeper, seeking comfort from the simple touch. ]

Anyway, like I said, it's coming up on that time of year, and... and I have a lot of work right now, and Alhaitham is Alhaitham, and there was all that stuff with the Akademiya and it's... it's just a bit much.

[ tighnari is silent. thinking. this is such a delicate issue, and kaveh is a friend, a close friend, a dear friend, and the last thing tighnari wants is to break the bond between them, or damage it in any way, because he mishandled this incredibly tender situation.

and so he rests his head against kaveh's and maintains the quiet, for a little while. ]

I know it is. It must be.

[ tighnari's hand in kaveh's tightens, holding fast. ]

I want to help you. I want you to let me help you. You don't need to suffer alone, and I won't allow you to. You're my friend, Kaveh.

[ and they've been through much together, haven't they? they've known one another for quite some time, developed a closeness all their own, independent of cyno and alhaitham, and the relationship the four of them have built together. ]

Were our positions reversed.. you would feel the same, wouldn't you?

I don't—

[ need help, are the words that are on his lips, but they die there unspoken, because what Tighnari says next is true— if the shoe were on the other foot, if it were the Forest Watcher losing himself in alcohol in an attempt to leave the world behind, if he had any reason at all to imagine the other man needed his help, there would be nothing in all of Teyvat that would stop him from finding some way to do exactly that. To fix everything, so that Tighnari didn't have to hurt anymore.

Because Tighnari is not someone who should ever have to feel that kind of pain.

As wrong as the other is about Kaveh, it's a feeling the architect can understand. And so he turns his head, presses it silently into the other's shoulder, tries to bite back the tears leeching into his voice, the clawed hand of agony tearing at his throat. ]

I... what do you want me to do?

[ tighnari releases a soft breath. ]

I want you to want me to help you, first.

[ it's important that kaveh knows that, that he wants to accept the help. the tears in his friend's voice tear at his heart like sharp claws, but tighnari continues on, because he must. ]

And then, we'll get you healthy. No more wine. It will be difficult, but I think.. I think you'll feel much, much better for it, in the end. Prolonged alcohol use has a devastating effect on the body.

[ kaveh will feel much more aware, much clearer, fresher, healthier once he's sober. ]

After that, the real work will begin.

[ No more wine.

Kaveh's not sure why that's such a horrific thought in his head. Maybe it's because, without wine— without alcohol— he'll have to face sober the thoughts that plague his mind day in and day out. The grief. The guilt. Every single difficulty— ]

But... [ And his voice is rough, raw, Kaveh choking back the lump in his throat in an effort to make a joke, to hide the realism of the panic rising in his chest at the idea of trying to deal with all of this. If Tighnari knows he's going to pieces over the thought of not being able to drink, it will only solidify in the other's mind that he has a problem—

And he doesn't, he's okay, he just needs the worst of this time to be over— ]

But if I don't have wine, how am I going to get through Cyno's jokes?

[ he more or less expected this - that kaveh would resist. he's doesn't voice it loudly, but tighnari can feel his tension, and sense it in his voice. an addict never wants to give up their substance of choice, and no doubt the very idea of it is enough to put kaveh on edge, to terrify him. but there is no other course of action. ]

Very funny. There are plenty of other mechanisms you can use to cope.

[ tighnari drops the hand that he is holding, but only so he can wrap both arms around kaveh's shoulders, holding him nearer, resting his chin atop that blonde head. ]

.. how about this -

[ he ventures, softly. ]

I'll come to the city to stay with you, for awhile. I can help you get through this, and keep you company when you're not feeling well.

[ and.. to monitor his progress, to make sure he does not need a medical intervention. alcohol is a dangerous substance to withdrawal from. and all the while, he can get kaveh the help he needs to learn to better cope with his pain, healthier ways to process his grief. ]

[ Maybe he should just say yes. Tell Tighnari okay and then learn to hide it better, be smarter about what he drinks and when he drinks it. Keep it to himself so that he can weather the worst of times when they come without needing to face them head on. That way, isn't everyone happy?

