[ a laugh escapes as she looks towards him with a grin, her phone loosely held in a hand. ]
'That fried pancake with the grass.'
[ she repeats, in her very best kaz brekker impersonation, though she doesn't quite manage the low rasp of his voice, her own tone not dipping quite low enough for the full effect.
it also doesn't help that she's laughing. ]
I can order you the scallion pancakes.
[ and she does so, adding it to the list. she also adds the chicken skewers, but takes the time to write out in the 'comments' section 'chicken skewers without the skewer.' she'll see if they listen to the instruction. she also adds bubble tea, and once the order is finished, she hits send. ]
Thirty minutes.
[ as she leans back into the couch to look over at him again, amused. ]
[ All in all, it's not a terrible impression, she has his cadence down scarily well. There's a smile curling the corner of his mouth from both her laugh and the repetition. ]
I shouldn't have had that last gin and tonic. [ Though he doesn't sound like he particularly regrets it. For now. ] You knew what I meant.
[ He gives her a nudge with his shoulder. And then sort of. Stays lightly pressed there. Everything is spinning a bit so it's probably better he doesn't move so much.
[ it's always a delight, making him smile. making him laugh is even rarer; kaz brekker is not one for showing how he feels very often.
he leans against her, though, nudging her in jest, and inej is anticipating that he's just making himself comfortable until the food gets here . . . when he says he wants to get up to go get the pitcher of water from the fridge. ]
Shouldn't I get the pitcher?
[ mildly, not moving a single inch. (his hand is also on her leg, so clearly, he has to let go, first.) ]
You barely walk in a straight line without the gin.
[ As though he's seen fit to grant her quiet curiosity, the comment about him not being able to walk in a line has him huffing out a laugh. He always hates it when people handle the subject like he's made of glass. Always tip toeing around it and trying not to mention it as much as possible.
It's annoying. He'd rather they just acknowledged it without looking like they were going to melt through the floor from embarrassment. ]
Kitchen's not a straight line from here anyway. Unless you're planning to do some somersaults to get the pitcher, then be my guest.
[ ah, success. his laugh brings a wider grin to her face, and she rolls her eyes as she shifts herself forward, pushing herself up onto her feet.
it means getting up off of his lap, which she feels a bit annoyed over, for some reason, but kaz is right -- they do need water. and so: ]
I do not somersault.
[ how annoying, as she makes her way to the kitchen, her steps a little wobbly, but her voice carries from the kitchen as she makes her way to the refrigerator. ]
I think the more accurate term for it is parkour. [ inej could make a killing on tiktok if she cared, but school is more important than internet celebrity, as it were. and she comes back into the living room with the pitcher and two glasses, setting them on the table to carefully pour them both a glass. ] Or yoga. Or kickboxing. Self-defense?
[ whatever. and she holds out the glass with a grin. ]
Isn't that what you did the first weekend you were here?
[ He teases after she gets up, ignoring how he finds he misses the warmth and weight from her legs being draped over his lap. Which is a weird thing to think about. About as weird as the urge to lean over and kiss her cheek earlier.
Adamantly, he stops thinking about that. ]
Why not all of the above? Throw gymnastics in for good measure.
[ It's relatively the same.
He takes the glass he's offered. Carefully, because it feels like his hand is wobbling. And amazingly doesn't get water all down his front. ]
[ so, obviously, it's his fault that she did a flip at all. she sits back on the couch, taking a drink of her own water before stretching her legs back out over his lap, the movement purposeful.
she could sit the other way on the couch, but she can face him this way. and he doesn't seem to mind all that much. ]
[ That's just a fact at this point, even if she can backflip up into a handstand on the back of a couch to make herself look taller. Then again she is just small all over; frame, height, features. He glances over, hazily taking in her delicate looking hands and how they're curled around her glass. At the back of his mind, there's a temptation to take both of her hands in his.
As with most of those urges, he ignores it.
Which feels like it takes more restraint than usual because she's got her legs over his lap again. Wanting to get closer settles under his skin and his concession is that he puts his free hand on her ankle like before. Because she hadn't seemed to mind. He thinks.
