how you like me now?

[hamzaofegypt]

ofcosima‌:

“if i were you, i would count me as an enemy -” her lips part for a lazy smile but something ( prolly the fear of losing to him, the same dreadful spell she’s been under ever since they met ) holds her back, failing to differ weakness from showing any type of genuine reaction. “but it’s your choice, prince hamza.” she feels her body crawling ( annoyance? anger? affection? lust? the lines have always been blurry with him anyway ), his choice of words bringing a wave of unwanted yet familiar feelings. “closeness? you wish.” well, she is weak. as it’s hard for her to admit, but she is - at least, around him. maybe that’s why he’s always in the back of her mind, like a stubborn stain she cannot wash away. “cockiness doesn’t suit you.” she’s the prey, he’s the highly skilled hunter. GAME ON. 

does he want a toy? ( she knows [ and hopes ] he does not. ) but didn’t queen raise her to be one? ( yes, indeed she did. )

“let’s settle this by saying it was probably for a good reason. i was busy,” she purrs, finding the strength to rise herself from the soft cushions - two hesitant steps & she’s a fragile tree, hovering over him. “looks delicious. mind if i take a bite?” without giving herself a second to falter, her french tipped fingers reach for the eve’s downfall, matching crimson lips eager for a kiss. “what’s yours is mine, right?” she speaks, mouth full of the oddly sour fruit. index finger raised, she shrugs. “wait, that one is for married couples. my bad.”

If I were you.

Before she’s even finished Hamza is already clicking his tongue, tilting his head just slightly to the side as an arrogant smirk spread across his lips ( only briefly, however, as something akin to disappointment followed ). “You clearly aren’t.” He pauses, looking at her then; “Or else we wouldn’t even be here.” The teasing comes with an underlying tone of earnest. He never breaks eye contact.

If she were like him ( which she is, to a degree ) the two of them would be watching this summit from miles away, together.

Often times with Cosima, there comes a point where Hamza refuses to play. He will happily indulge her to a degree, and amuse himself in the process, but he has always been too fond of her to feed the beast that is the wretched mindset that was drilled into her brain from an early age. For all his teasing, he has never seen her as a pawn or a game to be won, not when they first met and even less so now, and ( unless she ever forces his hand ) he never will.

Tossing the ball right back into her court is what he prefers to do, and this is what he does now with a lazy shrug. “Maybe I do.” Cautious honesty ( more for her sake than his ), he has nothing to hide nor does he want to have. “I wouldn’t have a problem admitting it.” Despite his all too casual tone, he’s serious. Perhaps giving such an answer could be considerate vulnerability by some but Hamza sees it as the very opposite. “Would you?” He quirks an eyebrow, only half messing with her. 

“Too busy for your own friend’s wedding?” He doesn’t know exactly what happened between Cosima and the princess of Portugal, but what he does know is that Cosima knows he knows they are no longer friends. Hamza’s not playing dumb, but he asks anyway to gauge her reaction. Raising his eyebrows as his gaze follows her, chin tipping up as she approaches him. His grip from the apple loosens just slightly, her fingers brushing against his. She’s quick and precise her movements and he humors her. There’s a laugh at the edge of his lips, but he stays silent,  for a moment only taking in her sight and stance. “Yes, your bad. ---- Tell me, how’s your mother Cosima?”  

[soojoo]

happy new year! 🍾

[hamzaofegypt]

cassxlupescu‌:

The soft sound of humming filled the cold air as Cass stood in the stable, currying her black gelding as she readied him for a mid-afternoon ride. She had wanted to go earlier in the day, but with as cold as it was, she had figured that waiting for the sun to come out would be a better plan. Zodiac was clearly feeling his oats that day as he frisked in place before leaning into the brush strokes, letting out a snort as Cass affectionately patted his neck. “Fiara nebună” she chuckled. After a few more minutes, as she was finishing up grooming him, Zodiac lifted his head to look over her shoulder, signaling that someone else was coming up behind her. Turning with a bright smile on her face, she greeted the other, “Oh hello, were you planning on a ride today, too?”

“I haven’t decided yet. It’s been a while.” One lie, one truth. It had been a while since he had ridden, but he had no intention of ridding today - he came here to quiet his mind when he needed to. Hamza had always liked horses and found them to be clever and honest, even as a young child, but that opinion had cemented itself in his early adult years. His time in the army, and particularly the year he had been missing, had left scars ( physical, but most significant and more difficult to heal, mental ones ) and the animals had unexpectedly played a significant part in his recovery. “Is that yours?” He nodded in the direction of the horse. 

