[He stares at Kalim for a moment, a long, steady moment in which the only noise Kalim might be able to hear from him is a soft, shuddering exhale.
Then Jamil coincidentally shifts so he can get more comfortable on the couch, pulling his legs up on it, slumping down on it a bit, just starting to lie down on the couch, and if that makes it harder for Kalim to see his face because his knees are up and his head is down, well. Sometimes these things happen as a side effect of getting yourself comfortable.]
I see.
[The nice thing about saying just two words is that it's more difficult to read tone from just two words. It's easier to make two words sound even, neutral, deliberate, well thought out.
His hood's kind of bunched up against his neck now he's slumped down at this comfortable angle, making him less comfortable, so, with a grunt, Jamil pulls it out and over his head so that there's not a bunch of uncomfortable fabric all knotted up right there. It makes it easier to slump in a couch that way.]
You put more thought than I would've expected into this.
[It's not said in an accusatory way. Not in an angry way. Not in a pleasantly surprised way. Sometimes, a fact is just that: a fact. Neutral. Even...besides the slight waver in his tone in the end, where there was a hint of a question that Jamil wasn't going to ask.
Instead, Jamil slides down a bit more so he's even closer to lying down on the couch, and then, after a moment, he reaches out with his foot and nudges Kalim's knee.]
this is going to determine how lucky Kalim gets later on lmf choose wisely Kalim
Then Jamil coincidentally shifts so he can get more comfortable on the couch, pulling his legs up on it, slumping down on it a bit, just starting to lie down on the couch, and if that makes it harder for Kalim to see his face because his knees are up and his head is down, well. Sometimes these things happen as a side effect of getting yourself comfortable.]
I see.
[The nice thing about saying just two words is that it's more difficult to read tone from just two words. It's easier to make two words sound even, neutral, deliberate, well thought out.
His hood's kind of bunched up against his neck now he's slumped down at this comfortable angle, making him less comfortable, so, with a grunt, Jamil pulls it out and over his head so that there's not a bunch of uncomfortable fabric all knotted up right there. It makes it easier to slump in a couch that way.]
You put more thought than I would've expected into this.
[It's not said in an accusatory way. Not in an angry way. Not in a pleasantly surprised way. Sometimes, a fact is just that: a fact. Neutral. Even...besides the slight waver in his tone in the end, where there was a hint of a question that Jamil wasn't going to ask.
Instead, Jamil slides down a bit more so he's even closer to lying down on the couch, and then, after a moment, he reaches out with his foot and nudges Kalim's knee.]
You'd be hopeless without me.
[This is said without looking at Kalim.]
Your tea is getting cold.