After sipping more of his water, he tips his head back against the couch, letting the still drunk buzz ring in his ears. ]
Hey. Congratulations. [ He doesn't remember saying it earlier, too swept up in everything else. It's possible he's repeating himself but she would deserve the second congrats anyway. ]
[ indeed, she doesn't mind, and his words bring another warm grin to her features as she rests her head against the back of the couch too, watching him with a warm expression. ]
Thank you.
[ it almost feels unreal, to be here, when six months ago she was fighting to survive. she had almost forgotten what it felt like, to feel safe. but now -- ]
I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you.
[ as she sips her water again, eyes bright, with no small hint of amusement. ]
I am really glad that Jesper made you go to the bar that night.
[ and that jesper had badgered her into giving out her number, though inej isn't entirely sure why. she supposes jesper thought kaz might find her pretty, and maybe kaz does. she has never really bothered to ask or delve into that area, content to be friends, for the time being.
( though she would be lying to herself if she hadn't considered what if. ) ]
[ Despite being the reason she's here at all, he doesn't really like the thanks. It's just. Something he needed to do and so he did it. At least, that's how he sees it. Inej just happened to benefit from the anger he feels towards people like Heleen, who take advantage whenever they can.
Though to be honest, he's glad it is helping someone like Inej, who is clearly happy to rebuild her life. And taking hold of what she can. She also happens to be a very agreeable roommate, so there's that as an additional bonus. ]
Me too. [ That's definitely true. As much as he'd hated being dragged out to Jesper's weird bar picks usually, he's glad he'd gone that one night and met her. And he's grudgingly glad that Jesper had gotten them to trade numbers. Because that's how it all started six months ago right? Inej texting him in the middle of the night about her heat being off. He doesn't want to think about what would've happened if he'd said no.
They probably wouldn't be sitting on his couch, completely drunk, and waiting for noodles.
He drinks the rest of his water and reaches over to the coffee table to set it down. All while attempting not to knock her legs off of his lap. ]
When do you start? [ Not that he's eager to kick her out of anything. Honestly, the idea of her going away feels...disappointing, almost. Even if he knows it'll be good for her studies. ]
[ she says as she gently moves her legs enough so he can lean forward to deposit his cup, but she makes herself comfortable once he settles back again with a small smile, her own hands still curled around her cup. ]
I think there are some introductory classes first, and then I spent a few months in Ravka.
[ she feels . . . complicated, about that. about going back home, to study. to hopefully see her parents, again. if they even know she exists, anymore. the thought of what she is going to tell her father causes an odd twist in her chest, but she pushes that down to gently nudge kaz's leg with her foot, amused. ]
Excited to have your apartment to yourself for a few months? -- aside from Lizabeta, anyway.
[ the little bird will need to stay behind; inej doubts she could get the bird across the border safely. ]
[ A month. It seems both far off and close. And he knows it'll pass quickly, since the last half year has done exactly that while she's been here. ]
Homeland, yeah?
[ He has mixed feelings over her leaving. Six months ago he never would've thought he'd be toeing the line of upset about not having a roommate. Yet here he is, not precisely looking forward to her going. Studying abroad will be good though, particularly for her field. There's also the matter of her finding her family again—he has a feeling they're definitely out there still. ]
Oh yeah, I can finally clean up all the mess you leave behind. [ Obviously he's sarcastic, because she's tidy and keeps to herself. It's also easier to joke right now (or any time, really) than it is to dig deeper and say he's going to miss her. Because it's not like he won't be able to send her emails or call. This isn't the dark ages. ]
I'll have to ask Lizabeta about her taste in films.
[ she agrees. her tone is a little quiet, at that, watching him thoughtfully. because she, too, has mixed feelings about leaving. part of her wants to be in ravka tomorrow, but the other part doesn't want to leave ketterdam. or, maybe more accurately, him.
but they can still talk. and video-chat. zoom exists, and inej can find a stable internet connection and talk to him throughout her time in ravka. and it wasn't as if she wasn't going to come back.
still, she grins a little, at lizabeta's taste in films. ]
I think she will like whatever you put on, as long as she is allowed to watch them with you.