[hamzaofegypt]

klariszaz‌: 

“Right. Sorry.” Klarisza chewed her lip, putting her phone away, nodding at his statement. “Precisely, it’ll just be like any other ward opening.” She muttered, except she didn’t have to speak to children with the man she had lost a child with at any other ward opening. Sighing as she gathered her things, waiting for the car door to be opened, forcing her face back into the composed and smiling mask she had mastered over the year, stepping out of the car and giving a small wave to the press that were waiting outside the hospital. It would only be a couple of hours. A couple of hours and then she could hide away in her room and deal with everything that seeing Hamza had resurfaced.

Hamza could easily tell she was uncomfortable ( not so much by her body language as he wasn’t currently looking at her, but the tone of her voice gave it away ) and he wanted to tell her there was nothing to apologize for, because really, there wasn’t. Today if there was anyone who needed to apologize that person was him ( and his brother ), but before today? All the weeks and the months and years until today? 

He wanted to tell her there was nothing to apologize for, that it was fine, but he didn’t. 

It wasn’t until she had left the car and closed the door that he felt his shoulders tense up like a weight had suddenly been dropped on them. He threw his head back against the seat, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sigh slipped past his lips. 

All he needed to do was make it though a couple hours next to her ( and surrounded by children and the reminder of what could have been but wasn’t, and everything that happened and wasn’t supposed to ). He had been through worse things, he thought to himself as he exited the car, he could do this.  

He wasn’t devoid of empathy, not in the last, ( for the parents, the children, hell - even the hospital staff ), but the walking around talking part had been relatively easy and he smoothly - and nearly effortlessly - focused on the task at hand without finding his mind wondering off to other more personal thoughts often. Besides, these parts of the job all came effortlessly to him.

But now? After all of that was over? Standing in a quiet hallway, attentive security scattered but still always close-by, while they waited to be able to leave ( apparently there had been a problem with the car )? This he was struggling with. Hamza wasn’t generally an avoider, but over the past couple of hours, he had consciously tried to prevent himself from looking directly at her or glancing her way unless it was necessary or impossible to do so; right how it was one of the few occasions where being good at reading people felt more like a painful curse than a gift. Not that he needed to take a proper look at her to figure out how she was holding up, but he selfishly refrained from doing so it all the same. 

Just like he was refraining from breaking the silence between them.

( Maybe, he admitted to himself, this was a kind of punishment towards her. )

“Not for me, thank you.” Hamza replied when someone came around and offered to bring them something warm to drink.

[rxdqueenx]

I want to sit on Hamzas face

You and me, anon, you and me. // @hamzaofegypt

[hamzaofegypt]

ofcosima‌: 

feline like gaze narrows with irritation, knowing it was her own words that gave him such a head start in their little game. her desire to get the upper-hand escalates with the knowing look he has ( yes, she can read his face without looking at him ), forcing cosima to push the limits she was unaware of until a second ago. she minces to the chair in his direction, tulle of the dress elegantly swaying behind. she wishes to challenge him - a meaningless attempt to end whatever the hell they are doing now. “oh, don’t flatter yourself. you know the rules as well as i do - keep your enemies closer, right?” almost like trying to win a losing battle, it takes a lot of effort to stand straight when she knows he can see through her bullshit with ease. millions of thoughts rush to her mind - mostly rude innuendos, disguised as out of place & piquant comments. ‘london’s messing with my head, i’m much better at this’ - she keeps repeating to herself, hoping she’ll eventually start believing in her own lies. her so called unbreakable gaze drifts to his mouth, a grimace replacing her usual blank expression. “come to think of it, it’s a two-way street. so you were looking for me at the wedding?”

