[ ... Kaveh had talked about it, hadn't he? About happiness, about being happy. About being happy around Alhaitham. Midnight closes his eyes, tilts his face toward the sun. There isn't much to say. There was a chance for them to be something more than this. Midnight made his choice about it. The chance is now gone. There's nothing else to say. He's made unforgiveable choices with the intention of never being forgiven. He knew this from the beginning, he stands by it to the end. It was for happiness... And Alhaitham's happiness was preserved, wasn't it? He is still happy, even if Midnight's actions had very little to do with that, in the end. That's enough. He's done enough. ]
I wonder. If we have such little to say to each other because our thoughts are the same, or if we simply assume that our thoughts are very similar. I wonder about this quite a bit.
No. My first thought is that I've done many things to alienate you, and that you've found this relationship irreparable. I, for one...
[ A beat. ]
I don't fight losing battles. And I certainly enjoy lying about myself, but not so far as to lie about my faults, nor my ability to address them. If you find them irreconcilable...
[ ... A small shrug. ]
I won't tell you that I'll change for you. Or anyone else. Other than Kaveh, of course, but he did force that promise out of me.
[For all Kaveh's agony about it, Alhaitham doesn't feel strongly about trying to "repair" things with Midnight. Least of all if he's the only one making an effort. He can play nice and give him another chance, but that's very different from letting him in.]
Let me posit a third possibility: that you're proving to be a terrible conversation partner.
Perhaps I am. How terrible. I should rectify that immediately. Pray tell, Alhaitham of the Haravatat darshan: in your learned opinion, how does one have a pleasant conversation?
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But Alhaitham reads that shutdown as a closure. If it doesn't have to do with Kaveh, Midnight isn't interested. Which fits within his expectations.
He shifts in the seat. Forces his gaze away from Midnight's back and to the book in his lap.]
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... Weren't you going to the balcony?
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I wonder. If we have such little to say to each other because our thoughts are the same, or if we simply assume that our thoughts are very similar. I wonder about this quite a bit.
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[ A beat. ]
I don't fight losing battles. And I certainly enjoy lying about myself, but not so far as to lie about my faults, nor my ability to address them. If you find them irreconcilable...
[ ... A small shrug. ]
I won't tell you that I'll change for you. Or anyone else. Other than Kaveh, of course, but he did force that promise out of me.
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Let me posit a third possibility: that you're proving to be a terrible conversation partner.
[Of course, there's also that.]
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Perhaps I am. How terrible. I should rectify that immediately. Pray tell, Alhaitham of the Haravatat darshan: in your learned opinion, how does one have a pleasant conversation?