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Jamil watches you from afar in the lounge as you weave your way between employees and customers alike. Everybody seems to like having you around - a “moodmaker,” they described you as.
It makes him sick to his stomach.
He doesn’t even know why he let Kalim drag him here in the first place. Jamil can recreate most things on their menu in the sanctity of the Scarabia dorm without those irritating fish lurking around constantly. More importantly, there’d be no chance of you intruding either.
Though, when Kalim had mentioned wanting to treat members of his dorm, he should have expected some sort of outing. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves, not that he’d allow his own misery to seep into his facial expressions. It was starting to seem that for every step Jamil took forward to perfecting his plan to overthrow Kalim, the dorm leader's natural kindness sent him two steps back, as his fellow members would surely forgive Kalim’s brutality from this afternoon considering the absurd amounts of madol that were about to go right into Octavinelle’s pockets.
“Fancy seeing you here, Jamil.”
Your voice grates on his ears and he can feel his blood pressure rising. You hadn’t even said anything out of the ordinary and yet his distress has tripled compared to a few minutes ago. “Is it? The lounge is open to all students after all.”
He tries not to physically recoil when you take a seat next to him, motioning one of the twins (he can’t be bothered to figure out who when he’s so hyperfocused on the smell of hibiscus radiating from your body) and order two Tropical Sunrises.
Two?
“You don’t really strike me as the ‘public outing’ type, if I’m being honest.” You’re casually leaning on your hand and he can’t help but think how foolish you are for being completely unguarded around him. He’s perfected his façade to the point where you wouldn’t actually know if he was a predator or not, but he grasps as any excuse to demean you he can get.
Despite the naturally rowdy nature of Scarabia students, something about the lounge at this moment feels eerily still to Jamil. Why do you have that effect on him?
“I’m not necessarily, but Kalim decided a small gesture of gratitude was in order and I have no reason to decline.”
You quietly scoff as the two drinks are served, one in front of you and one in front of him. It bothers him you didn’t even think twice about getting one for him as if he’s your companion of some sort.
“Get real, dude. You clearly wanna be anywhere else right now. Why don’t you just leave?”
Why would he, when the smallest miscalculation could threaten years of planning to tumble before his eyes? If a night of misery comes at the cost of ultimate bliss, he’s willing to make the sacrifice.
“It’s not such a hassle that I can’t bear one more second here. Just because you so naturally fit in, doesn’t mean anyone who can’t flutter around like a butterfly is automatically displeased.”
He doesn’t even know if you absorbed his words since you look so lost in thought at the moment, but you respond to him in due time. “I’m not like this all the time - I just know how to put a good show on so to speak. Besides, everyone has two sides to them.”
You turn to make contact with him, and if he didn’t know any better he would say his own charm ability has been used against him.
“Don’t tell me you think I can’t see through you, Jamil.”
Jamil doesn’t hear Kalim calling his name all those minutes later, his gaze still focused on your unfinished drink. He hates you as much as he thrives on your acknowledgement. He should be petrified at the idea you know what he’s planning, and yet the liquid thrill running through his veins leaves him intoxicated. You’ve embedded yourself into his psyche - a home you were never supposed to gain access to.
What else were you hiding from him?