✷

al-haitham

the scribe, as penned by blasphemys.

❝

To achieve this impossible taks, it sounds like you'll need to fool your own heart first. Although it may feel like a trick, self-encouragement may be the most important tool we have.

best viewed on desktop.

❞

  001.   i’m 20, black, transmasc nonbinary bisexual, and has several unlisted disorders. i am okay with sending ID for confirmation, just go ahead and ask. i have ~8 years of roleplay experience, I can speak english, french, italian, and currently studying japanese! my time zone is eastern and my sleep schedule is a little all over the place.

  002.   i’m perfectly okay with pings and bumps! I need them as I have a bad memory and a tendency to forget! you’re free to ping me after every reply, i would be very grateful if you did. my dms are also always open for discussions or just chit chat! please note I'm not great at small talk but you're free to try LOL

  003.   while i try not to stray too far from canon character material, i do have my own headcanons, as this is an independent portrayal. some of these include headcanons about gender/sexuality, disabilities, etc. if you have a problem with roleplaying with a disabled / lgbt character or these bother you in any way, i don’t recommend roleplaying with me.

  004.   i’m okay with rarepairs, multishipping, polyshipping, etc. as long as our muses have chemistry, i most likely won’t be against it. please, however, don’t take it personally if i ever reject your shipping request, it may be because i want to do something else or i just don’t feel like it. it isn’t your fault!

  005.   i like discussing plots beforehand. we don’t have to go into super great detail but just enough so that i know what to expect more or less. there aren’t really plots i don’t like doing, but i don’t like very detailed self-harm, cannibalism, incest, or graphic sexual assault.

  006.   i typically write in semi literate to literate style. if that bothers you in any way, please don’t feel pressured to roleplay with me. additionally, i don’t expect people to match my length. as long as you give me something to work with, i’ll be okay. i won't reply if you only roleplay in illiterate style (ie. *stabs you* "nothing personal").

― traits

― likes

― dislikes

― history

ㅤbiographyㅤ while al-haitham doesn't particularly like to associate with other sumeru scholars, he did still have a similar drive to them -- a drive to learn more, to progress faster than his peers.

ever since he was a child, al-haitham plucked every book he could find off the shelves and learned whatever possible about anything in the world. he would listen eagerly to his grandmother’s stories, asking too many questions for her to keep up with. one of al-haitham’s earliest memories of his parents were them both ruffling his hair, and telling him he would grow to be a fine academic.

this would also end up being one of his only memories of them. raised by his grandmother, he held onto every bit of information shared by her. like his father, he loved reading books. like his mother, he enjoyed collecting things and organizing them perfectly. these became the core of who he was, and he hoped to honour them in his journey in life.

even after his grandmother's death, once al-haitham found himself living in a comfortable house in sumeru city, he would continue to honour his family and their wishes. he will continue to live comfortably, pursue knowledge, and keep his own mind clear.

― sample

𝕬l-haitham slid behind a shack, its planks rotting and roof caving in, collapsed from years of neglect. He didn’t have very long before the monster found him and he knew it, but the deep ache down the right side of his torso needed to be assessed. The commission he accepted was described as a one man job, claiming to be a class C monster. Considering the range was from D to S, the latter being the hardest, this should have been easy for him.

Whoever wrote the commission clearly miscalculated, and he was facing the consequences of that mistake. Should he have been slightly more novice, slightly sloppier, this mistake would have cost him his life. This monster was agile, strong, and while not able to verbalize or communicate directly in Teyvat common tongue like some were, it still seemed capable of complex thought. It would let out a foul, hacking noise that one could assume was laughter whenever Al-haitham’s attacks wouldn’t work, or worse, when the monster successfully deflected his sword kick, forcing him to leap back to retrieve it.

Being bested by this creature? How humiliating…

From where he was behind the shack, Al-haitham gritted his teeth and pressed a hand to his wound, a sharper pain forcing him to take an equally sharp inhale. The darkness of night provided no assistance when he pulled his hand away to inspect, but he didn’t need to see; he was bleeding. He felt the warm, tackiness on his fingers… disgusting. It wasn’t as bad as he could’ve been if he didn’t predict the monster’s movement, but still enough for him to be concerned if he left it untreated for too long. Not only that, but from the sound of the beast’s footsteps, it seemed to be getting closer. Could it possibly smell him?

