#int.sel

[sayf-insurgent]

“I forgot, you don’t care about anything.”

the bitterness threaded its way through seladon’s voice and sayf stopped walking, stepping in front of the younger to force them to pause as well. the statement sounded like a thought unexpectedly expressed, out of time with the conversation and jarring with its truth. sel probably believed it, that they were as cold as they tried to force appearances to be, but now sel was high king and if that ambivalence was still assumed -

❛ i do - ❜  they bit out, focused their gaze on sel’s. they did care, about a spread of things, about tearing down the crown, about betrayal, about wrath. but they needed their role for that, needed sel to stay on the throne for now, needed, cared, and though the words tasted different they could mean the same thing.

❛ care, that is. ❜  they let the words drop for their lips, gaze flickering to the floor before refocusing, hint at vulnerability, touch of emotional response, let it colour interpretation as it would. then a shake of their head and they turned away, continuing their walk down the corridor.

[sayf-insurgent]

❛ you know you ought not to disobey me.

slowly, confusion written across their brow, sayf looked up from the map spread out on the table to catch seladon’s gaze. thoughts flashed through their mind (how had they disobeyed what disobediences had she discovered) before clarity smoothed their features as they picked up a piece from the board, weighing it in their hand.

❛ because i want the troops to spread take this minor court instead of guarding the - ❜  sayf shook their head, placing the piece back down. 

[the truth is that sel’s suggestion was more than valid, was probably beneficial, and they were a touch surprised by the fact that she had picked up on the slight tactical error. but by taking down the minor court, there were ripples of destabilization that would help them instead. ]

❛ you know you ought to listen to me, ❜  they threw back, before pointing at the other pieces scattered across the map. succinctly, they explained the tactical advantage (and there was one, there was always a way to make it one), before tapping the piece again.  ❛ i taught you how to navigate this board, after all. ❜  and wasn’t that a kicker, that their teachings had rubbed off enough that she could see their plans, their ‘slip ups’. 

❛  trust me ❜