timewasting | modern au kanej.

[ She attempts to untangle more of her hair and then seems to give up. He can't blame her really, it looks like it would need some serious brushing. A time consuming process for certain.

He gets the urge to reach out and continue where she left off, but he pushes that away. Because it's silly and shouldn't be indulged. Too intimate. ]

Oh I'm aware. [ On both counts. Though he does run a useless hand through his hair. Which probably just musses it more than it helps. ]

Did you sleep well?

[ Considering how comfortable she looked, probably. But he is curious. Since he definitely slept much better than he usually did, which was strange. ]

I did.

[ she says, her wry look shifting into something a bit warmer. watching his hair fall everywhere again, her lips curving into a faint smile.

faintly, she realizes she’s still wearing his shirt, which is still huge on her. and her shirt and bra are on the floor somewhere behind her, which she’ll need to grab on her way out. ]

I think I need to get whatever mattress you have; you melt right into it.

[ She's giving him this faint smile and he isn't sure what to do with that. It's probably from his hair flopping right back to where it had been, but the expression is just. Warm. Almost too tender. He has a hard time meeting her eye so his gaze drops.

Probably wasn't a good idea, since she's still wearing his shirt. Which hangs loose everywhere, including the collar. It's nearly off her small shoulders and dipping low on her chest.

Ah. Okay. He turns his head to look more towards the ceiling, trying not to blush. ]

Sure I've got the brand bookmarked somewhere. I'll send it to you.

[ Because that's the logical thing to do instead of what his mind conjures. Which is: just tell her she can stay in here sometimes. Seriously what? ]

Breakfast? Or— [ He finally picks up his phone to glance at it. Yeah, still morning. ] —okay, breakfast.

[ Sitting up carefully, he stretches his arms up, shaking off more of the sleepiness. Really, he could probably go back to bed. But falling back asleep while she was here seemed...rude. ]

[ he gets up and stretches, which causes the bottom of his shirt to lift just a little bit. it conforms to his back, briefly highlighting the muscles along his shoulders . . . and inej averts her eyes as she shifts to get up herself, stooping to pick up her shirt and bra, folding the latter into the shirt so it's a bit more hidden.

not that it matters. but it feels -- uncomfortable? who knows. ]

I can make breakfast.

[ she says with a smile as she makes her way to the door, pushing her hair out of her face again, as she adds: ]

Once I brush my hair, anyway - and tame the nest for Lizabeta.

[ rude, btw. ]

[ He's reluctantly pulled back the covers and started stretching his legs out by the time she's gathered her clothes and started for the door. Glancing up when she pauses, he has to bite his tongue so he can keep control of his face. Because now that she's up, he's getting the full effect of his shirt on her. It's practically a dress, hitting right about her knees.

That with the rumpled hair and the peek of her leggings and socked feet is just. Too much. He's not awake enough for this revelation. ]

I'll be in soon. [ He should brush his hair and wash his face. Oh and stop thinking about how incredibly beautiful his roommate is. That's honestly going to take the longest. ]

Sure you're not just going to leave it for when you let her out for her morning stretch?

I think she'll be okay without it.

[ with half a laugh, and she soon vanishes from sight to move to her bedroom. it takes a few moments to change into new clothes and brush her hair into something resembling order, though she does let lizabeta out of her cage first, the little bird fluttering out of the cage to land on inej's bedpost with a chirp.

she foregoes braiding her hair, leaving it down for now so she can focus on making breakfast. she makes her way to the kitchen, letting lizabeta settle on her shoulder as she rummages around for eggs in the fridge.

eggs and toast seem to be quick and easy. and so when kaz comes into the kitchen, she's halfway through frying some pieces of ham to go with the eggs and toast, lizabeta nibbling on a piece of popcorn that inej fished out of a bag for her to munch on. ]

Coffee is over there.

[ she says, inclining her head toward the pot, where it is staying warm. ]

[ As usual, it's much slower going for him. He's never quite awake until he has his coffee and it's compounded with the fact that he isn't exactly the quickest on his feet in general. So by the time he's combed his hair into some semblance of tame and washed up a bit, Inej has made some pretty good headway into breakfast already.

(Then again, he might've also. Flopped onto his pillow and muffled an exasperated sound into it. For a few minutes longer than he intended to. He really needs to stop being so stupid.)

The sight of freshly made coffee is a welcome one. One that he focuses on instead of her concentrating by the stove, little Lizabeta all cuddled up to her cheek. He pours them both coffee, making sure she has her favorite mug, and gets a couple plates down. Leaning against the counter, he sips his drink, feeling slightly more human after a few moments.

