God I have so many feelings about Kirigan's treatment of David
Because like. Idk about the books but Show!David is autistic-coded as hell. He may be something of a genius inventor, but he's weird and awkward and different. We see that he's uncomfortable in social situations, especially with people he doesn't know well - the only time he seems to relax when he's sent to give Alina the gloves is when he's explaining how they work, a safe topic he's knowledgeable about. He frequently misses or avoids social cues - he has no idea how to respond to Genya's compliments, so he acts like he didn't hear them, and even though her question about seeing him at the Fete invites an answer, he doesn't give her one. But it also doesn't occur to him to wave off her very complimentary introduction, because he doesn't understand false modesty. Yes, he is one of the best Durasts in the Little Palace. Why would he deny it?
Interestingly, David has very clearly not spent much time around Kirigan, even though he's done work - like the gloves - for him in the past. He has no idea how to behave in the General's presence. Is he staying here? Is he coming with? Can he speak freely? He doesn't know. This is an entirely new social situation, for which he has no pre-existing protocol to follow.
So, exactly like I do in unfamiliar situations, he's falling back on behavioural patterns that have served him well in the past. Case in point: putting his hand up to get Kirigan's attention.
David is 100% aware that you do not normally put your hand up to speak to another adult. He doesn't do that at any other point in the series, with anyone. And Ivan, right in front of him, is talking to Kirigan perfectly normally. But David has no idea how to speak to the General - is he supposed to salute? Not speak unless he's spoken to? Join their conversation without asking? - and he knows, as everyone who grows up autistic learns experience by painful experience, that choosing the wrong interaction with someone who has power over you can go very, very badly. That shit is what gets you bullied by the popular kids. It gets you ostracised by your boss, or mocked by your teacher. In those situations, the safest thing to do is behave in a way you know is socially acceptable in another, similar situation, and hope you fly under the radar.
David isn't military, not really, so he doesn't know how to speak to a commanding officer. But Kirigan is an authority figure, and David is an academic, so he has had plenty of those throughout his life. Teachers. He puts his hand up because that's what you do in class. Put up your hand and wait to be acknowledged. Close enough, right?
And. I love Kirigan's response in this scene. He's in a bad mood already. He's had a shit day. A street rat from Ketterdam just threw a bomb at him, nicked his carriage for good measure, and he's just found out his almost-girlfriend has ghosted him of her own accord rather than being kidnapped. It would be very easy for him to take his temper out on awkward, socially-anxious David - mock him, or be snide, or a dozen other ways normal people make Other people feel like they don't belong. But he doesn't. Aside from being fucking baffled for a second, which honestly, fair enough, he takes the weird behaviour in stride.
I love this because. This is a world that probably still has no word for someone like David - not a word that would be socially acceptable nowadays, at least. This is a world where Kirigan is called a dangerous extremist for wanting his people to have the same rights, protections and freedoms as the otkazat'sya, where human experimentation on Grisha and burning them at the stake are still openly endorsed by Ravka's neighbour countries. This is a world that is viciously opposed to The Other, and David is more Other than most. This guy has probably grown up being hyperaware of how much he doesn't quite fit in, even among his own kind. Kids are cruel, and even marginalised communities will turn on the outsider in their midst.
But in the few seconds it takes to have that interaction, we see that Kirigan not only accept David's David-ness, but encourage him. He starts to automatically correct the behaviour - "No, you don't have to -" - and then stops himself. Because all a correction is going to do is make David feel that he did something wrong, that he broke a rule he doesn't even really understand in the first place, and he didn't, not really. He's a bit weird, but that's okay. So instead, he just acknowledges the gesture for what it was - David pointing out that he'd like to speak - and listens to him. And when you look at David's face...he looks relieved.
And. That says so much about who Kirigan has been all these years before they dunk him on the Evul VillianTM slide, for the rest of the season and for season two. He's a good leader. A good General. He understands how to win and keep his men's loyalty, make them feel seen and valued. And he treats oddballs with kindness and respect. And GOD that makes me feel things
