shellphones | Text; un: spectacleofphantasmagoria

Entry tags:

Text; un: spectacleofphantasmagoria

Type: Text
Sender ID: spectacleofphantasmagoria (Lyney)
To: Public
Subject: Sisterrrrr
Warnings: Lyney's dramatic ass

[So, what comes up on the network isn't actually any words, but a picture. A big, obnoxious picture, with some text superimposed upon it. The picture is then followed by several others, all depicting a similar theme, and similar motif:]

[Following the pictures is a morose-reading text from a certain magician.]

To think, after two whole years apart, my own sister refuses to acknowledge me! I simply wished to spend time with my dear sister! Oh, the humanity..! My dear sister, if you can see this, please reconsider your cruel and coldhearted decision! Your brother misses you so!

[Sure he may have been a little overbearing with her, checking in on her a bit more than was necessary, but he had missed her! Being blocked on the Shellphones was hardly fair, in Lyney's humble opinion! He clearly didn't do a single thing wrong!]

[...Okay no he may have been quite annoying and irritating to his introverted sister and pushed her to block him because of his overbearing-ness, but like hell is he admitting that.]

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I think it got a little lost in him almost drowning.

And it's not like I told him what happened between the two of us on Norhpip either.

[You know, the part where you left him to die, Lyney?]

[Ah yes, he remembers that.]

Yes, I remember that. And I am still grateful to you that you forgave me for that.

But even if Alhaitham struck to kill, I don't hold it against him. It's in the past, and neither of us were at our best. I'm willing to move on and be friendly with him. I just don't know how to get him to do the same.

the more you actively try the more he's likely to see it as fake. That's probably how he's felt the entire time.

But if you thought he was a rational and logical man, I'm afraid you have been tricked. He is stubborn and deeply petty--I don't think the specific incidents bother him much anymore specifically, so much that he's cranky for the sake of being cranky.

[Oh, that's... that's actually kind of funny.]

Is that so? So he's less a stoic researcher and more a stubborn elder? It feels even scandalous to say so out loud!

But I don't know why he views my attempts as fake. That's how things are in Fontaine; to make friends, you be friendly with someone.

The last time he made friends by himself they overthrew the government together.

I'm sorry, they what?

Did I not tell you before? We might have been drunk.....We were definitely drunk.

He overthrew the Sages working alongside Dottore and freed our Archon from her imprisonment. Got made Grand Sage for a few months for the trouble, and kept the salary even when he went back to being the Scribe.

Well then...

We must have been drunk, because that is not what I remember of that conversation. He gave me no indication that he became one of these Sages you mentioned before, even if temporarily!

And he just chose to simply go back to being a regular scribe after having such a lofty position??

Not a sage, the Acting Grand Sage, above all others. Given four of the six sages and the previous Grand Sage were banished into Avidya Forest for their treason, I guess there was a dearth of capable Akademiya employees left.

Alhaitham didn't enjoy it, and he doesn't brag about things he doesn't enjoy. Nahida let him keep his salary from his time as the Grand Sage even when he retired back to his post, though.

Have you been assuming that man has any ambitions in life beyond the pursuit of knowledge, Lyney? You've been labouring under false pretenses. He's not even in his office most of the time.

Goodness...

Do you mean to say I've had him read all wrong, this whole time?

If it makes you feel any better, most people do. To the point they've tried to kill him about it, more than once.

He's far from a rational and logical man, nor an arrogant one who believes himself above others. He's curious, short-tempered and impatient, all clear side effects of his genius--you'll not meet anyone else in Teyvat with a mind like his, but because he refuses to bend himself to the expectations of others, nor slow down to let people catch up with him, very few people will ever understand that all he wants is to live peacefully.

Egoism doesn't necessarily go hand-in-hand with ambition anymore than altruism goes in hand with meekness. Or would you describe me as a meek person, Lyney?

Are people truly so violent in Sumeru? I was under the impression a nation of scholars wouldn't be prone to such petty grudges or violent tendencies.