He's going to miss this. Well, not this as in Inej making breakfast, because that makes him seem archaic. More like having her around in the apartment. He never thought he'd be one to want a roommate, always preferring his space. Yet here he is. ]

You coming back for the holidays? [ It's obviously far off at this point, but it's better than the comment that hovers at the back of his mouth. About how she's beautiful and intelligent and how much he's going to miss her. It feels too telling and he isn't sure how it'll come out. ]

I think so.

[ she says, tossing him a smile at the cup of coffee set in front of her. she flips over the pieces of ham in the pan before scooping the eggs onto the plates in front of her, turning toward the toaster to fish out the toast. ]

You could always come visit me, in Ravka, you know.

[ as she deposits the pieces of toast on the plates, turning her attention back toward the ham, giving them one last flip before arranging them on the plate. lizabeta chirps to herself, still carefully chewing away at her piece of popcorn as inej finds silverware in a drawer. ]

If you get bored of Ketterdam, and want to see somewhere new, anyway.

[ Well, that is possibly an option. It's not like he's lacking in vacation time at work. Anika and his boss usually end up harassing him to take the time because he caps out so often.

But: ]

Don't want to distract you from your courses.

[ She'll have plenty of homework to worry about. Or studying for tests. And in between, looking for her parents again. While he's extremely tempted to make plans to visit, it might also be impractical. ]

When you get settled, maybe. If nothing explodes with the case or work.

[ Reaching out, he nudges Lizabeta to hop up on his hand, depositing her and her popcorn onto the counter. So they can all eat breakfast together. Without Lizabeta getting more popcorn bits onto Inej's shoulder. ]

[ lizabeta makes herself comfortable on the counter, curling a small foot around the piece of popcorn again once she's settled to continue chewing on it. and inej smiles a little before brushing a loose piece of popcorn off her shoulder. ]

I don't think you would distract me from my courses.

[ in a slightly chiding tone, as she sits herself up on the stool near the kitchen counter, gently petting lizabeta's head with a finger before picking up a fork. ]

If anything, you would probably help me.

If you say so.

[ Why is he being so reluctant? Or rather, why does he feel so reluctant. It's not like it would be that much different from their current co-habitation. She would just...be at school instead.

And maybe he would finally get a vacation.

Kaz sets up in the stool next to hers, cutting into the eggs and letting it soak a bit onto the toast. ]

The math side, definitely. The rest just depends.

[ he doesn't seem too enthused to come to ravka, which causes inej slight pause. but she doesn't press too much more on that front, instead turning her attention to her own plate. ]

I think you can manage.

[ lightly, as she cuts into her ham. lizabeta seems to finish her piece of popcorn and hops her way over to kaz's wrist, beak gently nibbling at his thumb before settling in to rest.

and inej is quiet for a moment, focusing on her breakfast, before she adds, a little nonchalantly: ]

Besides, you'll have to meet my people.

[ because, as he said last night, she'll find them. ]

[ Truthfully, he wasn't bad at academics. It had been a tedious time though and he'd hated almost every single second of being stuck in a classroom. He doesn't envy Inej going through her studies now.

He starts in on his eggs and ham as Lizabeta comes over, cuddling up to the back of his hand. Her feathers fluff up before she resettles, peeping softly. ]

That's true. You'll have to call me when you do. I don't care what time it is.

[ Part of him wishes he could be there when she meets them. When. Because obviously she will.

But it would a family moment. It would be weird to intrude on it. ]

I’m not waking you up for something that can wait until the morning.

[ with half a laugh, shaking her head slightly. though it warms her heart, that he’s invested. and wants to know.

she may not call him if the hour is absurd, but she will text him. when she’s certain his phone is on do not disturb. he can wake up to happy news. ]

You’ll just have to come visit to see for yourself, I guess.

Well, you could. I might not be very coherent, but you could. It is important.

[ Finding her family, that is. People she hasn't seen in years. He hopes they're in good health. ]

When you do, I'll get a ticket over. Jes can watch Lizabeta.