Hm, definitely a higher classification than a class C, Al-haitham thought bitterly, frustrated at being provided inaccurate information. They took a steadying breath. In… and out…

“Alright, I have places to be,” he began, emerging from his temporary shelter and pointing his sword at the beast. As he spoke, he could visualize and imagine all the weak points he's studied, considering all the different ways to access them without being wounded in the process by the monster’s claws or strength."Get out of my way."

― one.

al-haitham’s number one love language is acts of service. his time is precious to him, and he doesn't typically do more than he has to in all aspects of his life. when he cares for someone, though, he will gladly do things for them. while he’s not always explicit in his reasoning, it may look like going to buy things for someone without them asking, cooking meals, doing chores, etcetera.

― two.

al-haitham has profound hearing loss. he was diagnosed with pendred syndrome when he was a child, and with the help of his grandmother, began learning tsl (teyvat sign language). al-haitham had surgery for a cochlear implant when he was young. he practiced speaking as much as he could and now does not have a deaf accent. as an adult when he's out doing his duties, he makes sure the receivers are charged and ready to use. if he's at home, however, he is more lenient and does not always keep them in.

― three.

al-haitham is actually a very emotionally intelligent person, he just prefers not to exert his energy on it. emotionally understanding someone can be exhausting to him, as someone who does not experience empathy the way others do. people are complicated, logic gets thrown out the window when personal feelings are involved... which is why he enjoys the company of people like kaveh. those who can communicate their feelings directly and honestly, those who do not hide their feelings behind lies and disingenuous comments are a breath of fresh air for al-haitham. if he makes an active effort to be emotionally supportive, you just might be someone special.

― four.

al-haitham is autistic. he struggles with understanding social cues, his own tone, as well as other things. he's studied human behaviours and psychology, both out of personal interest but also to try and understand better... sometimes this research bites him in the behind. his responses can occasionally come across as snobby, or he can come off as a "know it all" without meaning to.

― five.

al-haitham isn't a very good cook. there are a handful of dishes he can make confidently, but when trying new recipes on the fly, he typically doesn't do well. he also thinks there are better things he could do with his time than fumble in the kitchen, so he will often pick up something to eat on his way home. when unable to, he usually makes the same few dishes for himself. on the other hand, al-haitham's much better at baking. despite not having much of a sweet tooth, he will occasionally bake things for others.

― six

al-haitham doesn't like social events. honestly, good luck getting him to attend. maybe with bribery and the guarantee of him being to leave if things get too hectic, he might agree to attend a party or two with friends. a combination of being overwhelmed by all the sensory input, all the strangers he could be forced to mingle with, as well as it generally being a foreign environment he's not used to all contribute to his he's also not a big drinker, only drinking a glass or two to help relax after a stressful day.

android au

  OCCUPATION:   Senior Forensic Investigator.
  EDUCATION:   Sumeru Akademiya, Police Training.
  DISTRICT:   Sumeru.
  VIEWS ON ANDROIDS:   Indifferent.

merfolk au

  species:   merperson (based on the caribbean reef octopus)
  occupation:   scribe, human researcher
  ability:   human transformation, camouflage (in water only).

hsr au

an android man of long life species on the path of erudition, imaginary combat type, and a member of the intelligentsia guild, al-haitham travels the galaxy as an archaeologist in pursuit of knowledge -- funded by the icp

setsujin motel

  occupation:   linguistics professor
  status:   guest
  check in:   alone. *(can be changed if we have a kaveh).
  fears:   swarms of insects, death.
  continuation:   here

― merfolk au

tw death Al-haitham's pod only consisted of himself and his grandmother; his parents had died, al-haitham was hearing impaired, and despite being old and frail she felt a fierce need to protect him for as long as she could. It was through his grandmother that al-haitham learned of his parents. He learned that they were adventurers, working for "the Akademiya," each geniuses in their own paths. Al-haitham inherited this, becoming fascinated with human research. His grandmother warned him of the dangers of being one who goes to the surface -- both by humans and merfolk, but it was a responsibility Al-haitham was willing to take on.... not full time, of course. al-haitham did much research early on in his career, but prefers to live comfortably. now, he works as a scribe for the council, recording meetings and doing his own approved research on the side. going up to the surface requires a permit, as the consequences could be expulsion from the reef. instead, he mostly follows the rules and focuses on a comfortable life with his reefmate, kaveh.