“You’re not an enemy, Cosima.” He still has that small shit-eating smile on his face, but there’s an earnest in his tone that’s a sudden but subtle change of pace - like she’s attempting to strike a match and set the whole house a blaze but can’t because he keeps blowing the flame out. Hamza genuinely doesn’t mean to put her in the spot like this at times, but he feels like these are things she needs to hear. “Certainly not my enemy.” Maybe he should consider her as such, maybe one day she would find a way to have him beheaded in his sleep and have his head served to her on a silver platter ( she would miss him though, he was sure - this was not cockiness, just a fact ). He suspected that, not even then, he would be able to think of her as an enemy. “But if we were -” He leans in, pausing as he rests an elbow on the table, pointing the apple in his hand towards her. “- enemies, we would have to work on that closeness thing.” Hamza shook his head, tsking. “How do you keep your enemies close when you barely see them?” Now he’s just teasing. Her next words nearly make him laugh, amused. “Now who’s flattering themselves?” It would have been a good come back, were she talking to just about anybody else. “I don’t look for people, either they look for me or I happen to find them.” He notices her gaze ( he always notices everything - Hamza could say that at times it was a curse but he would be lying: he always found it more of a blessing ) and as if on cue brings the apple to his lips again. “And I mingle a lot and I didn’t happen to find you.”

[hamzaofegypt]

lucasvanbaerdt‌: 

He should have known better. It had been years, years since they had fallen out. If he was smarter he would have learned to simply avoid his old friend, or to do no more than exchange pleasantries and move on. They said it was the definition of insanity, to try the same thing over and over, expecting different results. Perhaps he was insane, at least when it came to Hamza. “And yet you wear it anyway.  I suppose it’s worth it for the party, in your mind at least.” 

Hamza could count on one hand the amount of people he went out of his way not to cross paths with - actually, no, no hand was needed because what do you know he was an adult and he didn’t avoid anyone ( Klarisza, at some point in time, once, maybe, a voice deep in the back of his head rectified ). “You’re a shite mind reader.” His tone was light, an easy smile spreading across his lips as if the other had just told a joke. Hamza liked to believe he was better at choosing his friends ( he knew he was ) but somehow he hadn’t began to get any red flags from Lucas until it was too late. Letting go of a close friend was never easy, but he was nothing if not ruthless with these matters. Hamza raised a hand as if he were going to signal one of the staff members. “Would you like me to get someone to google the definition of courteous for you? Maybe stylish as well?” 

[hamzaofegypt]

ofcosima‌: 

it’s not that she’s being lazy; spending her hours looking outside, drinking all kinds of exotic teas, not moving a single muscle for almost a whole day. it’s just hard for her to be on her own, without her mother’s voice to guide her, constantly telling her what to do. she’s panicking like a headless chicken, trying to cover it up by isolating herself from the rest of the royals when mingling should have been her main focus. his voice is ( unfortunately ) unforgettable, and the effect it still has on her feels like stepping on tiny broken glass pieces. she’s determined not to be his source of entertainment, eyes fixated on the window - yet her head still tilts a little in his direction out of reflex. can this place get more unbearable? pearly teeth grind in response to his lack of discomfort - how in hell is he so .. relaxed when she’s about to explode into thin air? FUCK him. “maybe i was avoiding you? did you ever think about that option?”

The desire to crack a ( highly ) amused smile had to be suppressed once again, and this time it had take him the slightest bit of strength to hold it back. Truly, Hamza was as surprised as he as entertained. “Avoiding?” He quirks an eyebrow at her for a moment, studying her lovely barely-composed ( he notices ) features in silence. Hamza had no trouble flattering himself, he really didn’t, but had it really been that easy to get under her skin? He doubted ( no, was sure ) she was growing soft ( not that he saw anything particularly wrong with that; not everyone is built the same or can afford to act the same as others ), but maybe she was more uncomfortable than he had initially suspected. Still with her words dancing around in his mind, he hummed as if in thought. There are so many things he could say in return, so many prompt retorts, wise and smart-ass and everything in-between on the tip of his tongue and each and all of them would be equally pleasing to voice even if only just to gauge her reaction. Leaning back on his chair, he brought the apple to his mouth and paused before sinking his teeth into it; “I didn’t know I was on your mind that often.”

[hamzaofegypt]

@ofcosima

With the amount of royals walking around the palace, the emptiness of the large room surprised him at first, but it didn’t take him more than a split of a second to remember that while they are away from home, they all still have routines and their share of responsibilities. But there was one person sitting at the long time, and even though he hadn’t seen her in years, he recognized her right away. “Good morning.” And he did mean it, because he was already amused and she hadn’t even said a word yet. Moving to occupy the seat directly across from her, he dismissed one of the staff members that began to approach him, indicating that he didn’t need anything and would help himself. “I don’t remember seeing you at the wedding.” He started as he reached for one of the apples, his tone a little too casual. There was a teasing smile that wanted to grow on his lips, but Hamza held it back with ease - he would show it eventually. 