[ At that, he gently pets her small head, receiving a sleepy blink and then happy closed eyes. ]

[ the airport in os kervo is relatively small, at least compared to the one in os alta. but it's bustling, full of people coming and going, and vendors setting up shop to sell their wares to unsuspecting tourists. inej is stopped by at least three or four suli vendors to say hello, but she soon shakes them off to step into the airport itself. soon enough, inej is fidgeting with her bag on the other side of the security gate, waiting for kaz to arrive.

the university that inej is studying at is directly on the coast, and inej's apartment overlooks the harbor. it's a beautiful day on the port, sunny and bright, the air crisp as it blows in from the sea. it's been three months since she left ketterdam to study in ravka, in home. since she found her parents, and reconnected with them.

her parents are also living in os kervo, just like they were when inej left for kerch when she was a little girl. her mother had taken about two hours to stop crying and holding inej when she showed up on their doorstep. and her father had managed to not cry until inej managed to choke out what happened, when she got to ketterdam. she had never seen her father cry before. or remembered her father ever hugging her so tightly. but her parents had visited her every single night, since they found one another again. to catch up, to learn what had happened. to get to know their daughter again.

she had also talked to kaz nearly every night, since arriving here. particularly when she found her parents. and probably made him stay up too late on more than one occasion to talk. and she's found she misses him (and lizabeta) dearly. her parents (particularly her mother) are keen to meet him, from what inej has told them about her closest friend. though inej isn't entirely sure asena ghafa is ever going to approve of anyone from the island of kerch ever again. not that inej can really blame her.

at any rate, she hasn't seen him in months. and so she fidgets with her bag, waiting for him. it's a pleasant anxiety, an anticipation, as she watches the people move in and out of the gates, looking for his taller frame. ]

[ Inej has been in Ravka for three months. A strange period of time, really, because it felt like it went so slow. The days leading up to him visiting in particular seemed to crawl by. His nerves have been a wreck.

Because not only is he seeing Inej for the first time, in person, in three months, but he's also supposedly meeting her parents. The people she'd been looking for, in going to school in her home country. The people who probably thought her lost to them entirely. She had FaceTimed him late at night (his time) when she'd found them, emotional and eyes glassy with happiness. He'd stayed up far too late that night and Anika had bullied him into going home early after he dragged himself through half his shift.

(That day, he'd slept really well).

Today he hadn't slept as well, anxious about making his flight on time and thinking in circles about what was in store. He's talked to Inej quite often since she'd gone to Ravka, but what if the energy was different when he got there? What if they weren't as close as he thought they were? She's had time to make friends and start a school life, reconnect with her family. He's a friend but also just a strange roommate she lived with for a little over six months.

Ridiculously, he wishes he could've brought Lizabeta. She'd cuddle up and he'd feel a bit better.

Instead, he just has the bag straps that he keeps tugging on absently. And his phone, which now that he's off the plane and into the terminal, he can check compulsively to give himself something to focus on instead of how nervous he is. The nerves drop, momentarily, when he sees Inej, overwhelmed with relief. Then they slowly creep back as he steps over, though he tries not to let it show on his face. ]

Looking for someone?

[ she immediately lights up into a grin when he makes his way over to her, and inej gives him roughly two seconds of space before moving forward, sliding her arms around his waist into a tight hug.

neither of them are very touchy people. and, faintly, inej recognizes that kaz is probably going to hate being hugged. but in the moment, she can't really bring herself to care. he will deal with it, because she has missed him terribly.

(weirdly, she recognizes the smell of his soap. something to ignore. probably.) ]

I think I found him.

[ she says with a laugh, tightening her grip for a moment or two before letting go just enough to straighten his coat, which she's rumpled a little in her hug. ]

Welcome to Ravka. [ she says warmly. ] How was your flight?

[ There's a brief pause and he thinks they're probably just going to continue on. Except she steps forward then and wraps her arms right around his waist for a hug. He freezes, as he usually does when he's touched, panic rising up in his throat.

Then he remembers this is Inej, not some stranger. Not a thing of his past. Nor is she one to be so touchy, considering what she's been through. He forces himself to relax and loop an arm around her shoulders in something of a return hug. Which...feels better than he thought it would. Something he chalks up to being apart so long.

(There's also the matter of her being pressed so close. It feels weird to say but he missed it. They usually sat shoulder to shoulder on the couch when watching movies.) ]

That's good, certain he'd be lost otherwise.

[ Ravkan is not a language he knows by any stretch. ]

Tedious. Thankfully not delayed. Jes and Wylan send their regards.

[ ah, yes, he definitely hates it. but he does return the hug (a bit) and tells her that jesper and wylan says hello, which brightens her smile a bit more. ]

Next time, they should come with. But I am glad you are here, in one piece.

[ amused, as she reaches out to tug on the sleeve of his coat, to have him follow. ]

Come on - did you check a bag? We can pick it up and grab a taxi to my apartment so you can stash your things.