[ as she finishes off her glass of water, leaning to drop off her empty glass on the coffee table, too. ]
I'm nervous, that it won't be how I remember it. [ after a moment, settling back into the couch with a slight frown. ] A lot has changed, since I came to Kerch . . . I don't know if my people are even in the same area, anymore.
[ Inej is generally agreeable about the movies they've ended up watching over the past few months. He's grown to like spending that time with her, sharing a big bowl of popcorn and making comments. It's cozy. Maybe they could potentially still do something similar over video chat. There's got to be something for it out there. ]
Even if you'd remained there, it wouldn't be the same as when you were younger.
[ Kerch certainly has changed a bunch over the years. And he's been living here, watching the progress. A lot of times it still takes him by surprise. ]
Someone will know where they are. [ At this, he pats her ankle in an attempt to be reassuring. Strange to be the one with the positive outlook here. ]
[ the pat on her ankle does reassure her, and her lips turn into a smile, as she continues to watch him. the thought of finding her parents again is almost paralyzing. she wants, so badly, to hug her father and mother again, but there's a little voice in the back of her head warning against it. what if they don't want her anymore? or disapprove?
all of that is irrelevant until she finds them again. the only certainty she has at the moment is what kaz says: someone, somewhere, will know something. and where she is studying is in os kervo, where she last saw her parents. where she was taken out of her bedroom window and, presumably, never seen again.
part of the recovery process, now that she is free of heleen, has been doing a lot of paperwork. kaz has helped with a lot of it, just arranging citizenship, her paperwork, passports . . . and letting the ravkan government know that she's alive. to date, inej hasn't heard anything from her parents, but she at least has a starting point. hopefully the home that her parents had in os kervo is still there. ]
I know.
[ she'll find a way. but at that, her phone buzzes, and inej shifts to glance at it -- their food is here. and she sighs before shifting her legs off his lap, getting to his feet with only the slightest wobble, but she dips down to hug kaz loosely around the shoulders before she moves to the front door. she says nothing about why, or what sparks the gesture, but she wouldn't be going to ravka at all, without him.
but as she walks toward the door to get the noodles, she says: ]
I am going to require a nightly video update from you while I am gone, you know.
[ just in case he thought he would truly be rid of her for a few months. ]
[ He knows she's worried. Even through the drunken haze (or maybe because of it), he can feel her worry. The little dark cloud of doubt hanging over her head. It's a reasonable thing, really, despite his reassurances.
At the same time, he thinks he knows her well enough to sense that she'll be able to figure it out. She's a fighter, that much she's proven. And if she wants something bad enough, she doesn't let it go. Even if all the odds are stacked against her.
They're both shaken from their thoughts when food arrives, announced by the soft buzz of her phone. Inej sighs and lifts her legs from his lap, standing with more grace than should be allowed for someone who'd drank as much as she had. Not only that, but she doesn't fall over when she leans down and hugs him. He's too shocked to do much else than simply let it happen and by the time he thinks to return the gesture, she's already heading for the door.
Ah. ]
Should I get a bird cam for Lizabeta? So you can stream it all day like they do with the baby pandas at the zoo?
[ he doesn't hug her back, which is fine, as she's distracted by getting the food and tipping the delivery person. she moves back to the couch and sets the containers on the coffee table, parsing through the bags. ]
I do not need a baby panda camera.
[ with a laugh, as she hands him a container. ]
Here, your skewerless chicken skewers . . . and your pancakes with the grass.
[ another container, before inej fishes out the containers with the noodles, settling next to him on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her as she leans her shoulder against his. she hands him a fork before picking up one of her own, leaning over to stab one of the pieces of chicken with a grin. ]
[ He takes the container gratefully, glad she thought to ask for the chicken to be de-skewered. While he might've been able to manage the motor skills needed to eat them off the wood sticks, it was best not to test it at this time. ]
Scallions are green, relatively tall, sprout from the ground. [ After he takes a bite of one and swallows: ] Grass. Or grass' cousin.
[ Close enough.
