( open ) summer/fall catchall.

[scriviner]

✿ who ✿ Alhaitham and you!
✿ what ✿ intro with open prompts!
✿ when ✿ latter half-ish of summer
✿ where ✿ around
✿ warnings ✿ n/a!

a. scavenger hunt

[ Games like this don't really interest him, when they're nothing more than contrivances to get people to learn things about others that they didn't really care to know in the first place. However, if it's to get seeds, he'll go along with it.

More seeds means he can give them to Kaveh and keep him out of the house more, which means more peace and quiet indoors for him. This is a flawless plan. If Kaveh doesn’t want the seeds, Alhaitham will simply have to point out to him how the seeds will go to waste if he doesn’t plan them, and that should hopefully to the trick.

To that end, he hands passersby in town a clipboard with a list of scavenger hunt questions on it. ]

Fill this out, if you will.

[ It’s not too far off from collecting surveys for research. Not his favorite academic pursuit, but it makes the task more palatable. ]

a. in the library

[ After becoming aware of a library in town, it’s where Alhaitham begins to spend most of his time. Relatively quiet and away from the hustle and bustle with plenty of new literature to get his hands on. A lot of it is pointless fluff, sure, but even that can grant him insights on this island and its goddess.

Anyway, if you happen to be there, too, he eventually starts piling books on the desk you’re reading at. He offers a quick explanation: ]

Ran out of room on my own.

[ Indeed, the desk he’s been sitting at is piled with books, and instead of putting any of them away, he’s just going to use someone else’s space, too, natch. ]

c. happy hour

[ Another Alhaitham book reading prompt…but this time he’s at the bar! It’s Happy Hour, but he doesn’t seem keen on socializing, even if the drinks here are decent.

Should someone sit down next to him at the bar, he’ll lift his gaze from his book just enough to give them an appraising look, as if deciding whether or not to say something and strike up a conversation…but no. He just goes right back to reading. Don’t take it too personally - the god of wisdom herself could sit down next to him and he would be hard-pressed to start a conversation.

Then he fiddles with his headset - turning up his music, perhaps? ]

d. wildcard

[ Bingo card is here and he is available for any gen prompts. He will put up with a little socialization to fix his roof, thanks. Feel free to reach out to me if you want to plot something specific! ]

Comments

[pactmarshal]

[ Straight to business.

It's like slipping into old routine, or a worn, comfortable jacket. Trahearne gets up from his chair, placing his own book down, and begins to scan what Alhaitham has collected in his stacks. And as he speaks, he begins to pull some out and arrange them into a new stack. ]

Besides the obvious--I trust you've looked into those already--I've found these particular texts to give a rich insight into the island's cultural values.

It may sound trite, but I also suggest you look into the children's books as well. If you've not already, of course.

[scriviner]

[ He's not one to waste time. While he's not a particularly social or gracious creature, he can appreciate his companion's responsiveness.

Alhaitham peers closer at the books, running a finger delicately along their spines. ]

The children's books too, huh? Alright. There's value in the stories that get passed down when people are young, too.

Anything that explains why this place is so obsessed with love and marriage?

[pactmarshal]

[ Trahearne nods; that, and the basics of a culture's values are that much evident when distilled for children.

The question gives him pause. He briefly scans all the books Alhaitham has collected before turning his attention back to him. ]

Unfortunately, no. And at this point in time, I'm starting to suspect it's the goddess's...personal interest that makes it seem that way.

[ She really likes to meddle with them... ]

Have you had the pleasure of meeting her yet?

[ Whether that's a sarcastic "pleasure" or not is. hard to tell. ]

[scriviner]

[ Unfortunate indeed. Not that any explanation he could find in a book would make him fully on board with what the goddess wants of them, but at least it might help him understand where she’s coming from.

Instead, she’s just weird. Noted. ]

Not yet. I’m no fan of deities, and I’m already disinclined to like this one, but I’d like to speak with her before long.

[ Not to plead his case or argue with her. More to just be a pest. ]

[pactmarshal]

[ She has a lot of those, unlikely Alhaitham will be among the worst.

Trahearne's personal feelings aside, he understands the distrust and dislike. ]

I'm pleased to tell you she is extremely accessible, in that case. She will appear to anyone with an offering.

[ He moves a hand back towards his own book, decidedly less interesting than all of the culture texts on the desk. ]

I hope you find the answers you seek.

[scriviner]

It’s less about finding answers, and more about finding information.

[ Of course, if that information leads to natural conclusions, then that’s all well and good, but answers means the end to a pursuit, and where’s the fun in that?

No, if anything, it makes it more exciting, the harder answers are to uncover. ]

What kind of offerings does she like, by the way?

[ He’ll play the game by her rules to speak with her. ]