[nodded]

Q: “Do people recognize you now after Mr. Robot?”

[…] It’s the first time you get a candid kind of response from someone, you don’t have that experience. It’s kind of fun. Right?

[hamzaofegypt]

prncssfrya‌:

Freya was trying to make her rounds seeing as many of her guests as she could manage to do knowing that it was a part of being the bride when all she wanted was to find her husband and hide away in a corner wrapped up in his arms. Once the evening was over though she would get as much time with him as she wanted with him. She noticed a familiar face messing with his tie as she made her way over to a man she still considered a friend, “You look way better without it anyways, darling. I know my favorite style with Mathaios is when he comes in without his tie and a few buttons undone,” She offered him.

“Here’s to hoping my future wife has your good taste.” Hamza rose to his feet, casually discarding his tie onto the table in the process as a smile spread across his lips. “You look radiant.” Leaning in, he placed a chaste kiss on Freya’s cheek. “Like always, of course.” Taking a step back, he gestured to the room around them. “You’ve really set the bar for the rest of us huh?” He wasn’t just talking about the ceremony and the reception ( Hamza didn’t know much about weddings, but he knew royals, and he certainly knew the English - they were never going to spare any expenses with the first wedding of the summit ), he was also talking about Freya’s fortune to enjoy the company of the husband who had been picked out for her. Hamza didn’t know the man, but he didn’t have to anyway, it was clear ( to anyone, he was sure, even those who weren’t as perceptive as himself ) that the couple cared for each other. Whether it was love or not, it wasn’t his place to say. “How are you enjoying your own wedding?”

[hamzaofegypt]

klariszaz‌: 

Not wanting to seem like she was listening in on his conversation, not that she could have understood anyway, Klarisza simply stared out of the window watching the city fly by subconsciously picking at her nails. Despite not knowing what he was saying, she could tell that he was just speaking to avoid speaking to her, avoid having to deal with her and honestly she didn’t blame him in the slightest. If the roles were reversed she would absolutely be reacting the same way. Letting out a small sigh, of relief? of resignation? As she sees the hospital coming into view, turning to face him again as she heard him speak. “Do you still have the same email address? I can forward it to you…” 

“I think it’s a little too late for that.” Hamza remarked as he glanced out the window on her side of the car. “I’ll just follow your lead. I’m sure it won’t be anything we aren’t used to” But it would be, wouldn’t it? Not the event itself, but the memories it forced to bubble to the surface. Hamza was trying not to think too far ahead - he had made it though the car ride, now he just needed to make it through the next fifteen minutes... then the next fifteen minutes after that... and so on until their duty was over and they were allowed to return to the palace. Feeling the car come to a stop, he remained seated, following the protocol that had been instilled in him at a young age and waiting for someone to get his door. Still, he wouldn’t leave before she did.  “Whenever you’re ready.”

[hamzaofegypt]

klariszaz‌: 

Klarisza honestly wanted nothing more than turn straight back to the palace and hide for a few days. After the loss of their child she had been wracked with guilt and pain, perhaps she had done something wrong? How could she tell Hamza they would never have this opportunity again? What if he blamed her? And so she had ended things, flown back to Budapest, too wrapped up in her own feelings to consider how he must have taken the loss. She knew he had every right to be angry at her, but it didn’t make it any easier. Clearing her throat, she quickly checked her phone. “Around 15 minutes.”

Hamza nodded, reaching for the device in the pocket of his pants. “Excuse me.” He searched for the contact of his PA and dialed, switching to egyptian arabic when they answered. The questions he started off with were pertinent ones, primarily about the event itself, but a handful of minutes into the conversation and the fact of the matter was... he was stalling. He was calm, but had thought this would be easier, but the thought of sitting next to Klarisza in silence for the next fifteen minutes sounded like torture ( and he was acquainted with torture ). He stalled until it felt ridiculous, even to him, to keep talking, even if she couldn’t understand him, and so, eventually, he hangs up. “I’m sorry,” He starts as he feels the car slowing down - he doesn’t look out the window to check if they’re arriving to their destination. “This was too last minute, I didn’t get a briefing.” He does mean this. He didn’t appreciate not being informed whenever he was going to an event, even if he kept the fact that he had done his homework to himself. He liked to be prepared, and besides, it was the least he could do for everyone involved and his own country’s image.

