[ midnight is trembling. kaveh feels it along the contours of midnight's cheeks, in the shudder of his body, in the long line of his spine as it trails down in sinuous form. midnight is torn in two different directions of want and need. his hand pulls in kaveh's hair. kaveh's eyes shut, briefly. day five burns through his eyelids. the net of his lashes cast themselves into the red of a bloodlet sea, and stays there, dredging for what had been left behind.

the razor, the razor, the razor. 'it's all you allow him', midnight says, and kaveh's breath seethes through him as if aflame. ]

Really, what is it that you see with those eyes of yours? [ kaveh says, infinitely fond and exasperated and terribly, terribly weary. ] You were right in that I could not live in a world where he no longer existed. But Midnight, I hadn't considered how to live in a world where he does exist.

[ in this moment, the pivotal question forms: who is it that allows and disallows what midnight can do? the revelation is like condemnation. kaveh looks. he brings their foreheads together. he laughs. the laugh is bleak. ]

... why is it that you let me do this to you, hm? [ as he kisses midnight, kaveh whispers: ] You are starving.