Work Text:
Understanding the Housewarden of Scarabia
(thoughts in the head of a self-proclaimed expert on the subject, or at least trying to be an expert)
i. Accept that Kalim Al-Asim is a lot to handle.
There are many ways to describe the housewarden of Scarabia, Kalim Al-Asim. He is cheerful, excitable, endlessly kind. But he can be overwhelming.
Kalim enters the room the way fireworks enter the night sky: bright, loud and impossible to ignore. He moves like the sunlight bursting though a storm. And once he notices you, once his focus lands on you like a beam of light, there is no escaping. Not that he would ever trap you, per se, it's just that Kalim's enthusiasm is like a riptide and once you're caught you might as well go along with it.
"Prefect!" His voice rings across the hall, his voice startling nearby students. You only have a few seconds to brace yourself before he is upon you, eyes lit with excitement. "You have to come to Scarabia tonight! We're having a feast, and you are invited."
You open your mouth to respond, but he barrels on before you get the chance.
"Wait, did I invite you yesterday?" He pauses for one second, then waves a hand dismissively. "You should come again anyway! We have so much food, and I can ask the kitchen to make whatever you like! Ooh–" He suddenly leans in, eyes shining as if he just had the most brilliant idea in the world. "What's your favourite dish? I'll have Jamil make a whole platter just for you!
We just got a shipment of fruits from the Scalding Sands," he continues, his hands gesturing wildly. "They're supposed to be super sweet, but also a little tangy, and also really juicy, so I definitely want you to try them–"
"Kalim," you say, voice a bit louder, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to slow him down.
He stops immediately, tilting his head. "Yes?"
"First of all, breathe."
He blinks, then lets out a quick laugh and does, in fact, take a breath.
"Secondly," you continue, raising an eyebrow, "calm down."
Kalim nods.
"You should come to the feast," he insists, now bouncing on the balls of his feet. "It wouldn't be the same without you!"
Before you can formulate an actual excuse—though, really, there isn't one, because when Kalim invites you somewhere, it's more of an enthusiastic assumption than a question, and you find it difficult to say no to him—Grim speaks up.
"Free food?" Grim's ears twitch. "We're going, hench-human!"
"See?" Kalim says, clapping his hands together. "Grim gets it!"
Grim puffs up proudly.
And just like that, the matter is settled. Kalim flashes you a blinding smile, as if you've done something wonderful simply by agreeing to him. He then begins ushering you down the hall, already talking about all the dishes you just have to try.
You sigh, resigned but amused.
There is no arguing with Kalim Al-Asim. There is only keeping up.
ii. Kalim is not naive. He just refuses to be anything but kind.
There is an assumption people make about Kalim Al-Asim.
It's an easy one, and you understand why they make it.
Because Kalim is bright. He is the kind of person who welcomes everyone with open arms and never seems to expect anything in return. His generosity is effortless, his trust given freely, his forgiveness even freer. He greets the world with the boundless enthusiasm.
And this is why people assume he is naive.
You did, too, once.
The realization doesn't hit you all at once.
It only clicks when Grim, disgruntled and munching on yet another plate of Scarabia's food, grumbles, "I don't get it. Doesn't he know people are using him?"
He doesn't sound particularly concerned, more confused, really. Like he's watching a mouse walk into a cat's open mouth and wondering why it hasn't run away yet.
You don't know how to answer him. You've wondered the same thing. You've seen it happen yourself, the way people flock to Kalim when they need something, the way they sing his praises.
And Kalim, warm and trusting as ever, lets them.
So you ask him.
"Kalim," you start carefully. "Do you ever wonder if people only stick around because they want something from you?"
He blinks, surprised by the question. Then he laughs, all light and easy. "Oh, sure! Happens all the time."
You stare at him, quite dumbfounded. "You know?"
"Of course I know!" He grins at you, as if this is obvious. "I mean, I'm not dumb. I can tell when people are just being nice because they want a favour. Or money. Or gifts." He shrugs, unconcerned.
"So why do you still… you know, go along with it?" You frown.
Kalim leans back, the jewellery around his arms catching the light.
"Because it doesn't really matter," he says simply. "If I have something I can give, why not give it? If someone's hungry, I'll feed them. If they need help, I'll help. Maybe they only see me as a way to get things, but if I have something to give, I will."
He turns his head to look at you then, eyes bright and unwavering.
"Besides," he says, softer now, "I don't want to be the kind of person who stops being nice just because other people aren't."
You don't know what to say.
Because Kalim does not say this with bitterness. There is no resentment in his voice, no anger in the way he speaks. There is only certainty that he is doing what he thinks is right.
Perhaps it's best you say nothing.
And that's when you realize that Kalim's kindness isn't something fragile or foolish. It isn't a weakness. He chooses kindness, over and over again, no matter how many times people take advantage of it.
Not because he doesn't see but because he does.
You like that about him.
iii. If Kalim likes you, you will know.
Kalim cannot hide it when he likes someone.
You don't notice it at first. Or rather, you chalk it up to Kalim just being Kalim.
