[ There's a sudden warmth at his arm, a firm hold that Kaveh notices— and ignores— ignores as well as he can when it leaves an echo behind, a gentle heat that permeates the cool night air in a way that only makes his scowl deepen as Alhaitham keeps talking despite everything he's just said. ]

I said—

[ Why. Is Alhaitham. Still. Talking? It's with something near disbelief that Kaveh turns back and stares at him for the next few moments, because despite now having been told both indirectly and directly of the architect's desire to not discuss this, he continues to do exactly that, ignoring Kaveh's wishes in what the drunkard can only assume is an arrogant need to prove himself correct yet again.

And truth be told, in a way he is sort of correct. Dori is a never-ending source of problems in Kaveh's life, and is as a result part of the reason his moods have been so difficult the past several days. Her Palace of Alcazarzaray may have raised him to the level of renown he now appreciates, but it has also put him in crippling debt... to her. It's a big part of why he's living with Alhaitham in the first place, which, as far as Kaveh is concerned, is the only reason he had that stupid dream...

By the time he remembers to turn away from the other man once more, the flush of heat is already creeping from his neck to his face. Oh, fuck that. He'll ignore that problem for as long as he possibly can. Forever, if possible. Never mind what the other said about ignored problems getting bigger.

He balls his hands into fists, eyes closing as he lets out a deep, irritated breath, and in his dissipation of his newly found calm he doesn't realize that he's starting to pitch backward once more, won't notice until it's too late and he's sprawled out on the tiled path like the drunk he is. ]

I don't want you to go to the matra. Have you finally lost your hearing from playing your music too loud? For the last time, stay out of my business!!