[ Her smile brightens and he feels that familiar warmth in his chest at the sight. She's done it plenty on their calls but it has a decidedly different effect in person. ]

I'm sure they'd jump at the chance. [ Jes in particular. That's just who he is as a person. Sociable and excitable, something that's always balanced out Kaz's own reluctance to speak to people. ]

Just one. [ Normally, he'd try to travel lighter but there wasn't an easy way to pack a suit and keep it from getting crumpled without using a checked bag. He follows her tugging and they head off towards the baggage claim, where he ends up being one of the lucky types—his bag slides down third. And then they're off, Inej navigating the taxi situation to get them to her apartment. It's a not a terribly long trip. Most of it he spends watching the scenery go by, all of it so different from the Kerch landscape.

The buildings are more colorful, here, with bright doors and shutters and flower boxes. Frankly, it makes the Kerch seem like a dour old maid. Which he supposes his people are. They're very concerned with respectability. ]

Housing associations would faint if someone painted their house magenta like that one.

[ He points out as they're stopped at a light, watching people pass by curiously. ]

[ he's so curious, taking in everything that he's seeing, and inej briefly leans her shoulder against his as she looks out his window, to see what he's looking at. it's a townhome, with what appears to be a mother lecturing her two children to come inside for lunch, with brilliant magenta shutters and a lot of beautiful flowers tucked along the windows. ]

There isn't a lot of grey here, that's for sure.

[ she agrees with a grin, settling back into her seat, though she remains close. ]

My apartment building is bright yellow. [ as her eyes shift out her own window, to keep track of where they are. ] It is mostly rented out to students, so I think they painted it that brightly to attract younger people . . . And my parents' house is blue, like the ocean on a clear day.

[ with quite a lot of flowers outside, in their small yard, meticulously cared for. ]

I think the Ravkan people like to celebrate joy where they can.

[ and her people, in particular, seize it at every opportunity. ]

[ He points out the building and she leans over to see, her shoulder pressed to his. It's such a familiar feeling that he relaxes immediately, some of the tension leaking out of his shoulders and neck. ]

I don't think I've seen a neutral yet.

[ No whites or browns either, the typical colors found all around Kerch.

Inej settles back into her seat and he misses her weight. A strange comfort. And almost hypocritical, since he'd been so stiff about the hug from earlier. But, he supposes, he's more used to sitting next to her. ]

They've had a tough history, so it makes sense.

[ The country has balanced out slightly more recently, but it's still kind of a mess. Tumultuous. Kerch has been much more stable and its people staid. Though there's splashes of color on the insides of their homes. ]

Kerch is always asking if it's profitable first. [ A different kind of joy. ]

[ indeed, ravka is a mess. the new king seems to want to change things for the better, but inej doesn't really hold much stock in the word of ravka, anymore. they hadn't exactly jumped to help her, when she dropped off the face of the earth, which is something asena has never forgiven them for. jardani seems to be a bit more accepting of believing the new king's word. asena is of the mind they can all rot. and inej falls somewhere in between -- not trusting, necessarily, but not actively wishing harm. maybe she should give them more of a chance.

at any rate: ]

I'll take you to the market, if you want to see a different kind of profit.

[ with a grin, leaning to bump her shoulder into his again. trying to picture kaz among a boisterous crowd trying to haggle for his coin is an entertaining mental image. ]

You'll walk away with at least six scarves in different colors -- ah --

[ and inej leans forward a bit to gesture toward the windshield, slipping effortlessly into ravkan. the driver glances toward her, responding in kind, and after a quick conversation, inej settles back into her seat, the car turning down a side street. and she tosses kaz a warm smile. ]

Almost there.

[ indeed, the car begins to wind its way toward a series of apartment buildings, tucked along an inner street. and, true to inej's word, the driver of the cab pulls up in front of a bright yellow building. it only takes inej a moment to pass him some money, and the driver seems to thank her before getting out of the cab to get kaz's bag out of the trunk, leaving inej to open her door with a smile. ]

Come on, there's an elevator so you don't have to walk up the stairs.

[ There's mention of a market and honestly, he's intrigued. Even if he can't speak the language, which puts him at a distinct disadvantage. It would be interesting though, if it's anything like he imagines. Busy, colorful, loud. Probably best for a short amount of time before the crowd became too much.

She's about to describe the scene more when she cuts off, presumably to give the driver more directions. There's only a little longer as the car wends its way down cramped streets and stops in front of the bright yellow building Inej had mentioned earlier. It's truly a sunny yellow. And yet, doesn't look at all out of place as it's sandwiched between one that's red and another that's a bright sky blue.

Kaz collects his bag from the driver with a polite nod and follows Inej up to her building, glancing around to take in the details. Quaint, for apartments. ]

What, you don't need six scarves? [ Different ones to match different outfits. ]

modern au kanej.

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ravka.

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