I'll admit, his mind is quite the sharp one. Even I've noticed as such; truly, if we were on friendlier terms, I'd consider him a valuable ally to have and a good resource for parsing information. But forgive me for my ignorance, but if he wishes to live peacefully, wouldn't a friendlier approach be better than a stubborn one?

Of course, I would never describe you as a meek person! It's just... you really know him well, to be able to see so many facets of him that others are quick to miss.

You've never spent a lot of time around researchers, have you? The attempts at murder are unusual, but barfights breaking out over academic disagreements is pretty common. And in fairness, one of those attempts Cyno believed he was colluding with the Sages at the time, apparently.

I don't disagree with you, but to Alhaitham, exerting the effort to make others more comfortable isn't worth it. He's uncompromising on his personal boundaries, and there's little he dislikes more than his time being infringed on.

Of course I know him well. For a long time, I don't think there was anyone else he allowed to know him. There was a time I wondered if he didn't allow others close because of how much he's lost...but I think he's simply uninterested in correcting people's misunderstandings of him, and allows that to act as a filter. The people who get past it are often quite strange. He has a massive soft spot for Paimon, for example.

The occasion has never come up! I spent much of my time entertaining nobles in the Court of Fontaine, and never spent much time at the Fontaine Research Institution. But the way you describe it almost sounds like researchers and nobility aren't too dissimilar.

Oh he's certainly made that clear! I suppose in a way it's admirable, being so dedicated to his own personal beliefs and boundaries. Unfortunately for him, that's precisely what makes him so interesting. It's like a puzzle box with several layers, you can't help but want to poke and prod it to see what's further inside!

Does he now? You know, now that you mention it, he has always treated Freminet kindly as well. Perhaps he simply has a soft spot for younger minds?

Now, I don't think the Akademiya is anything much like the Research Institute...but I can't deny academic achievement is used to gauge social standing in Sumeru, so that particular comparison might not be as far off as I'd like.

Is it? He's very clear up front about what his boundaries and preferences are. And then never states them again because he believes it should have been enough the first time. The man's not a puzzle, he's a cat.

He's also very gentle to Collei, and I think I heard something about a child in Aaru Village he's been keeping tabs on...and Nahida has the form of a child and he's definitely got a soft spot for her or he wouldn't have agreed to be Acting Grand Sage no matter who asked him.

I admit that I find the whole concept fascinating. Perhaps our two nations aren't entirely dissimilar, in a way.

A cat, you say? So I should be treating him not like a puzzle to solve, but an ornery cat to get on their good side?

Then I think our hypothesis is correct! You know, I actually have a pair of young locals here who I've recently taken under my wing. Perhaps I should bring them by the cafe so Alhaitham could meet them.

I'm not sure about that...I've never met a cat that didn't immediately come up to me demanding attention. Though in that regard Alhaitham isn't much different there, either.

[Kaveh, the disney princess that you are...]

...Maybe send them with Lynette the first time. He'll get upset if he thinks you're trying to use them to get into his good graces.

Oh, I've met plenty of angry alleycats in my time! Lynette is usually more of the cat soother between the two of us, but I've picked up a few tricks of hers.

Hmm, I suppose you're right. Though I guess... would you have any other advice on how to be more amicable with him? Or am I simply doomed to be frowned at for all of eternity?

I'm not sure. He's very stubborn, and it's hard to get him to change his mind.

But the best advice I can give you is that he's very perceptive and dislikes anything but the unvarnished self.

[In other words: don't put on a mask around him.

Yeah you might be hosed, Lyney.]

Well he certainly drives a hard bargain.

Wouldn't such blatant openness invite further problems?

[And therein lies Lyney's problem; he can't function without his masks because he expects the other person to use that unvarnished self against him. Somehow the hose is less terrifying.]

I won't say it couldn't.

But I can tell you he values honesty and truth very highly.

[If he could type out a big sigh, he would.]

Well, so long as such discussions aren't used against me or my family, I suppose I can attempt a more candid approach with him.

[Sorry dude you gotta deal with the Hissiest Cat on his terms, not yours.]

Oh, no, he'll simply judge you by your own actions, and them by theirs.

[shit.

sorry, lyney, rest in peace.]

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