But he's not a liar— he just can't do it, and instead he turns, presses his face into the other man's shoulder as those arms wrap around him, and a soft sob cracks his voice, has him suddenly shedding all the tears he's been trying to hide, fingers reaching, gripping at his friend's shirt sleeve as the sounds tear his throat. ]

I don't know I can do it. It's— it's too hard, Tighnari, it's too much, and I don't know how to deal with it otherwise!

[ If only, if only grief were the only thing driving him to drink. It would be so much easier to give it up if he wasn't constantly on the run from himself. ]

[ as much as kaveh's reaction might break his heart, in some ways, it is exactly what he wants to hear. old, festering wounds must be lanced and drained of ichor and pus, the infection leeched away, there is no other way but to cut through the flesh. this brings pain. anguish. but it is the only way to heal. tighnari needs kaveh's honesty right now, not his false bravado. ]

I know.

[ he says, his voice as soft as a flower's petal, as he presses a line of peppered kisses to kaveh's hair. oh, the memories it brings.. it was only so many years ago, after all, that kaveh held him in this way while he wept with relief and joy and pain, his long hair in a pile at his feet. ]

I know it feels that way, but it isn't the truth. You're so strong, Kaveh, and your heart is so warm, and kind. You don't have to do this alone. I'll be with you.

[ one hand smooths down kaveh's back, up again, down again, a soothing rhythm. ]

There are many healthy ways to cope with pain. We'll find one that works for you.

[ It's all he can do not to break down in loud sobs; as it is, the sounds he makes are soft, sniffled into Tighnari's shirt as they shake his shoulders and the fingers with which he grips the other. He's not as strong as Tighnari thinks. He's a mess. He doesn't know what he's meant to do, how he's meant to—

A breath becomes a hiccup, and Kaveh tries to get himself back under control, trying in vain to breathe through the worst of it so that he might put himself at some sort of ease. ]

I don't want to do this, [ he says, and his voice is small, shaking with its last attempt to put the other man off helping him, to somehow allow him to run and hide with what limited alcohol he can afford. He's not going to kill himself on the stuff, isn't that enough?

Besides, he doesn't deserve to be happy anyway. ]

I know you don't.

[ he says, softly, and tighnari's hand smooths up and down his back in warm and gentle circles. would that he could share kaveh's pain, alleviate some of the load, but this is the best that he can manage, all he can offer. whatever kaveh is going through, drowning himself in alcohol is only going to make it worse - he needs to be clear-headed to face his problems, and move forward. alcoholism is a slippery slope, and even someone as brilliant as kaveh isn't immune to its clutches. ]

I know it sounds like one of the hardest things you've ever had to face, but you aren't alone. I'm going to help you, just like you've helped me.

[ closing his eyes, tighnari presses another kiss to the crown of kaveh's blonde head, allowing it to linger. ]

It's getting cold. Let's get back inside, hmm?

...Yeah, okay.

[ The tendrils of panic are ever-present, threatening to choke the life out of him, to throw him in a shallow pool and leave him to drown in it. In fact, perhaps the only thing that doesn't stop him from freaking out completely is the fact that he hasn't actually agreed to anything, hasn't actually told Tighnari he'll do it. He's sure the other would judge him just a little if he knew, would see it as more proof that this is something Kaveh needs, but that's okay. For as much as Kaveh loves him, the Forest Watcher just doesn't quite understand—

Something for which, of course, Kaveh is grateful. He wouldn't wish these feelings on anyone.

He pulls himself back, reaching up to smudge an embarrassing number of tears away from his eyes, his gaze not quite meeting the other man's. ]

[ tighnari helps, reaching to thumb the tears from kaveh's eyes, his heart breaking at the sight of his face. still, he can't help but feel that this is a step forward. a small step, perhaps, but.. a step nonetheless.

and so they stand, and tighnari loops his arm through one of kaveh's as they walk back to gandharva ville, back to tighnari's cozy little home, where a warm light waits to greet them. the moment they arrive, he's immediately putting the kettle on. ]

Would you like a bath before bed?

[ Kaveh, who is usually so forward and outgoing, is a step behind Tighnari as they walk back to his place, his arm looped through the Forest Ranger's but his steps a little more halting than they might usually be. Despite the knowledge that he has an out, something about the whole thing is terrifying to the point that he doesn't really know what to do with himself.

