"I would, and I don't know that he'd delight in my charming presence as much as would be reasonable." He shakes his head. "I just think it makes people weird to be raised by servants. Also being sent away to boarding school at a young age. I'd point at the history of my country as proof of that."
"I'm weird. Of course you're weird. How else could it work? I've always been a bit suspicious of normal people." He sits down, as he waits for the kettle to boil.
"I don't know. When I was a kid during the war, there was some stuff done for getting kids away from the cities to try to stay safe from the bombing. My mum kept me with her, because she didn't want to send me alone into the countryside." He shrugs. "There can be arguments made, I guess, but I think it would've fucked me up to be sent away like that with no sort of guarantee that it wouldn't be awful."
"Trees have their place. That place is out in the country. At least you can find everything you want in the city," he says, teasing. "And I've climbed far too many mountains to appreciate their majesty. Travel can narrow the mind."
"That is because your mind is already narrow," she teases in turn. "You should lie in the grass. Stare at the clouds. Smoke a cigarette as the wind blows."
"As it happens, I've done all those things. Then I was almost killed by villagers being used as puppets by killer, alien wasps while running around trying to stop a nuclear bomb from being set off. The part where I was lying in the grass was very nice in comparison."
She giggles and pulls away as the water boils, returning to the chair. "Your life is...so bizarre. You have been on mny adventures. I would like to go on one with you one day."
"Only on the best days." He pours the water into a kettle, adding the tea leaves to steep. "I would take you to Euterpe Four. The cities are made of music and the people carve grand designs with poetry. When you lie down by the river you hear it sing and if you sing back it will take you to a world you can't imagine."
"I won't let good tea go to waste!" she protests and gathers her things before she leads the way out. "He sounded worried. I hope nothing's happened to it."
"Since you say it's good tea, I suppose it's alright." He gives her a wry grin. "I'd ask what could've happened, but I don't want to jinx it. Not here."
Fitz is pretty good at avoiding bloodstains, as it's not fun to try to clean blood off and he puts on clothes he likes when Justine is coming over. Fitz is also pretty good at seeing signs of graduation. ...It doesn't require extensive detective work.
He wraps Justine in an embrace, actually lifting her in his delight.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2025-08-13 02:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-13 02:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-13 02:31 am (UTC)"I don't know. When I was a kid during the war, there was some stuff done for getting kids away from the cities to try to stay safe from the bombing. My mum kept me with her, because she didn't want to send me alone into the countryside." He shrugs. "There can be arguments made, I guess, but I think it would've fucked me up to be sent away like that with no sort of guarantee that it wouldn't be awful."
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Date: 2025-08-13 02:54 pm (UTC)"At least you were somewhere you knew," she says with a sigh, growing impatient waiting on the water. She stands, wrapping her arms around him again.
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Date: 2025-08-13 05:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-13 06:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-13 06:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-13 06:10 pm (UTC)Justine has fantasies. They are sometimes normal.
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Date: 2025-08-13 06:12 pm (UTC)"As it happens, I've done all those things. Then I was almost killed by villagers being used as puppets by killer, alien wasps while running around trying to stop a nuclear bomb from being set off. The part where I was lying in the grass was very nice in comparison."
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Date: 2025-08-13 06:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-13 06:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-13 09:34 pm (UTC)Her communicator alerts and she frowns, ignoring it for the moment.
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Date: 2025-08-13 09:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-13 10:28 pm (UTC)"I like seeing the horrors, too. I want to see everything."
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Date: 2025-08-13 10:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-14 02:15 am (UTC)She giggles and reaches down for her communicator, frowning at Jedao's scared voice. She responds softly, then looks up to Fitz.
"Will you bring the tea with you? Something's - well, Jedao says I have to check my room."
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Date: 2025-08-14 02:34 am (UTC)"Lets see what's happened to your room, then."
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Date: 2025-08-14 02:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-14 02:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-14 01:40 pm (UTC)When they arrive, the difference is glaring. A plate of cookies and a tub in her once small bathroom.
"Oh, that's what he meant..."
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Date: 2025-08-14 04:46 pm (UTC)He wraps Justine in an embrace, actually lifting her in his delight.
"You're free!"
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Date: 2025-08-14 06:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-14 06:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-14 06:43 pm (UTC)"You should have!"
She thinks a moment. "This wasn't like this when I left. It must have been - you did it, Fitz. You graduated me."
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Date: 2025-08-14 06:47 pm (UTC)"Now that's a gift to the whole universe. Really, I should graduate for being so helpful."
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