Midnight, I will only say this once, so listen carefully. [ kaveh leans in close. they are eye-to-eye, mouth-to-mouth, chin-to-chin. midnight's eyes are large like this. pink. there's something catching in the back of it, like a coloured foil. like a cat's, kaveh realises, the light in the night when you raise your lamp and an entire colony gazes back to you like earthbound stars.

kaveh holds midnight's hand with his. he keeps him there. ] If I weren't at some level pleased to be here, and pleased to be happy, with you, I would be anywhere else but here, letting you see the worst parts of me. It means little to me if you aren't there to argue with me about it. This is valuable to me because I want to see you there in that future. I will be very miserable otherwise. I may never sleep again.

[ sumeru is a land of knowledge. from a young age, the children of the land of knowledge are taught to give thanks to the archon of knowledge. therefore, the children of sumeru know how to give thanks, proper thanks, the kind that stems from the bottom of the soul. kaveh pulls midnight's hand between them. he kisses it, with the fervency of t the religious. this is a proper thank you. ]

Well, I suppose that isn't saying much. I haven't slept in five days, Midnight. I doubt today will be different.