So a bath sounds nice.

A bath with wine in hand sounds nicer, but he's a smart enough man not to ask for a drink right now. ]

Y-Yeah. Yeah I think I would, please.

[ he does have an out, and tighnari is very aware of that, very aware of the fact that kaveh hasn't technically agreed to anything, but.. tighnari still has to try. still has to have hope. changing something so drastic as this is a big ask, even if it's absolutely for kaveh's own good, and tighnari knows he must be fighting a silent internal battle here, wrestling with himself over what is the right thing to do, or perhaps, how to escape it entirely.

one step at a time. first, they need to get through tonight. ]

Great. I'll start it up for you.

[ so while the kettle heats, tighnari steps into the adjacent room to begin running the water. his home is not very big, not nearly so beautiful as alhaitham's, but it's still cozy, and clean, and more than enough. a few moments later he emerges again, flicking water from his padded fingertips. ]

I'll bring you some tea when it's finished.

[ Tighnari might be thinking along the lines of taking a day at a time; for Kaveh, it's more about each moment. Each step on the way back to the other's place, each second ticking by alone as a bath is drawn for him, each instance of the pendulum swinging back and forth in his mind, traveling back and forth on an axis of indecision that leaves him feeling sicker with each oscillation.

To run, to pretend this conversation never happened—

Or the other option he can't allow himself to accept even in his own mind.

When his friend comes back from drawing the bath, Kaveh offers him a wan smile, a slight nod in response to his words. ]

Mm. Okay. ...Thanks.

[ He's not sure what else to say, so he pads quietly into the adjacent room, disrobing and slipping into the heated water. Against the gathering cold of the night, the warmth feels delightful against his skin, but it's a sensation a far second to the tangle of feelings in his stomach and chest.

Archons, he feels like he's going to be sick. ]

[ to be honest, tighnari half expects that kaveh will bolt while his back is turned, leaving in the middle of the night to escape back to sumeru city while tighnari is occupied, so he's surprised, but happy, to find him still here.

he looks absolutely, abjectly miserable.

tighnari's heart twists with sympathy, and he draws a hand along kaveh's arm as he passes, before seeing to the tea. the house is quiet as tighnari works, save for the hum from his aquarium, and the bubbling of water as it simmers. filling two mugs with some pleasant, relaxing herbal mixes, tighnari steeps the tea, before gathering them into his hands and carrying them into the washroom, pushing the door open with his hip.

there's a wooden lip around the tub, and tighnari sets both cups onto it, before reaching to gently, carefully smooth his fingers through kaveh's soft hair. ]

Let me wash your hair for you.

[ It's probably something of a miracle that Kaveh doesn't bolt, in the long run. Certainly, the desire to do so exists, strong and beating in sync with his heart, but the respect and love he holds for Tighnari holds him back, keeps him in the tub despite the growing panic in his gut.

And so he's still there when the other comes back in, eyes closed against the tears threatening to well in their depths; they open for a moment at the sound of the cup placed gently on the lip of the tub, close again at the feel of fingers in his hair, and he nods at the words, swallowing against the thickness in his throat. ]

Yeah... okay. That sounds... that would be nice. Thanks.

[ His fingers are trembling as they reach for the cup, taking it in both hands to bring it to his lips. ]

[ tighnari is no fool. he knows what kaveh is feeling, what he is thinking - they've been friends for so long now, been through so much together, and tighnari is emotionally intelligent enough to know what his friend must be experiencing. he's also dealt with addiction before, he's seen how it affects people, how it takes over their minds and clouds their judgment. it would have been strange if kaveh didn't want to bolt. right now, tighnari was a threat, trying to take away his source of comfort, however destructive it might have been.

he can only.. do his best to help. ]

Mmm.

[ lifting an empty cup from beside him, tighnari fills it with water and begins to wet kaveh's hair, from scalp to ends. he's quiet as he works, his padded fingers gentle, and before long, he's pouring out a palmful of shampoo. ]

I won't try to make smalltalk with you. I won't ignore what you're going through, right now. If you want to talk, I'm here. If not, we'll be quiet.

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