goldencharms | FOR INFY!!!

They're pests, is what they are. Probably carniv--don't just pick it up with your bare hands!

[Idiot! Does Kalim have any idea where that thing has been? Or what kind of infection he might get if it bites him? Maybe he can get it before it causes any trouble--]

[ aww, it's cute!

it doesn't look to be doing anything right now, as Kalim pets it. though, it does give just the littlest love nibble of his fingertips~ ]

Eh??

[ he pulls his hand back ]

I wonder if it's hungry...

[ though, he is bleeding, thanks to the bite. who knows what else could happen, but... he seems fine?? he's been hurt way worse. ]

They're wild animals, of course they're probably hungry. But whatever their prey is, they're not going to find it in here. Let's get it outside, and get that bite cleaned.

[Is it any wonder he's fussing, seeing that Kalim is bleeding? Who knows, this creature could even be diseased somehow. Just because it's small doesn't mean it can't cause big trouble!]

Ah... You're probably right!

[ he frowns, looking like he's thinking. now that he's been bit, though, the rabbit seems fine with being held.

But something's bothering him, something he was ignoring before. ]

Nothing good can come of making wild animals rely on humans for food. Come on.

[Well, there's not much more harm a second bite could do, now that it's already happened. At least the creature doesn't seem to mind being held or stroked..... Kalim puts a hand on Kalim's back, gently but pointedly urging him towards the front door.]

[ the push reminds him to move and he steps forward-- though he frowns to himself while Jamil is at his back.

No, it bothers him a lot. He's been trying to keep it to himself as much as possible though, Jamil deserves the freedom. But--

He lets the rabbit go, kneeling down to urge it out the door, ]

We'll have to play more later! But Jamil says you can't be inside right now.

He's probably got a whole colony to get back to, anyway. Bats and rabbits are both social creatures.

[A quick click to turn the stove off, and Jamil leaves the soup to simmer, instead heading for the bathroom to grab an alcohol wipe.]

Alright, let's see it.

[ he extends his hand, bloodied as it is and... ]

Jamil...

... I don't like that you have another submissive.

[ he admits softly-- the other person doesn't need to hear. but Kalim can't help the jealousy that's welling up all of a sudden. ]

Hmmm?

[Jamil closes the door behind them again, raising his eyebrow as he takes Kalim's hand to clean it up. Barely more than a paper cut..... He hardly even has to think, to let a trickle of healing magic tingle against Kalim's fingertips and smooth over his skin.]

Look, I don't like having to participate in this travesty any more than you do. But if we want to survive, we just have to keep our heads down and do as we're told for now.

It's not that!

[ he shouldn't say something, he shouldn't say something, he shouldn't say something.

that's what he would be thinking, anyway. but, no, he just wants to tell Jamil exactly what he thinks. ]

This was the longest we've been apart and we're still apart and I hate it!

What.....?

[He's right here. They're even touching, at least as long as he's taking care of the bite. How much more does Kalim really need to consider them to not be apart? Is he just confused because it's been so much longer for Kalim than it has been for him, or is this just..... nonsensical?

It isn't as though they could live communally like in Scarabia, in a place like this. Not without Lilia moving back into these apartments, which he obviously wouldn't be willing to do. And if he means literally living together..... It's not legal for two Dominants to share any sort of home, even if they keep their own Submissives, is it? They'd said you could let Submissives that aren't your own visit for a few days, but.....

Seven save him. With a Submissive of his own occupying the spare room now, he'd have to share his own bed. What a headache. Does Kalim seriously mean he should be Jamil's Submissive? There are so many things wrong with that suggestion, he doesn't even know where to begin. How inappropriate it is given their professional relationship, how irresponsible it is given their current circumstances.....

He should have known Kalim wouldn't actually share his feelings on the situation they're in. That's all on him, for daring to hope Kalim might understand his position a little more now.]

Kalim, you're already contracted. To one of your closest friends. You've made a commitment to Lilia for at least until its terms expire.

[ wait, what is he saying?? he places a hand to his head-- Jamil is right, but also that should be his choice. Kalim didn't want to just say something like that to influence him... No...

He steps back. ]

Ahahaha, you're right...

[ where did the desire to even say that come from?? and now... well, he's lucky that Jamil doesn't look too upset. So, maybe it didn't matter that much?

Ah. That hurts to consider, too. ]

My bad, my bad...!

[Is it any wonder that someone so keenly attuned to another's safety and comfort would note the sudden tension and confusion gripping him? He had initially assumed this was simply born of spontaneous impulse, the way so many of Kalim's schemes are--but he actually seems distressed right now. As though he hadn't actually meant to say it. As though he regrets it? Why say anything at all then, unless it was some heat of the moment confession..... in spite of the fact that the moment wasn't heated?

