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[crystallinememories]

Hello! This is Raha's phone. Sorry that I couldn't answer, but leave me a message or text me.

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[crystallinememories]

[Raha chuckles, his own smile brightening too.]

Well, like I said, it tends to run in the family so it was never really kept secret from me- but when I was pretty young, I apparently ran into a three headed dog. [The laugh this time is a bit more sheepish.] I don't really recall how it went, only that apparently it did the opposite of put me off and I started reading everything in the house that I could find related to the spirit realm and all that.

[thavnairian]

[This is... not what he expected but it gets him to laugh.]

Ah, of course. You were a child and that was a dog. There are fewer things more tempting than something new to pet.

[He rubs his nose.]

I didn't see my first tiger until I was ten years old, but I admit I still wanted to pet it. Thankfully I didn't try.

[crystallinememories]

I hadn't thought about it like that!

[That does make sense, even though he's fairly certain this dog was not friendly. He... likely wouldn't have cared.]

You mentioned tigers before too. Were they common where you grew up? I've only seen them in zoos and such.

[thavnairian]

[He nods.]

I grew up on the isle of Thavnair. It's fairly decent for an island, I think. Hot and wet, palm trees, white sandy beaches, gorgeous plants that can kill you... tigers, birds, monkeys, the occasional lizard the size of a small house, that sort of thing... Between the jungle in the east and the cliffs in the north, there's a bit of everything.

I've only been to the zoo here once. It was... kind of depressing to see them all caged up like that, but it's too dangerous to try to get close otherwise.

[crystallinememories]

That sounds beautiful... [He's pretty much only seen places like that in books, or on TV.] It's a shame there's nothing even close around here. Or that it's not that easy to take a trip...

[Ideally, back to Amal's world- he's sure being here is its own strain.]

It really is. But they certainly can't just roam around here...

[Though, he feels like they're starting to get looks from the clerk, since they're now just sitting and talking. Maybe he should actually buy some of these books.]

[thavnairian]

You never know. Maybe a portal will open up that goes right to my home. If that happens, I can show you everything.

[He's used to it by now, but he misses home terribly.

He catches the way the shopkeeper is looking at them.]

... Uh oh, I think we're starting to overstay our welcome. Are you ready to go, Raha?

Oh, ah, let me pay, since I know books down here tend to be expensive. [He moves to help pick up some of the books with ease... super strength makes him great for moving, as it turns out.]

[crystallinememories]

Yes, I'll just... [whoops, Amal beat him to it, though he's still got the book he was looking at in hand.] You really don't have to! If anything that's all the more reason for me to.

[Amal if you pay for his books he's going to... he's gonna... pay for your food later??]

[thavnairian]

[He laughs, soft and warm, clearly not put off by G'raha's protests.]

Perhaps, but you are a student. I've long since learned that everyone who goes to school here is as penniless as I was when I popped through that portal. Besides, my job pays well.

[He gives G'raha a sly wink.]

So it's my treat this time. ♥

[crystallinememories]

[Amal you're going to kill him. He can hear the heart, and he flusters, but he's not going to give up completely.]

Well, then, at the very least I should buy you food. I promise you I can afford that.

[but yeah grad stipends are shit lol. so fine, he'll let Amal pay for this, since he... senses he won't win.]

What do you do for work, anyway? [He asks as they're leaving, realizing he... hadn't asked before.]

[thavnairian]

If you like. But don't empty your wallet on my behalf!

[Amal can be surprisingly stubborn when it comes down to it. After he's paid for everything and slipped G'raha's new books into a couple of canvas bags, it's back to walking.]

Oh, me? I'm a dancer by profession. It translates surprisingly well here, though there are fewer weapons involved. I'll scare the guests, they said... [He rolls his eyes.] Thavnair was the birthplace of the discipline, and it's been passed down for generations as a way to protect that which we hold dear and purify the darkness from the hearts of the discontent. And also to entertain, of course. Naturally, I've developed some other skills adjacent to all of that—singing, playing instruments, telling stories, sleight of hand, how to tell if something is poisoned... whatever gets the job done.