The invitations to Scarabia? Those happen all the time, and to plenty of people. The food set aside just for you? Well, Kalim is generous, surely, he does this for others, too. The way he brightens whenever you enter the room? Kalim brightens for a lot of things.
It isn't until Jamil sighs, pinches the bridge of his nose, and mutters, "This is getting ridiculous," that you even think to reconsider.
"Getting ridiculous?" you echo, watching as Kalim darts across the Scarabia common room, almost tripping in his haste to meet you.
"You'll see," Jamil says, sounding both resigned and vaguely amused.
You do see.
You see it when he practically vibrates with excitement whenever you're near, how he always tries to be near you, how his laughter always seems louder when it's directed at something you said. You see it in the way he lights up at the smallest things you do. You see it when he brings you gifts, although way too extravagant for you. But there are gifts that are more personal too. A flower he thought you'd like, a trinket that reminded him of you, a sweet treat he got just because he knew you'd enjoy it.
So, Kalim does not know how to hide things—not his happiness, not his excitement, and certainly not his affections.
You start to wonder how you hadn't noticed it before.
"Kalim," you say, watching him eagerly.
"Yeah?" He beams.
You tilt your head. "Do you treat all your friends like this?"
Kalim pauses, blinking at you. Then he grins, as bright as the desert sun.
"Well, I try to make everyone happy, but–" He stops, then scratches his head, looking a little sheepish. "I guess I do a bit more for you."
"Why?" you ask, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear him say it.
"Because I like you!" Kalim exclaims, beaming. "You're amazing, and I want to make you happy! Why wouldn't I?"
Your heart stumbles over itself.
Because, of course he would say that. Of course, Kalim wouldn't dance around the truth, he wouldn't hesitate.
You don't know what to say.
Kalim doesn't seem to need a response, though, already launching into a story about something that happened earlier that day, eyes sparkling, hands animated.
And you sit there, warmth blooming in your chest, feeling a little overwhelmed and a little breathless and a lot happy.
iv. Kalim is cheerful even if he is upset.
Kalim does not lie. He simply deflects.
But you do start noticing certain things about this behaviour.
A bad day becomes not so bad, according to him. A problem becomes nothing to worry about. A betrayal becomes it is okay Jamil, even if Jamil overblotted and wanted him to die. He simply brushes past them before they have the chance to take root in his mind and consume his thoughts and actions.
The next time you notice it, it's during a harmless conversation. Or at least, you assume it is, because Kalim is laughing, tossing back his head.
It's only when the other student leaves that you realize something is off.
Kalim's laughter fades too quickly. His shoulders droop a little. Then he turns to you, grinning as if nothing happened, ready to move on.
And you, well, you could move on. You could let the moment slip by, the way Kalim clearly wants it to. You could pretend.
Instead, you sit beside him.
He glances at you, curious and still smiling.
You don't address it directly. You don't ask, Are you okay? or Did that bother you? Because Kalim, being Kalim, would wave it off and you didn't want to be brushed off. Instead, you say, "That wasn't a very nice thing for them to say."
Kalim blinks at your words. His smile doesn't waver, but it stills.
Then he laughs, shaking his head. "Ah, it's fine! It wasn't–" He stops, eyes flicking to your expression, and then tries again. "It's not a big deal."
You nod, as if accepting that. And maybe you are. Maybe it isn't a big deal. But you're not going to brush past it just yet.
"They wouldn't have said it if they thought you'd get mad," you point out, watching him carefully. "They knew you'd let it slide."
Kalim hums, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He fidgets the jewellery on his arms, then shrugs. "I guess?"
"You really don't mind?"
He hesitates. Then, softly, he says, "I don't like it. But getting upset won't change anything, right?" He grins, lopsided this time. "If I don't make it a big deal, then it won't be one."
There's something almost childlike in that logic, and yet, it is so very Kalim.
After a pause, you say, "I think you should at least be allowed to be annoyed."
Kalim looks at you, blinking in surprise. "Hmm?"
"If something bothers you, I think you should be able to say it." You lean back, bracing your weight on your hands. "Even if it doesn't change anything, doesn't it feel better to just… say it out loud?"
Kalim tilts his head, considering. He looks thoughtful. And then, hesitantly, he mutters, "That guy was kind of rude."
You nod, solemn, but a smile still breaks through because he does not sound upset or angry. "Yeah. He was."
Then, suddenly, he laughs.
"You said it like it's a guilty secret. It's okay though, at least you said it," you say.
"Thank you!"
And he is back to being normal again.
v. There will be no guidebook on him. He is not a puzzle to solve. He is a person to cherish.
At some point, you stop trying to figure out Kalim Al-Asim.
It's not that you understand him perfectly now, not that you have decoded some great mystery surrounding him. It's just that, somewhere along the way, you realize that there was never a mystery to begin with.
Yet, that doesn't make him simple.
People mistake brightness for shallowness. They see Kalim's open hands, his easy laughter, his warmth, and they assume there is nothing deeper to find. They do not look for the moments in between.
And maybe that is the real lesson here.
So, there is no guidebook to Kalim Al-Asim.
Kalim Al-Asim isn't a mystery to be solved.
He is a person to be loved. And he loved so freely.
And, somehow, he has chosen to love you, too.