"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.
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."
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."
"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 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.
"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."
"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."
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."
"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."
He laughs, cackles even. "Now that sounds like a fucking party!" he decides. "You shouldn't ever remember a good party, Fitz. Have I taught you nothing?"
He laughs, waving a hand. "I like what I like. That was my deal, you know.
To have some time of not dealing with the effects of my bad decisions. But
- it does mean I can still ride that particular pony."
"I mean, it's certainly one way to party when you're really depressed. Actually, I have my suspicions about Anji. She was one of those brokers. She keeps saying it was before her time and that I just watch too many movies, which sounds very suspicious to me."
"Anji had a real job. The ways she's nothing like you are legion. But I did watch parts of 'The Wolf of Wall Street', and it was unjust of her to claim I only turned it on when she entered the room. I turned it on five minutes before." He grins. "And that's why you always want a little unpredictability in your life."
He rolls his eyes. "I don't like unpredictability! I like being unpredictable!" he complains. "But if that doesn't describe me completely, then I don't know what does!"
"As it's been far too long, I won't offer alternatives to how you could be described completely. I'm thinking of them, but I'm not saying them. I always forget how nice it can be to feel the sun every so often."
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-03 04:35 am (UTC)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.
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-03 06:58 pm (UTC)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."
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-03 07:14 pm (UTC)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."
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-04 08:02 pm (UTC)Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-04 08:06 pm (UTC)Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-05 04:45 pm (UTC)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."
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-05 05:15 pm (UTC)"I missed you too," he says, growing earnest.
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-07 03:26 am (UTC)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.
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-07 03:33 am (UTC)"And we happened to save every universe last week, but I'll take your thanks as understood."
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-07 03:42 am (UTC)Pagan is never getting over that. He's also never letting Fitz live that down.
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-07 03:43 am (UTC)It had been slightly less terrifying than being mugged by a horse with a giant horn, but only slightly.
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-08 01:17 am (UTC)Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-08 01:23 am (UTC)Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-08 01:51 am (UTC)Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-08 01:57 am (UTC)"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."
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-08 02:02 am (UTC)Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-08 02:40 am (UTC)Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-08 03:41 am (UTC)No.
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-08 03:47 am (UTC)Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-08 12:25 pm (UTC)He laughs, waving a hand. "I like what I like. That was my deal, you know. To have some time of not dealing with the effects of my bad decisions. But - it does mean I can still ride that particular pony."
Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-08 06:26 pm (UTC)Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-09 02:43 am (UTC)Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-09 02:47 am (UTC)Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-09 03:11 am (UTC)Re: for Pagan
Date: 2026-01-09 03:17 am (UTC)Re: for Pagan
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