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Fitz doesn't visit immediately after he's set free of the Barge. He meant to! It was the plan! He thinks that's very impressive when you take into account that he doesn't usually do 'plans'. But he made one, because he wants to see Pagan.
Unfortunately - perhaps because he has so little practice in making plans - he'd made the mistake of going home, first. He hadn't exactly been able to visit while reality was in the process of falling apart (or whatever it was that happened). The point is, none of them had been able to make much of a choice in where to visit and, also, it had sucked. A lot. But the universe is saved (or whatever it was that happened), and Fitz hasn't been holding on to being able to go make fun of Pagan for having an island for all this time to just not go.
And, of course, he couldn't go and just knock when he has cool alien lock picks that he doesn't get to use nearly enough.
Unfortunately - perhaps because he has so little practice in making plans - he'd made the mistake of going home, first. He hadn't exactly been able to visit while reality was in the process of falling apart (or whatever it was that happened). The point is, none of them had been able to make much of a choice in where to visit and, also, it had sucked. A lot. But the universe is saved (or whatever it was that happened), and Fitz hasn't been holding on to being able to go make fun of Pagan for having an island for all this time to just not go.
And, of course, he couldn't go and just knock when he has cool alien lock picks that he doesn't get to use nearly enough.
Dorian's asleep and Pagan's awake, which means that it's time to go down to the beach wearing absolutely nothing and sit out to drink his morning away. He has a decade of free living left! He's not going to worry about things like protein intake and hydration when he can drink a pina colada and call it a fruit cocktail.
He's coming down the stairs, a towel draped over his arm, when the lock finally gives.
He's coming down the stairs, a towel draped over his arm, when the lock finally gives.
Fitz immediately puts his hand behind his back. Maybe the door just happened to open when he was kneeling in front of it! These things can happen! Clearly, that's what anyone would assume if they weren't looking directly at the lock picks.
"Hey, Pagan." Lock picks hidden or not, he doesn't look at all sheepish as he smiles up at him.
He looks... well, he looks far more styled than he ever did on the Barge. Not that he never dressed up, and sometimes he dressed up in away that weren't an affront to the eyes, but it's clear he wasmarched brought to an actual barber and instructions were given on the matter of his hair. Between that and the tiredness under his grin, it's pretty easy to tell that he hasn't shown up immediately post graduation.
"Hey, Pagan." Lock picks hidden or not, he doesn't look at all sheepish as he smiles up at him.
He looks... well, he looks far more styled than he ever did on the Barge. Not that he never dressed up, and sometimes he dressed up in away that weren't an affront to the eyes, but it's clear he was
He had been waiting for this day with a sort of quiet anxiety. Not because he was afraid of seeing Fitz, but because he was afraid of not seeing him. Pagan heard where the non-graduated inmates go. He knows what happens to failures.
He does, for Fitz's sake, wrap the towel around his waist. "Fitz, darling. You're just in time," he says smoothly, grinning. He takes him in, from the new haircut to the clothes, to the look on his face. "Come on. Get some sun."
He does, for Fitz's sake, wrap the towel around his waist. "Fitz, darling. You're just in time," he says smoothly, grinning. He takes him in, from the new haircut to the clothes, to the look on his face. "Come on. Get some sun."
Fitz loves a good bit of pretend, but playing 'guy wealthy enough to get invited to kill people for sport' had been stressful on a number of levels.
"I'm always just in time, except when I'm late. It's a rule for time traveling." He sticks the lock picks in his pocket. "Luckily I'm only half English, so I can get sun without blowing up. I'm ready to see the best places on your island."
"I'm always just in time, except when I'm late. It's a rule for time traveling." He sticks the lock picks in his pocket. "Luckily I'm only half English, so I can get sun without blowing up. I'm ready to see the best places on your island."
He notices the picks and rolls his eyes. "Being half English is a burden we share. But your other half just isn't as exciting as mine is," he adds, slinging an arm across his shoulders.
The mansion is exactly what Pagan had advertised. It's large and sprawling, covering the southern beach of his mansion. Inside is all decadence and opulance, and outside is a mirror of that. He leads him towards the water, under a covered bar and settles down on a deck chair.
"Tell me what I missed," he says, pulling the other chair closer to him.
The mansion is exactly what Pagan had advertised. It's large and sprawling, covering the southern beach of his mansion. Inside is all decadence and opulance, and outside is a mirror of that. He leads him towards the water, under a covered bar and settles down on a deck chair.
"Tell me what I missed," he says, pulling the other chair closer to him.
Fitz grins. "It's still an advantage over Dorian. One of many." As ever, his affection for Dorian can only be expressed through being mildly (to majorly) insulting. It's good for him. It's been a long time, but there's still something familiar in Pagan's arm around his shoulder - a comfort in walking with him through his ridiculous house.
He sits down on the ground, leaning against Pagan and looking out across the water. He would admit that it is pretty. And he's pretty certain that there won't be any monsters from the depths and/or alien invasion from the depths. Which is nice and relaxing.
"Depends on whether you mean 'thankfully I escaped going through it' or 'oh I guess that was interesting'. Cos I wouldn't say there's too much of either."
He sits down on the ground, leaning against Pagan and looking out across the water. He would admit that it is pretty. And he's pretty certain that there won't be any monsters from the depths and/or alien invasion from the depths. Which is nice and relaxing.
"Depends on whether you mean 'thankfully I escaped going through it' or 'oh I guess that was interesting'. Cos I wouldn't say there's too much of either."
"Oh? And how long did you stay since the last time we spoke?" he wonders. "And sit in the fucking chair. Take your clothes off. I won't laugh."
He will.
He closes his eyes. "It isn't anything I haven't seen before."
He will.