[He'll carry the books if G'raha lets him, since they barely weigh anything to him.]

But here, all I have to do for coin is take a piece of clothing off every few minutes. Or sit and look interested while old men talk for hours. It's much easier than vanquishing dragons and the like.

[crystallinememories]

[He tries not to let him, but, well. Stubborn.

He laughs a little, though he's... not sure if Amal realizes he's a stripper?? He has a lot of adjacent questions to that, but also he's trying very, very hard not to picture it. (Which usually would not be a problem for him, but Amal is just too flirty and charming apparently.)]

I was going to say, I feel as though a number of those skills would be wasted here... [Though the 'telling if something is poisoned' one may actually be useful sometimes, unfortunately.] I would ask what kind of dance, but I, uh, know so little about the types here much less your world.

[thavnairian]

[He cannot and will not apologize for being who he is. Raha is cute and he would be remiss not to point it out at every opportunity.]

A few of them, yes. But I feel a little old-fashioned next to a lot of things here, I have to admit.

[He beams.]

I wouldn't mind giving you a demonstration sometime. With the weapons, obviously!

[crystallinememories]

I wouldn't consider any of that old-fashioned. If anything, most of them are timeless.

[Especially story telling, given his whole area of research. ...Maybe he should ask Amal about some of those stories sometimes.]

Obviously! I would love to see it. [Hopefully he won't combust, given how well it apparently translates to Amal's current job.]

[thavnairian]

Well... I can't deny that. Locks haven't changed all that much from world to world...

[AMAL???]

I'll have to put together something fun. How do you feel about fire?

[crystallinememories]

[a m a l. really though, raha isn't all that surprised. amal does seem very... rogueish.]

As part of your dancing? Assuming you know how not to catch yourself on fire, then... good?

[thavnairian]

[He's simply a rogue who didn't graduate to ninja.]

I haven't set myself on fire since I started learning. Though a little practice wouldn't be unwelcome, seeing as I haven't done it in a while. [He winks.]

What kind of food do you like? There's all sorts down here. Some of it's familiar even to me, and some of it is... ah... I had some squid noodles once that were still alive when I bit into them, and they were spicy too.

[He's still not sure how he feels about it.]

[crystallinememories]

[rogues have more fun tbh]

Now you're trying to make me worry on purpose.

I'll eat most anything, honestly. [just wait until archon loaf makes an appearance] What are you familiar with?

[thavnairian]

[It's true! And he'd argue as much.]

Hahah, caught red-handed. It's nice to know someone cares.

[He just can't turn it off, sorry.]

I'm trying to remember the name of the cuisine. Um... Indian food, that's what's most familiar to me. They even have the right kind of curry in the stores here. There are some things I've never heard of before, too, but they're good. And... what is it... vegetables and meat over rice, or made into little dumplings... Japanese, that's it! I had this special kind of pancake I've never eaten before, and it blew my mind!

[... He loves food. If that's not obvious. In fact he's literally shown up to college campus events for the free food even though he's not a student.]

[crystallinememories]

Oh, it's been ages since I've had good curry...

[So that's very tempting, but he also has an idea, and so once they're around the food he'll gently tug Amal along until he finds what he's looking for.]

Have you tried this before? ['middle eastern' is a vague category for the amount of countries it covers, but the ingredients are often the same even if the dishes are different.]

[thavnairian]

That's what I thought until that place opened up next to the university.

[He lets his friend lead for a bit, simply taking in the sights and quietly mulling over the options-- until there's something Raha likes and points out. The tugging is... not unwelcome. Congratulations on being the one person in Kaisou who can do that to him. Bestie privilege!

He leans in to read the menu posted outside.]

Oh? Let me see—mujaddara? Let's eat here, please! These people know a good dish when they see one!

[Bitches love lentils. He's bitches.]

[crystallinememories]

[heck yes lentils. Raha smiles and nods, and as promised he is going to insist on paying for this. And also buy them both some baklava, because obviously.]