[hamzaofegypt]

klariszaz‌: 

“Of course.” She nodded, trying to hide the disappointment on her face. Of course his brother wouldn’t be joining them, that would have made this slightly bearable and apparently that wasn’t allowed. “A hospital I believe, to open a new ward.” She stated, looking back to her phone and scrolling through the email that she had only briefly glanced at earlier. There were events all over the city that the royals were expected to participate in while at the summit, and she believed that it was just a luck of the draw, or unlucky draw in this case, which royals did which meeting, unless it was country specific. “Yes. We’re to go to Great Ormond Street Hospital. A Childrens hospital, cut the ribbon on the new ward and speak to some of the patients and their families.” 

His brother is the diplomatic one, but Hamza can play the part too. Although, if there’s was time and place one could get away with not being diplomatic is when they find out they’re going to be suck with the person who suddenly and unexpectedly broke their heart for the next, fuck, god knows how many hours. It’s odd, in such a situation some people would their feelings get the best of them, Hamza had always worked the other way around ( he was capable of being far more collected than people gave him credit for - and he didn’t mind it, the less people know the less they can use against you ). While he isn’t struggling to stay relaxed and keep a cool head, he also made no effort to soften his expression and hide that the fact that he isn’t pleased with his current situation. He felt no need to lie or hide anything from her, and he certainly felt no desire to make her feel more at ease either ( not when it was just the two of them, anyway ) - after all, if one of them was owned something, that person wasn’t Klarisza. He shakes his head slightly as a begrudged smile twisted his lips at her reply. “Wonderful.” It was clear in his tone that it was anything but, and she knew exactly why - it seemed like a cruel bad joke. He paused for a moment, looking out the window. “I don’t know where that is, do you think it’ll take us long to get there? I have to make a call.”  

[hamzaofegypt]

chenyu-lan‌: 

“With those legs? Definitely,” Yu Lan nodded, holding back a laugh. It wasn’t that she hated wearing heels, but wearing them for hours without much of a break to sit down absolutely made her more exhausted. “Didn’t it used to be in fashion for men to wear heels? Maybe you can be the one to bring that back.”

Hamza shot her a look of playful earnest. “Thank you. Thank you. I don’t know you but I like you already.” A face wasn’t something he often forgot and his memory seldom betrayed him so he thought, he was nearly certain, the person he was speaking to was the princess of China. Still, he kept his thoughts to himself. He pretended to ponder on her words for a moment. “You’re right ----- and I am always up for making a fashion statement.” He gestured to his suit jacket. “Why did you wear something more comfortable? Your dress is long enough to hide your shoes.”

[hamzaofegypt]

hrhcallista‌: 

                      ‘     i’m not a liar .    ‘               a lie .              she finished off the wine glass and left it on his table ,        returning to her leaning position against one of the walls afterwards .                    ‘     mh ,     if you say so .         guess i’m biased on accessory that practically represents a hanging noose .        pretty ironic ,     if you think about it .     ‘

“Apologies if I offended you then.” He retorted calmly, bringing a hand to rest over his heart to show his sincerity - well, playfully mock sincerity. Hamza never forgot a face, and she seemed very familiar ---- he didn’t dwell on it, her name would come to him sooner than later. Besides, their conversation had captured his interest. “I’m not much of a thinker, all of my talents went to other things” Not true, but she didn’t need to know that. “So you’re going to have to enlighten me.”

[hamzaofegypt]

leopoldvonkleist‌:

Attending the reception had been a last minute decision, truth be told, the idea of a huge, fancy wedding, hundreds of guests dressed in their best attires, the happy couple, the press, the impossibly big and incredibly fake smiles and, above all, all that pretending wasn’t very appealing. But he was painfully aware that any absence would be noted and it would have repercussions. A couple of hours were bearable. Even if it meant having to mix and chat with people he would rather stay a hundred feet away from them. It was Hamza’s voice that woke him up from his daydreaming. “Someone is feeling bold,” he commented, chuckling. “Planning on ending the night with it on your head?”

“Look what the cat dragged in.....” Hamza started, pleasantly surprised to see the friendly face, but before he could say anything else Leopold’s words got an amused scoff out of him. “Please,” He casually discarded of the tie, tossing it onto the table. “I’m always bold.” Eh, not necessary true, not necessary false either - he didn’t try to be bold, that was for sure, when he was it came out naturally. “Wouldn’t be the first time mate, and hopefully not the last one either. But I don’t like to plan it, I go with the flow and if it happens, it happens. Who am I to deny myself the pleasure of such foolery?”