[ She's only a little younger than he is, which is about right to his guess. It does make it worse, that she's been stuck with Heleen for so long. Years of adolescence chewed up by awfulness and a future that could've been much the same.
He wonders what she'll do now. After she celebrates, of course.
Lizabeta flutters the short distance from Inej's shoulder to the top of her head, small beak arranging her hair. It's an amusing picture, one he can't help a slight smile for. ]
January twelfth. [ Recently passed. He'd gone over to Jesper's place and been fussed at by his boyfriend, Wylan. ]
When's yours, then?
[ If it hasn't gone by already, maybe she'll soon be having a first birthday free of Heleen. ]
[ she hasn't thought about her own birthday in a long time. mostly because it's painful. inej is an only child, and her parents used to make a very big deal out of her birthday. which feels like . . . eons ago. any attempt she's made to contact them or try to track them down has either been thwarted by heleen or failed miserably.
she idly wonders where they are, now. or if they miss her. or even know if she's alive. but she quickly shoves that down to shrug a little. ]
Sorry that I missed your extravagant party.
[ a light-hearted joke, because while inej doesn't know kaz very well, she can tell he would rather do literally anything else on his birthday than attend an extravagant party. ]
[ Born in the summer. Somehow, that seems fitting. Her personality is certainly very positive and sunny, despite the absolutely shitty circumstances she's been living with. ]
Too bad, it was the talk of the town. Chocolate fountains, champagne, the works.
[ Ugh. He would never. It's an egregious amount of money for no reason. Sure he can be glad he's made it another year but that's less about celebrating a birth and more about the survival aspect. Inej seems to understand he doesn't care for the extravagance, at least. ]
Maybe so. [ He takes a seat in the chair nearby, stretching his legs out, the toe of one shoe close to her feet. Technically, it's easier to stretch out on the other side of the couch, where he wouldn't be almost touching her, but that would also put him closer, generally. It's easier to talk to her this way anyway. ]
[ chocolate fountains . . . the image sparks a grin, and she watches him stretch out. clearly trying to get comfortable with his bad leg, and inej considers offering to get him something that might help, but she decides against it. he seems like a proud person.
lizabeta makes herself comfortable on top of inej's head, and inej considers his question, settling back into the corner of the couch. ]
I don't know.
[ it's an honest answer, crossing her legs at her ankles. there's a million things to consider, and things to do. to sort through. to process. heal. her first thought is to go to ravka, to find her parents, but . . . how would she even do that?
she has to finish her business here, first. ]
I don't really have anywhere to go. [ admittedly, with a shrug of her shoulders, as lizabeta hops back down, fluttering to land on inej's lap. ] So I have to figure that out, first.
[ she pauses, though, her eyes flickering to his leg before her gaze meets his, inclining her head toward the couch. ]
You would probably be more comfortable if you laid down on the couch.
[ It is a bit early to ask, after all, so it's hardly a surprise when she says she doesn't know what she'll do. Being in Heleen's employ meant surviving and thinking of nothing else but getting through to the next day. At least, that is how it'd felt for him when he was up against Rollins.
Now she has so much choice it's likely to be overwhelming. Especially as she still processes the whole situation.
Though, she does start with the practical end: where she'll stay. ]
If you want to stay here in the meantime. [ Kaz gives her a half-shrug from where he's practically slouched down in his seat. ]
Technically, it's not long enough.
[ There's a way to make it work. But really, he doesn't want to kick her off the couch out of a probably stupid sense of pride. ]
[ he's ridiculously tall. or, well, maybe he isn't, and she's just short. he's not as tall as jesper, or quite so lanky, though you wouldn't know it by how slouched he is in the armchair. which looks very uncomfortable. ]
I think I have been enough of a burden; I don't want to continue being in your way.
[ and inej unfolds her legs to get up under the guise of stretching . . . before she moves to sit in the chair opposite him, arching her eyebrows in his direction. ]
[ He's going to argue that she isn't in the way. It's not like she's preventing him from sitting down or something. But, she takes it upon herself to move and he huffs out a sigh.
