[Please don't get tears all over his coat, it's literally his only one.
...is what he'd like to say, but any urge to scold Kalim for anything dies before he can form the words. It hadn't sunk in yet, from only a few moments of frantic conversation and then hours of stewing alone in his anxiety, but here and now with Kalim holding him in a vice grip and openly crying his relief, after suffocating for months completely alone with nobody who could even speak his language...
It hits Jamil that it's a humongous relief that Kalim is here, actually. It's a good thing that Kalim is holding him up because the feeling nearly knocks him off his feet. He'll never humiliate himself by admitting it, or god forbid actually crying in front of Kalim ever, but there's an unmistakable lump in his throat as he struggles to form a response.
He won't hug Kalim back, but he can at least curl his fingers into the fabric at Kalim's waist as he lays lets himself breathe. Just something to keep him anchored. It's been so hard living like this, he can admit to himself now that he's possibly at the end of it.
After a moment or two, Jamil takes a shaky inhale. If he focuses on the pragmatic, he should be able to talk without falling apart.]
I promise you I'm just fine. I don't think anyone saw me, but I can't be sure.
[And there's no way he can relax until they've safely met with the Corsairs. The Pyrmonts will know he's missing soon for sure, if they haven't figured it out already. They've been--affectionate? Non-cruel?--to him so far, but you can never tell how people like that might react if they've been truly angered.
--Can they activate the band remotely? Fuck, he should have thought about that earlier. Should have learned more about these things. He's never experienced it himself, but he's lived in fear of pissing off the wrong person and triggering a little power trip since he arrived. The Pyrmonts strike him as the type who would never use a shock collar on their favorite puppy, but their daughter is another story. He can't help but ruminate on the idea of suddenly being paralyzed, at any time of the day and without warning and being stuck like that until whoever is holding the remote deigns to turn it off. Hell.
Abruptly, he shoves Kalim away--not out of anger but so he won't feel the fear suddenly arcing up Jamil's spine like a lightning bolt. He feels sick thinking about how vulnerable this stupid collar makes him. Unconsciously his hand flies up to worry at the band again, betraying exactly what he's worried about.]
You said we could meet the--meet your friends soon. How soon, Kalim?
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[Please don't get tears all over his coat, it's literally his only one.
...is what he'd like to say, but any urge to scold Kalim for anything dies before he can form the words. It hadn't sunk in yet, from only a few moments of frantic conversation and then hours of stewing alone in his anxiety, but here and now with Kalim holding him in a vice grip and openly crying his relief, after suffocating for months completely alone with nobody who could even speak his language...
It hits Jamil that it's a humongous relief that Kalim is here, actually. It's a good thing that Kalim is holding him up because the feeling nearly knocks him off his feet. He'll never humiliate himself by admitting it, or god forbid actually crying in front of Kalim ever, but there's an unmistakable lump in his throat as he struggles to form a response.
He won't hug Kalim back, but he can at least curl his fingers into the fabric at Kalim's waist as he lays lets himself breathe. Just something to keep him anchored. It's been so hard living like this, he can admit to himself now that he's possibly at the end of it.
After a moment or two, Jamil takes a shaky inhale. If he focuses on the pragmatic, he should be able to talk without falling apart.]
I promise you I'm just fine. I don't think anyone saw me, but I can't be sure.
[And there's no way he can relax until they've safely met with the Corsairs. The Pyrmonts will know he's missing soon for sure, if they haven't figured it out already. They've been--affectionate? Non-cruel?--to him so far, but you can never tell how people like that might react if they've been truly angered.
--Can they activate the band remotely? Fuck, he should have thought about that earlier. Should have learned more about these things. He's never experienced it himself, but he's lived in fear of pissing off the wrong person and triggering a little power trip since he arrived. The Pyrmonts strike him as the type who would never use a shock collar on their favorite puppy, but their daughter is another story. He can't help but ruminate on the idea of suddenly being paralyzed, at any time of the day and without warning and being stuck like that until whoever is holding the remote deigns to turn it off. Hell.
Abruptly, he shoves Kalim away--not out of anger but so he won't feel the fear suddenly arcing up Jamil's spine like a lightning bolt. He feels sick thinking about how vulnerable this stupid collar makes him. Unconsciously his hand flies up to worry at the band again, betraying exactly what he's worried about.]
You said we could meet the--meet your friends soon. How soon, Kalim?