Since when can Kalim keep secrets from anyone, let alone him? What had happened to him? Is he sick? Drugged? Poisoned? He had seemed fine when he arrived, and he hasn't eaten or drank anything since he got here--even ignoring the fact that anything Jamil made would obviously be clean. So..... poison, then? Do any bats have venom? It's certainly possible; those damn vermin probably feed on blood. Who knows what kind of transmittable diseases they could be carrying, too?

He knew handling those things bare-handed was a bad idea. Dammit! He can circle back around to actually letting himself think about any of this when there are less pressing matters to take care of.]

If you still feel that strongly about it, we can discuss it more when your contract expires. For now, you should at least sit down. How do you feel?

No...

[ he frowns at that first statement, completely ignoring the second. instead, he shakes his head, even though he wants to drop it ]

What do you want?

[ he asks instead, more insistent. He doesn't want to be taken care of right now. and even though he wants to drop it, his mouth is moving ahead without him thinking ]

I want to figure out if you need a doctor. What else?

[Obviously. Why wouldn't this take priority? Does he need to call Lilia? He's Kalim's primary caretaker right now, after all--and with all those familiars he brought to school with him, Lilia should have some idea of what a bat--rabbit? Rabbat? Batbit?--bite might do to someone, even a strange, potentially magical chimera of one.]

I feel fine though! I don't need to be taken care of like that while we're here!

[ distracted-- and then blurting out his immediate thoughts without reservation ]

Do you? Why were you holding your head like that, then?

[Can Kalim really be sure he's fine, without being looked over by someone familiar with those creatures? It's always better to head off potential problems, after all--what he really wants is no more trouble. What he wants is to not have to deal with any of this bullshit. What he really wants.....

Seven, he's so tired, right down to his soul. What he really wants is for everything to stop being so wrong.]

Well...

Because I didn't want to say that. It just slipped out.

As if that isn't proof enough you need to be taken care of right now..... Slipped out because you spoke without thinking, or slipped out even though you were actively trying not to say anything?

[One is mere carelessness, the other proof of being influenced by something outside of his control. Kalim understands how dangerous such a seemingly tiny difference can be, doesn't he?]

... Oh, you're right! Maybe something is wrong.

[ oops.

he does understand the difference. ]

[Sigh.]

As I said, you should really sit down. Do you feel anything different than normal, aside from saying things when you don't want to?

[The latter, then. It has to be the latter. How is it that Kalim is actually holding things back, when he always seems to run his mouth without the slightest hesitation to consider what he's saying? What else has he been biting his tongue about? When he'd said he hates that Jamil has a Submissive other than him, he'd meant.....

Ridiculous. Lilia and Cater are Kalim's best friends, the ones who actually like him. Even if Kalim abandoned Lilia for his sake, that wouldn't actually make him happy. Surely Kalim would just be miserable for it, shattering Lilia's trust by breaking their contract, living under the control of a traitor who had nearly killed him. Wouldn't he?]

[ he shakes his head, guilt starting to flood his mind. He'd been so quick to dismiss it, but Jamil really had just been looking out for him this whole time. It made his jealousy over--

well... Over Jamil not even trying to ask him...

It made it seem that much smaller of him. His smile is a bit subdued, but it's still there. ]

No, I think that's it. Ahh, sorry. I hadn't considered it until you said something.

[ he can't quite make himself laugh it off-- at least not yet. ]

It's fine. It's difficult to realize your own mind has been altered, isn't it?

[Jamil puts a hand on Kalim's shoulder to gently steer him towards the couch; if it's really so insidious, then he should probably keep an eye on him for now, hmmm?]

Would you mind looking through the network for anything about rabbit bites?

Those Teeny Sanguini things, you mean? Sure, I'm on it.

[There, now he'll be cleared out of the way for a while and doing something useful. If Kalim really is feeling like this, it's probably better the two of them don't have to spend time together for the moment, right? They can just..... figure out what happened, and what he needs.]

[ huh? did he really have to leave? That was odd. It sticks out to him, even as he sits down like Jamil's guiding him to. it still felt unnecessary, when the worst thing that had happened so far was him saying something he didn't actually want to say.

But...

Maybe Jamil was right. And he really should stop questioning it. After all, that just made him feel worse. And who knows when one of them might leave again-- a feeling that causes a tightness in his chest. He really should just trust him.

After all, it's not like he knows any better either. ]

I could ask around too!

[ he offers instead, two immediate names coming to mind. and he's digging out his phone, focusing on that for now. ]

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