Bullied in his own home. Tragic. Though his leg will thank him later for stretching it out properly before he goes to bed. He's gone to sleep several times before thinking it would be fine but moving around in his sleep just made it worse.
Then again, he has a tendency to tuck up his legs when he sleeps, especially when it's cold out. ]
Fine, fine. [ He straightens and pushes himself up out of the chair, folding her blanket nest back so he isn't laying all over it. Carefully, he stretches out on the couch; that first bend of his knee the trickiest part. But, like this, it takes the pressure off his thigh and knee, letting him relax a little better. ]
Are you always this stubborn?
[ Says the guy who'd been suffering in an armchair less than a minute ago. ]
[ the retort comes easily, and lizabeta flutters in her hands to fly onto the coffee table, peeping softly as she hops along, clearly intent on getting to the couch.
but, you know. he did ask a question, and inej tucks her legs underneath her as she curls into the armchair, comfortable and content. ]
But I normally stand my ground, yes.
[ that's definitely the same thing as being right, right? ]
I think it still counts as stubborn. [ He does, after all, know stubborn very well.
Hearing Lizabeta's peeps, he stretches his arm out, providing her with two fingers to climb up onto. She marches her tiny feet straight onto them, tilting slightly to and fro when he picks her up from the table. Her journey continues as she flutters up to his shoulder, tucking herself close to his neck. ]
Does she think I'm a nest? [ It's not like he's annoyed over it. Something about the little bird is very comforting. ]
[ she can't help but smile at lizabeta tucking herself close. what a charmer. at least kaz has decided he likes the bird; inej isn't sure what she would do if he decided she couldn't stay because of lizabeta. ]
You are warm. So . . . probably.
[ with a shrug, amused. lizabeta indeed nuzzles herself closer, settling in for what looks like to be a nap. ]
She would sit on your shoulder the entire day if you let her.
[ He never really had a pet, growing up. The chickens were probably the closest thing, though they still weren't allowed in the house. Just up to the door, where they'd usually like to wait for his dad to come out in the mornings.
And once he'd gotten his life somewhat straightened out, he just figured he didn't have time for one. That might be from the overworking. Which he does. A lot.
But he does genuinely like Lizabeta. She's friendly and cuddly, with only the occasional screech (she is still a bird, after all). Most of her day is spent singing or chirping though. Pleasant. He reaches up and gives her a very soft pet on her head as he feels her slight weight settle closer. ]
The office wouldn't agree with it. [ Subjecting her to some of his coworkers would be plain unfair to the sweet bird.
A quiet whistling goes off in the kitchen and he sighs, sitting up carefully so as not to disturb Lizabeta off his shoulder. He'd almost forgotten about the water for tea. ]
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timewasting2020-09-27 05:30 pm
no subject
He wonders what she'll do now. After she celebrates, of course.
Lizabeta flutters the short distance from Inej's shoulder to the top of her head, small beak arranging her hair. It's an amusing picture, one he can't help a slight smile for. ]
January twelfth. [ Recently passed. He'd gone over to Jesper's place and been fussed at by his boyfriend, Wylan. ]
When's yours, then?
[ If it hasn't gone by already, maybe she'll soon be having a first birthday free of Heleen. ]
no subject
[ she hasn't thought about her own birthday in a long time. mostly because it's painful. inej is an only child, and her parents used to make a very big deal out of her birthday. which feels like . . . eons ago. any attempt she's made to contact them or try to track them down has either been thwarted by heleen or failed miserably.
she idly wonders where they are, now. or if they miss her. or even know if she's alive. but she quickly shoves that down to shrug a little. ]
Sorry that I missed your extravagant party.
[ a light-hearted joke, because while inej doesn't know kaz very well, she can tell he would rather do literally anything else on his birthday than attend an extravagant party. ]
Maybe I can come to the next one.
no subject
Too bad, it was the talk of the town. Chocolate fountains, champagne, the works.
