Academia || A Kavetham fanfic

New Beginnings (Al Haitham)

Nobody was surprised when the research lab door was swung open at full force. They had long since moved all the test equipment from the back cupboard. Nobody dared to grumble either, shuffling back to work as sharp footsteps made their way through. It wasn't even his lab, but Al Haitham was one of the more senior 'researchers' in his department. Of course he was still just in his first year but his quick mastery over a summer course secured him a bold scholarship. The artifact team works year round and students that decide to participate in Semiotics quickly grasp that breaks will be few and far between. What also comes with the department is secrecy, each member bound to their obligations like life sentences. If anything here came to be truly valuable, it would change a lot. Al Haitham himself had no interest in uncovering patterns, even if he was astounding when given the opportunity, he'd secured a position early on as a senior secretary. With that came immense responsibility and of course, spending your first week on campus getting information on each and every project. The upside was that he'd moved in aeons ago and found a stable source to keep himself there. The downside was keeping his work balanced with his Philosophy and Semiotics double major. He looked over everyone in the lab, sighing to himself quietly. Most of these projects led nowhere and the others were bound to be minor discoveries. Nonetheless, he smiled politely when a fellow researcher tapped on his shoulder.

"Why don't you head on back? I'll cover it from here deary" It was a woman half his height with a short blonde cut who was smiling at him softly. He didn't dare refuse, nodding and making his way out and to his dorm. On the way to the building he ran into tighnari, the second year who was taking a similar course to his over the summer.
"Hey Al" He smiled brightly and Al Haitham tried his best to respond with equal joy, with what he was sure translated to an awkward cringe. "Anyway- do you wanna check out my dorm? I've fixed up the furniture..a little"
"Nari I'm sorry but I have to refuse for my eye health. How about my place instead? I have noodles?" He'd seen a glimpse of Tighnari's apartment. He felt sorry for whoever was dorming with him this year. The last roommate left after about a month, without any motivation to actually change it up, which Al Haitham thinks to himself, really isn't Tighnari's fault. Truly, he was quite lucky to have acquainted with someone of his rank and expertise so early on in his year. He was even more lucky that he was a rare kind, down to earth and modest. It was a miracle amongst people with their heads up their own ass.

"Ok sure- your place it is. Though i refuse to go in until you've cleaned it properly. If i step on any important papers it's on you." Tighnari returned pointedly. Then again Al Haitham had no defence, he simply grimaced and nodded. "I mean it. I'll stay at the door until i smell air freshener"
"Yep" His grimace grew. Air freshener wasn't the best. Even if it made places clean the person spraying it always got it up their nose and honestly? It was such a hassle to use at all. That and it wasn't the greatest for the environment. Tighnari had tried to give him better alternatives but seeing his current standards and inability to pick out good ones, they compromised.
"Ok give me a second i need to get something" Tighnari said when they stopped on the third floor, a far cry from Al Haithams apartment on the 14th floor. They stepped out and Tighnari unlocked his door. He tried his best to look away in time to not be blinded but he turned around when Tighnari gasped.
"What happened?"
"My roommate's here" he whispered back in horror. "I didn't get to decorate his part of the apartment"
"Yes and I'm sure he's very grateful that he was spared. What are you getting anyway?"
"The wii controllers" he grinned back. "Wait here"
And wait Al Haitham did. For a solid ten minutes as Tighnari pulled the box and then got stuck rearranging the other ones correctly. It was definitely awkward being there with some random sleeping guy but he gave out a sigh of relief to see that at the very least, he was fully clothed, which he assumed was the normal college standard of courtesy.

When they got back in the elevator it got stuck on the eighth floor for a solid minute. To which he let out a groan. This particular elevator was strange that it stopped randomly. When they finally got to his apartment they immediately set up the wii sports. Before playing however the promised noodles were brought out. It was a personally enjoyable hobby of taste testing all the different types he could find literally anywhere. Today was Korean noodles, a type he remembers Tighnari likes.
"Ok here we go" for a couple minutes ranging to almost half an hour they translated the instructions on the package. He didn't notice that there were none in English. Even though he could translate patterns, modern languages were a little bit of a headache, just a little bit. Then there was the English words written with their original pronunciation but it Korean except it translated to a different word on his phone and Al Haitham almost cries a little. Once they're done however, he almost cries because of how genuinely good the noodles are.
"I don't even remember what the hell these are called but i love them so much"
Tighnari nodded, slurping away at his own noodles. It was positively heavenly. The best part wasn't there yet. They played Wii sports for a solid hour or two before settling on the couch, complaining about how their arms hurt.
"You didn't have to jump on that serve-"
"You're one to talk you almost whacked the tv in bowling-"

Their conversation was interrupted by the smell of smoke. They rushed to the origin. When they reached much to the thanks of Tighnari's surprisingly good sense of smell, they found themselves at a door with "DEHYA & --------" written on the front. Tighnari sighed in annoyance, kicking the door open and blasting the fire extinguisher at random. Al Haitham stepped in with a second extinguisher, finding a girl with wild hair groaning at the ceiling, clearly annoyed and upset. He could faintly hear the fire alarm go off as he tugged her out of the room. Not exactly an easy task.

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introducing characters like ice cream flavours when you ask the shop employees.