When she leans against him, he shifts his weight just enough to get that much closer. Without impeding either of their motions. Probably. ]
[ she adjusts to his leaned weight, comfortable and warm as she stirs her noodles. she lets kaz have dominion over the grass pancakes, though she does snort to herself softly as he lectures her on the definition of grass. what a dweeb. ]
Six hours, where I am spending most of my time. Five, if I am on the coast . . . it depends. Ravka is a large country.
[ massive, really. ]
I still haven't decided if I want to live in the dormitory housing or not. Or if I will rent another place.
[ it would be cheaper, but require rooming with people that she doesn't know. and inej isn't wholly sure if she wants to do that, despite, you know. her current roommate situation. kaz was just . . . different. ]
But either way, I will find time. [ with a warm smile, as she nudges him with her knee, amused. ] I will miss bothering you every day otherwise.
[ Six hours. It's not nearly as bad as it is from here to Novyi Zem or even the Wandering Isle, but it's still a pretty good chunk of time. Dinner time here would be midnight there. Or close to, as she notes the difference between mainland and the coast. ]
Every country is large in comparison to Kerch. [ They're a small island nation, after all. ]
You wouldn't have to worry about someone not paying bills or doing dishes, in the dorms.
[ Well, depends on whether she ended up in a single or not. ] Might be worth that to save money, though.
[ She does tend to get along better with people, so maybe it would work out. ]
I wouldn't call it bothering.
[ He does, after all, allow it. And he doesn't simply tolerate it but actually has enjoyed their talks. Like now, despite most of his higher brain functions not really working. ]
Morning me's opinions are ridiculous and don't count.
[ Because he knows he's extra grouchy and unsociable when he first gets up. Mornings have never agreed with him. It takes that first strong cup of coffee to really get him going and any period beforehand he shouldn't be taken seriously. ]
Not all of us can be like you and Lizabeta. [ That is to say: early birds. Both of them are so cheerful it's almost disgusting. How does she do it?
(A small part of him wonders what she really looks like when she first wakes up, but there would only be one way to know. He stops thinking about it and eats more of his scallion pancake). ]
[ inej has always been a morning person, though ketterdam has deprived her of it. most of her work happens -- or happened, rather, at night. but she still strives to get up with the sun. she feels better, that way. more rejuvenated.
it became very clear, very quickly, that kaz brekker is not that person. he's the opposite, really. she's learned to leave him alone until he has coffee, and then conversation is safe. for the most part. but she's seen him a few times just after he's woken up, from her perch on the couch, in the very beginning. not so much, now that she has her own room. but he looks . . . younger, almost, half asleep.
cute, inej thinks to herself, though she files that away for later. they were friends. finding him cute probably isn't appropriate. ]
Watching the sun rise is peaceful.
[ knowingly, taking another bite of her noodles. ]
You should try it sometime -- to enjoy it, not because you haven't slept all night.
[ He's never been one for mornings, even if he'd been born and lived in the countryside. His father had gotten up with the sun just like Inej does now, tending to their little farm. A habit that hadn't stuck with him, though Jordie– as he recalls– had been an early riser as well. Always wanting to take on the day with the excitement of a puppy.
Kaz had required coercion to be pulled from bed, when he was younger. Now he just has the sweet promise of coffee to offset his initial reluctance to speak or interact with anyone when he first wakes up. ]
That would make more sense if we lived somewhere that actually saw the sun more than ten days a year.
[ Being an island, Kerch suffered strange weather blowing in from the ocean all the time. Ketterdam, located on its coast, saw quite a bit of fog and clouds, punctuated frequently by storms. ]
It makes for a decent alarm to tell me to go to bed, at least.
[ how rude. absolutely mannerless. but she laughs regardless, stirring her noodles to get the last vestiges of sauce from the bottom of the container. ]
You will need to come to Ravka, then.
[ warmly, as she fishes out the rest of her noodles from the corner of the container, twirling them along her fork. ]
Though I think you will burn to death, if you see sunlight for more than ten days a year. You're practically translucent.
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no subject
Date: 2020-10-06 02:13 pm (UTC)'That fried pancake with the grass.'
[ she repeats, in her very best kaz brekker impersonation, though she doesn't quite manage the low rasp of his voice, her own tone not dipping quite low enough for the full effect.
it also doesn't help that she's laughing. ]
I can order you the scallion pancakes.