― android au

tw death Al-haitham lived alone for a very big part of his life. Perhaps not directly alone, but without anyone there, emotionally. His parents were both some of the brightest of the bright at the Akademiya he attended, as well as having served in the police force and making a name for themselves. His only impression of them was from what his grandmother spoke of them, how their life was before they were killed out in the field. It left a hole in their family, never able to be filled again.

Al-haitham ended up growing up with his frail grandmother in an empty apartment -- mostly empty, save for the one male android that helped her around the house. It would try to warm up to Al-haitham throughout the years, but Al-haitham was never convinced.

He was already finishing up his studies at the Akademiya when his grandmother passed away at home, alone, and the old android had not been seen since.

He moved into a comfortable house with the money he inherited, continued his studies, and found himself working as a forensic police officer. It wasn't the stablest job in the world, as more and more androids began to permeate the field, but Al-haitham was fine. He enjoyed his work, and given the current... uncertainties in the world of androids, he wasn't too concerned over his job security.

― hsr au

tw death al-haitham first realized his memories are corrupted once he wakes up on a foreign planet. his programming fires up, trying desperately to initiate and prioritize his assigned tasks, but even those are indecipherable. his auditory processing components have been damaged in... whatever happened to land him here, but he can't focus on that right now. he can move, so he does.it takes days of walking, scanning, and initializing restoration sequence failures before he finds something useful on the mostly barren planet; past a sand dune is a ship, seemingly having been there for many cycles. it was an instinctive move, but al-haitham places his hand on the console and feels the entire ship hum to life. this meant escape, a chance to find answers. he can't let it pass.these answers would not come for a long time, al-haitham realizes. it's many cycles later, long enough for him to live a lifetime and be accepted into the biggest intelligence guild in the universe. he'd managed to find components that perfectly fit with his own, and finally was able to replace his parts and hopefully restore his memory.

― setsujin motel

  why are they at the motel:   al-haitham was invited to a conference for professors. it was being held fairly far from his home so he decided to drive down. due to a series of delays and a time constraint, al-haitham departed late in the evening. he was forced to pull over halfway through his drive due to fatigue, winding up at the setsujin motel.
  secrets:   CW: DEATH, ANEURISM - al-haitham is a fairly straightforward and honest person. he does not believe in needless verbal fluff, and will tell most people how he feels about something he disagrees with. as such, he is not someone who has hidden issues with most people. there are certain topics he is more hesitant to discuss, such as the truth about his grandmother's passing. the day of her passing, she complained about a headache and feeling ill, and younger al-haitham had been the one to urge her to lie down and rest, reassuring that it would pass. he left her medicine and soup, and promised he would be back after his class. when he returned hours later, he found her dead. he did not tell anyone that he dismissed her, and the guilt has eaten away at him ever since.
  extra:   headcanons can be viewed here but i may add some au-specific ones later.

kaveh

roommates.
open to ship

despite their arguing and disagreements on life, kaveh is a significant figure in haitham’s life — both as a roommate and a friend.

cyno

coworkers
open to ship

after begrudgingly agreeing to work with him, al-haitham has realized that cyno possesses great talents, and his company is sometimes even enjoyable.

tighnari

acquaintances
open to ship

tighnari is a name heard many times within the akademiya walls. he admires tighnari's wit, kindness, and ability to provide stimulating conversation.

nahida

archon
not open to ship

al-haitham deeply respects nahida - not because of her status as an archon, but because he truly believes in her values and wisdom.

dehya

acquaintances
maybe open to ship

she's recognized as someone who is more than capable, but they have their differences. he does secretly wish more people were like her

nilou

acquaintances
maybe open to ship

nilou is someone quite different to him, which makes her so interesting. he thinks her art is in itself a form of wisdom, and she knows how to use it.

collei

family-friend?
not open to ship

he thinks she is a hardworking girl. despite not being directly related, he feels some amount of pride in her achievements.

chararcter name

relationship type

lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.