Ingratiating himself? [ the scribe asks, voice tinged with disbelief. had kaveh really not noticed? ] Not only was he not talking to anyone else in the group, he had his hands all over you.
[ the sour glower is still on his face as the architect's fingers play across the angle of his jaw, though it's enough to make him look back at his partner rather than longingly at the party. longingly, to verbally eviscerate that asshole some more. but just like he'd been out there, kaveh has a strangely magnetic attraction that has the power to interrupt even alhaitham's train of thought, grounding him somewhat back in the present. ]
I'm not worried. [ he says flatly without even a second of hesitation - like nasser could even inconvenience him. ] Though, don't you think you're being too naïve around these people? If what happened with Azar revealed anything, it's that half the faculty out there would play as dirty as they could if it meant they could get themselves ahead.
[ and perhaps, in all other situations, kaveh could more than take care of himself - but alhaitham is aware of his achilles' heel, his weakness in that he desperately wants to believe the best in everyone. the world was simply not that idyllic, and the scribe is always watching the architect's back to make sure that no advantage was taken, that the corruption that was still being purged from the akademiya didn't snake its grasp around one of the few left who believed in the good of all this.
letting out a laboured sigh, he's about to continue his lecture when kaveh cuts him off in such a tone that makes alhaitham's eyes narrow - and when he seeks out the other's gaze, he finds him staring into the distance at nothing in particular. a familiar expression he'd probably seen more often than most, the echo of being haunted by ghosts he wouldn't share and burdens he fought tooth and nail to keep secret.
the vulnerable side of the 'light'. ]
Really? You couldn't make me come here if you tried. [ and he's mildly confused now, too, that kaveh would try to take responsibility for others being morally depraved. ] Regrettably, my responsibilities to my office and my darshan were inescapable after dodging the past three vapid social engagements.
[ but despite everything he believes, even alhaitham knows that sometimes knows that words can't do as much as you wish them to. it's mildly awkward, because he doesn't know why the blonde's upset, doesn't know why he's stringing himself up to be criticised when he's the victim in this circumstance, so in turn the scribe isn't really sure what to do to fix a problem he's ignorant of the root of.
so, he pulls kaveh gently towards him - if someone sees, he couldn't care less - and settles his hands on his slim waist, a neutral but stern expression on his face. ]
You're not much better? [ he scoffs, the irritation at nasser still lining his voice somewhat - now even more present that it had upset the person who deserved it the least - ] There's no comparison between you and anyone else in that room.
no subject
[ the sour glower is still on his face as the architect's fingers play across the angle of his jaw, though it's enough to make him look back at his partner rather than longingly at the party. longingly, to verbally eviscerate that asshole some more. but just like he'd been out there, kaveh has a strangely magnetic attraction that has the power to interrupt even alhaitham's train of thought, grounding him somewhat back in the present. ]
I'm not worried. [ he says flatly without even a second of hesitation - like nasser could even inconvenience him. ] Though, don't you think you're being too naïve around these people? If what happened with Azar revealed anything, it's that half the faculty out there would play as dirty as they could if it meant they could get themselves ahead.
[ and perhaps, in all other situations, kaveh could more than take care of himself - but alhaitham is aware of his achilles' heel, his weakness in that he desperately wants to believe the best in everyone. the world was simply not that idyllic, and the scribe is always watching the architect's back to make sure that no advantage was taken, that the corruption that was still being purged from the akademiya didn't snake its grasp around one of the few left who believed in the good of all this.
letting out a laboured sigh, he's about to continue his lecture when kaveh cuts him off in such a tone that makes alhaitham's eyes narrow - and when he seeks out the other's gaze, he finds him staring into the distance at nothing in particular. a familiar expression he'd probably seen more often than most, the echo of being haunted by ghosts he wouldn't share and burdens he fought tooth and nail to keep secret.
the vulnerable side of the 'light'. ]
Really? You couldn't make me come here if you tried. [ and he's mildly confused now, too, that kaveh would try to take responsibility for others being morally depraved. ] Regrettably, my responsibilities to my office and my darshan were inescapable after dodging the past three vapid social engagements.
[ but despite everything he believes, even alhaitham knows that sometimes knows that words can't do as much as you wish them to. it's mildly awkward, because he doesn't know why the blonde's upset, doesn't know why he's stringing himself up to be criticised when he's the victim in this circumstance, so in turn the scribe isn't really sure what to do to fix a problem he's ignorant of the root of.
so, he pulls kaveh gently towards him - if someone sees, he couldn't care less - and settles his hands on his slim waist, a neutral but stern expression on his face. ]
You're not much better? [ he scoffs, the irritation at nasser still lining his voice somewhat - now even more present that it had upset the person who deserved it the least - ] There's no comparison between you and anyone else in that room.