He closes his eyes. "It isn't anything I haven't seen before."
"I mean, if you think about it, no time has passed since we last spoke and also all of eternity. Time is like that." As ever, he hasn't a really profound understanding of these things. "People are always saying that. And some of them are liars."
He feels he doesn't need to say where Pagan falls.
He does shed most of his clothes, and eventually manages to get into the chair. It's been a while since he's sat in a deck chair! He gets out of practice. He's also a bit out of practice with direct sunlight. There are times when it's not overcast in London, but he never seems to find them.
He feels he doesn't need to say where Pagan falls.
He does shed most of his clothes, and eventually manages to get into the chair. It's been a while since he's sat in a deck chair! He gets out of practice. He's also a bit out of practice with direct sunlight. There are times when it's not overcast in London, but he never seems to find them.
Pagan looks over to him and moves closer, though two people come by to set down drinks and leave. Pagan doesn't know their names. He doesn't even know if they have names (they do). They are paid well and have all the benefits they could ever ask for - and all they need to do is read his mind.
He doesn't laugh, at least.
"And don't talk to me about your fucking cryptic time bullshit. That's not how the barge works. You celebrate holidays. You have birthday parties." He pauses. "Well, not you."
He doesn't laugh, at least.
"And don't talk to me about your fucking cryptic time bullshit. That's not how the barge works. You celebrate holidays. You have birthday parties." He pauses. "Well, not you."
Fitz says 'thank you', because he doesn't have much in the way of manners but his mother did try to teach him some. Besides, he's read a lot of mysteries where people were poisoned by servants and he's always felt that's very reasonable.
He lifts his drink in a toast of sorts.
"I don't have birthday parties because they bring up bad memories. Have you reached the age where you stop having them so you can lie about how old you are? Anyway, time on the barge is weird. You spend part of a month not being yourself, so how much time even passed? It's not like you're getting any older. It's like a matter of experience but what does that even mean?" Actually, those are the sorts of questions about time that give him a headache, so he doesn't linger there. "Anyway, it'd probably more than a year, I suppose."
He lifts his drink in a toast of sorts.
"I don't have birthday parties because they bring up bad memories. Have you reached the age where you stop having them so you can lie about how old you are? Anyway, time on the barge is weird. You spend part of a month not being yourself, so how much time even passed? It's not like you're getting any older. It's like a matter of experience but what does that even mean?" Actually, those are the sorts of questions about time that give him a headache, so he doesn't linger there. "Anyway, it'd probably more than a year, I suppose."
"More than a year!" he cries out, surprised but also - not. "How much more than a year? How long were you stuck in that fucking place, doing the same shit over and over again until it fucking wore you down, huh?"
"Hey, I could do the same shit over and over for decades if I really needed to." Or something. He shrugs. "I dunno. I think I've been out for a year or so you can add that on. Time got... very weird, so I can't say for sure. You don't know how messy it got trying to go anywhere." He would've liked to see Pagan a lot sooner.
He takes a drink. "Well, you're here. That's all that I care about. You're...fucking here."
He breathes out slowly. "I've missed you."
"Good, 'cos you don't have enough alcohol for a full story of what's happened." It involves a lot of bullshit, and even higher amounts of the Doctor.
"I missed you too," he says, growing earnest.
"I missed you too," he says, growing earnest.
He turns to look at him. "Is that because the story involves the Doctor. Are you - did you join up with him again on his stupid fucking adventures?"
Despite his words, Pagan doesn't have any ill will towards the man. Fitz is a big boy who makes his own choices and even if Pagan feels like he talks about him far too much, he won't begrudge him the life he wants.
Despite his words, Pagan doesn't have any ill will towards the man. Fitz is a big boy who makes his own choices and even if Pagan feels like he talks about him far too much, he won't begrudge him the life he wants.
"That's epic adventures through time and space to you, pal. Of course I did. I wasn't going to abandon him." His plan had always been to go back to the Doctor (well, his plan whenever he believed he was going to get out at all). And once he was back with him - well, if he'd ever forgotten why it was the life he'd chosen he remembers now. That doesn't mean that it's not a bad choice a lot of the time! But it's still a choice.
"And we happened to save every universe last week, but I'll take your thanks as understood."
"And we happened to save every universe last week, but I'll take your thanks as understood."
"Were there unicorns involved?"
Pagan is never getting over that. He's also never letting Fitz live that down.
Pagan is never getting over that. He's also never letting Fitz live that down.
"Weird alien kid with a magic dog, actually."
It had been slightly less terrifying than being mugged by a horse with a giant horn, but only slightly.
It had been slightly less terrifying than being mugged by a horse with a giant horn, but only slightly.
"That is somehow worse!" he laments, dramatically throwing an arm over his face. "What's worse than a thug of a unicorn? A child, obviously."
"The real surprising bit was that she never tried to mug me for chocolate. That's the sort of thing you expect from a kid. Horse you think will get right to stomping."
"What did she want? What did the fucking dog want?" he wonders.
He reaches out so he can put a hand on Pagan's arm.
"Believe me when I say this: I have absolutely no idea. There was something about the big bang? The dog might have nobly sacrificed himself?" He takes another drink. "The important thing is that everything was probably more or less fixed, in the end."
"Believe me when I say this: I have absolutely no idea. There was something about the big bang? The dog might have nobly sacrificed himself?" He takes another drink. "The important thing is that everything was probably more or less fixed, in the end."
"More or less." He puts a hand over Fitz's and drinks deeply, setting the empty glass aside. "Do you not question these tasks you do?"
"Yeah, but we don't know the full story until everything's done. I understand the explanations, even! Some of the time. But I made my best punch for Anji's staying home party and I don't remember a ton of that day in general."
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