[ and she does so, adding it to the list. she also adds the chicken skewers, but takes the time to write out in the 'comments' section 'chicken skewers without the skewer.' she'll see if they listen to the instruction. she also adds bubble tea, and once the order is finished, she hits send. ]
Thirty minutes.
[ as she leans back into the couch to look over at him again, amused. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-06 02:21 pm (UTC)I shouldn't have had that last gin and tonic. [ Though he doesn't sound like he particularly regrets it. For now. ] You knew what I meant.
[ He gives her a nudge with his shoulder. And then sort of. Stays lightly pressed there. Everything is spinning a bit so it's probably better he doesn't move so much.
Except: ] Let me up, I'll get the water pitcher.
[ They could both definitely use it. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-06 10:25 pm (UTC)he leans against her, though, nudging her in jest, and inej is anticipating that he's just making himself comfortable until the food gets here . . . when he says he wants to get up to go get the pitcher of water from the fridge. ]
Shouldn't I get the pitcher?
[ mildly, not moving a single inch. (his hand is also on her leg, so clearly, he has to let go, first.) ]
You barely walk in a straight line without the gin.
no subject
Date: 2020-10-06 11:08 pm (UTC)It's annoying. He'd rather they just acknowledged it without looking like they were going to melt through the floor from embarrassment. ]
Kitchen's not a straight line from here anyway. Unless you're planning to do some somersaults to get the pitcher, then be my guest.
[ And neither of them have actually moved. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-06 11:16 pm (UTC)it means getting up off of his lap, which she feels a bit annoyed over, for some reason, but kaz is right -- they do need water. and so: ]
I do not somersault.
[ how annoying, as she makes her way to the kitchen, her steps a little wobbly, but her voice carries from the kitchen as she makes her way to the refrigerator. ]
I think the more accurate term for it is parkour. [ inej could make a killing on tiktok if she cared, but school is more important than internet celebrity, as it were. and she comes back into the living room with the pitcher and two glasses, setting them on the table to carefully pour them both a glass. ] Or yoga. Or kickboxing. Self-defense?
[ whatever. and she holds out the glass with a grin. ]
Here is your water, Mr. Gin and Tonic.
no subject
Date: 2020-10-06 11:44 pm (UTC)[ He teases after she gets up, ignoring how he finds he misses the warmth and weight from her legs being draped over his lap. Which is a weird thing to think about. About as weird as the urge to lean over and kiss her cheek earlier.
Adamantly, he stops thinking about that. ]
Why not all of the above? Throw gymnastics in for good measure.
[ It's relatively the same.
He takes the glass he's offered. Carefully, because it feels like his hand is wobbling. And amazingly doesn't get water all down his front. ]
Thank you, Miss Parkour.
no subject
Date: 2020-10-07 12:26 am (UTC)[ so, obviously, it's his fault that she did a flip at all. she sits back on the couch, taking a drink of her own water before stretching her legs back out over his lap, the movement purposeful.
she could sit the other way on the couch, but she can face him this way. and he doesn't seem to mind all that much. ]
But you are welcome.
[ as she takes another drink of her water. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-07 01:02 pm (UTC)[ That's just a fact at this point, even if she can backflip up into a handstand on the back of a couch to make herself look taller. Then again she is just small all over; frame, height, features. He glances over, hazily taking in her delicate looking hands and how they're curled around her glass. At the back of his mind, there's a temptation to take both of her hands in his.
As with most of those urges, he ignores it.
Which feels like it takes more restraint than usual because she's got her legs over his lap again. Wanting to get closer settles under his skin and his concession is that he puts his free hand on her ankle like before. Because she hadn't seemed to mind. He thinks.
After sipping more of his water, he tips his head back against the couch, letting the still drunk buzz ring in his ears. ]
Hey. Congratulations. [ He doesn't remember saying it earlier, too swept up in everything else. It's possible he's repeating himself but she would deserve the second congrats anyway. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-07 01:35 pm (UTC)Thank you.
[ it almost feels unreal, to be here, when six months ago she was fighting to survive. she had almost forgotten what it felt like, to feel safe. but now -- ]
I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you.