[ Ugh. He would never. It's an egregious amount of money for no reason. Sure he can be glad he's made it another year but that's less about celebrating a birth and more about the survival aspect. Inej seems to understand he doesn't care for the extravagance, at least. ]
Maybe so. [ He takes a seat in the chair nearby, stretching his legs out, the toe of one shoe close to her feet. Technically, it's easier to stretch out on the other side of the couch, where he wouldn't be almost touching her, but that would also put him closer, generally. It's easier to talk to her this way anyway. ]
It's early to ask— what will you do now?
no subject
lizabeta makes herself comfortable on top of inej's head, and inej considers his question, settling back into the corner of the couch. ]
I don't know.
[ it's an honest answer, crossing her legs at her ankles. there's a million things to consider, and things to do. to sort through. to process. heal. her first thought is to go to ravka, to find her parents, but . . . how would she even do that?
she has to finish her business here, first. ]
I don't really have anywhere to go. [ admittedly, with a shrug of her shoulders, as lizabeta hops back down, fluttering to land on inej's lap. ] So I have to figure that out, first.
[ she pauses, though, her eyes flickering to his leg before her gaze meets his, inclining her head toward the couch. ]
You would probably be more comfortable if you laid down on the couch.
no subject
Now she has so much choice it's likely to be overwhelming. Especially as she still processes the whole situation.
Though, she does start with the practical end: where she'll stay. ]
If you want to stay here in the meantime. [ Kaz gives her a half-shrug from where he's practically slouched down in his seat. ]
Technically, it's not long enough.
[ There's a way to make it work. But really, he doesn't want to kick her off the couch out of a probably stupid sense of pride. ]
no subject
I think I have been enough of a burden; I don't want to continue being in your way.
[ and inej unfolds her legs to get up under the guise of stretching . . . before she moves to sit in the chair opposite him, arching her eyebrows in his direction. ]
And I also think the couch looks long enough.
[ move it, loser. ]
no subject
Bullied in his own home. Tragic. Though his leg will thank him later for stretching it out properly before he goes to bed. He's gone to sleep several times before thinking it would be fine but moving around in his sleep just made it worse.
Then again, he has a tendency to tuck up his legs when he sleeps, especially when it's cold out. ]
Fine, fine. [ He straightens and pushes himself up out of the chair, folding her blanket nest back so he isn't laying all over it. Carefully, he stretches out on the couch; that first bend of his knee the trickiest part. But, like this, it takes the pressure off his thigh and knee, letting him relax a little better. ]
Are you always this stubborn?
[ Says the guy who'd been suffering in an armchair less than a minute ago. ]
no subject
[ the retort comes easily, and lizabeta flutters in her hands to fly onto the coffee table, peeping softly as she hops along, clearly intent on getting to the couch.
but, you know. he did ask a question, and inej tucks her legs underneath her as she curls into the armchair, comfortable and content. ]
But I normally stand my ground, yes.
[ that's definitely the same thing as being right, right? ]
no subject
Hearing Lizabeta's peeps, he stretches his arm out, providing her with two fingers to climb up onto. She marches her tiny feet straight onto them, tilting slightly to and fro when he picks her up from the table. Her journey continues as she flutters up to his shoulder, tucking herself close to his neck. ]
Does she think I'm a nest? [ It's not like he's annoyed over it. Something about the little bird is very comforting. ]
no subject
You are warm. So . . . probably.
[ with a shrug, amused. lizabeta indeed nuzzles herself closer, settling in for what looks like to be a nap. ]
She would sit on your shoulder the entire day if you let her.
no subject
And once he'd gotten his life somewhat straightened out, he just figured he didn't have time for one. That might be from the overworking. Which he does. A lot.
But he does genuinely like Lizabeta. She's friendly and cuddly, with only the occasional screech (she is still a bird, after all). Most of her day is spent singing or chirping though. Pleasant. He reaches up and gives her a very soft pet on her head as he feels her slight weight settle closer. ]
The office wouldn't agree with it. [ Subjecting her to some of his coworkers would be plain unfair to the sweet bird.
A quiet whistling goes off in the kitchen and he sighs, sitting up carefully so as not to disturb Lizabeta off his shoulder. He'd almost forgotten about the water for tea. ]