#fontaine.

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fontaine.

truthfully, if he had it his way - he wouldn't be venturing to the land of hydro. however, with circumstances as they were, he could scarcely afford to turn down such a lucrative contract. nor could his ego as an artist refuse the honor of being sought out by another country for such a critical project. it would be no easy task to add housing districts to a city with a finite amount of space, but his mind was already racing with possibilities.

the problem was, of course, going there meant that he couldn't avoid his mother any longer. and... well, while lesser lord kusanali was a being with such a gentle temperament and hand with her people, he'd heard that the hydro archon was a different animal entirely.

and with his luck - with how he was with difficult clients - the writing for how this would end seemed to be already on the wall.

nonetheless, here he was. the city was not particularly.. ah. nice to look at at distance, but once inside it was abundantly clear that care and love had been placed into every brick and stone that comprised it. kaveh tried not to dawdle, to get lost in conversations with new faces and new peoples and the beauty of an entirely different approach to aesthetic - but he was who he was. it's a nice excuse to quickly flee his mother's new family home, bolting down the streets after a hasty greeting and a promise to catch up later.

( actually maybe jail would be preferable, he'd rather be there than discuss the shame he'd brought to her former family name )

he's almost late to her meeting chambers. almost. he bursts through the doors with his arms full of blueprints, out of breath, but determined to make the most of his time here.

"greetings, your majesty!" he takes a few steps, and then stops, remembering to bow. as he does so, several scrolls slip free of his grip and tumble to the ground. he feels the sweat beading at his brows. what a great first impression.

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once, when when he was a boy, his father told him that water was memory. the very essence of humanity could be cupped in one's hands, yet few stopped to admire its power. the immensity of the role it construction of those hands, of the person, how it shaped societies. all simply by existing.

it had the truest sense of what the world was and what it would be, reflecting all like a mirror while absorbing the emotion of the moments it bore witness to. tears evaporated into the sky, transforming into rain, giving life once more. an endless cycle of giving, of life.

there was much to learn here. the people all seemed to be thriving, decadence upon decadence at every corner. it was beautiful, and kaveh could not help but admire the stunning structures crafted simply because one could. if water was life then those in this glorious town had more access to it than any other. it was striking to consider the difference between this azure land and the seemingly endless desert that stretched around sumeru. the sheer difference in quality of life - in way of life - was difficult to wrap his head around.

an artist could make a life here... archons knew his mother had. finding happiness and clients all too willing to allow her to create to her heart's content, not blocked at every turn by so-called intellectuals who turned their nose up at beauty.

and it would be tempting to settle down, to allow his roots to grow down and sink into the sea - but that wasn't his nature. this land was not for him, and quietly, he hoped to be out of it soon.

but first things were first. there was research to be done.

the aquabus system could not be adapted in its entirety to sumeru. the water simply didn't exist there, but if he could figure out something like it... it could be lifechanging for those in the desert, connecting more settlements to aaru village and to the libraries and schools he had already designed. it needed to be non-invasive - something that would not bother the people or disrupt their way of life.

so, here he was in this city. hoping to study its secrets - in exchange, his time while not elbow deep in the innerworkings of their transportation infrastructure would be committed to helping improve other areas. apparently the light of kshahrewar shone even here, netting him a few fairly lucrative contracts that would be funneled immediately back into his latest passion project... and more than a few pro-bono ones that would involve some hands on construction.

still, though... there was a lot not to like about this city. he'd been issued an invitation to a trial at the opera house and hadn't really managed to make it through the whole thing, quietly excusing himself as the crowd started to titter at the misfortune of the accused.

better not to say that to the man before him, who oh so graciously carved out some time to go over some permits that would be needed in order for construction to begin... and another set to make sure the designs were even feasible, or allowable under some of the more esoteric laws.

"thank you for agreeing to meet with me, your excellency," kaveh dips into a respectful bow. "i cannot imagine it's often you have time for yourself... i am grateful beyond measure to have your expert assistance in these legal matters, and honored to have been given the opportunity to work on these amazing historical landmarks, so i fully understand the need to make sure it's all above board... urban construction permits and bylaws is just unfortunately not an area i have much familiarity with."

'how do the people of this land even remember all these silly laws? and honestly, just look at this legal system. i've never been gladder that debtors don't go to jail else i'd have a lifetime sentence... but what the hell kind of justice is this? everybody watches and cheers, enjoying the suffering of their countrymen? ugh...