[ as she sips her water again, eyes bright, with no small hint of amusement. ]
I am really glad that Jesper made you go to the bar that night.
[ and that jesper had badgered her into giving out her number, though inej isn't entirely sure why. she supposes jesper thought kaz might find her pretty, and maybe kaz does. she has never really bothered to ask or delve into that area, content to be friends, for the time being.
( though she would be lying to herself if she hadn't considered what if. ) ]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-07 05:59 pm (UTC)Though to be honest, he's glad it is helping someone like Inej, who is clearly happy to rebuild her life. And taking hold of what she can. She also happens to be a very agreeable roommate, so there's that as an additional bonus. ]
Me too. [ That's definitely true. As much as he'd hated being dragged out to Jesper's weird bar picks usually, he's glad he'd gone that one night and met her. And he's grudgingly glad that Jesper had gotten them to trade numbers. Because that's how it all started six months ago right? Inej texting him in the middle of the night about her heat being off. He doesn't want to think about what would've happened if he'd said no.
They probably wouldn't be sitting on his couch, completely drunk, and waiting for noodles.
He drinks the rest of his water and reaches over to the coffee table to set it down. All while attempting not to knock her legs off of his lap. ]
When do you start? [ Not that he's eager to kick her out of anything. Honestly, the idea of her going away feels...disappointing, almost. Even if he knows it'll be good for her studies. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-07 08:39 pm (UTC)[ she says as she gently moves her legs enough so he can lean forward to deposit his cup, but she makes herself comfortable once he settles back again with a small smile, her own hands still curled around her cup. ]
I think there are some introductory classes first, and then I spent a few months in Ravka.
[ she feels . . . complicated, about that. about going back home, to study. to hopefully see her parents, again. if they even know she exists, anymore. the thought of what she is going to tell her father causes an odd twist in her chest, but she pushes that down to gently nudge kaz's leg with her foot, amused. ]
Excited to have your apartment to yourself for a few months? -- aside from Lizabeta, anyway.
[ the little bird will need to stay behind; inej doubts she could get the bird across the border safely. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-07 10:59 pm (UTC)Homeland, yeah?
[ He has mixed feelings over her leaving. Six months ago he never would've thought he'd be toeing the line of upset about not having a roommate. Yet here he is, not precisely looking forward to her going. Studying abroad will be good though, particularly for her field. There's also the matter of her finding her family again—he has a feeling they're definitely out there still. ]
Oh yeah, I can finally clean up all the mess you leave behind. [ Obviously he's sarcastic, because she's tidy and keeps to herself. It's also easier to joke right now (or any time, really) than it is to dig deeper and say he's going to miss her. Because it's not like he won't be able to send her emails or call. This isn't the dark ages. ]
I'll have to ask Lizabeta about her taste in films.
no subject
Date: 2020-10-07 11:42 pm (UTC)[ she agrees. her tone is a little quiet, at that, watching him thoughtfully. because she, too, has mixed feelings about leaving. part of her wants to be in ravka tomorrow, but the other part doesn't want to leave ketterdam. or, maybe more accurately, him.
but they can still talk. and video-chat. zoom exists, and inej can find a stable internet connection and talk to him throughout her time in ravka. and it wasn't as if she wasn't going to come back.
still, she grins a little, at lizabeta's taste in films. ]
I think she will like whatever you put on, as long as she is allowed to watch them with you.
[ as she finishes off her glass of water, leaning to drop off her empty glass on the coffee table, too. ]
I'm nervous, that it won't be how I remember it. [ after a moment, settling back into the couch with a slight frown. ] A lot has changed, since I came to Kerch . . . I don't know if my people are even in the same area, anymore.
no subject
Date: 2020-10-08 02:16 pm (UTC)[ Inej is generally agreeable about the movies they've ended up watching over the past few months. He's grown to like spending that time with her, sharing a big bowl of popcorn and making comments. It's cozy. Maybe they could potentially still do something similar over video chat. There's got to be something for it out there. ]
Even if you'd remained there, it wouldn't be the same as when you were younger.
[ Kerch certainly has changed a bunch over the years. And he's been living here, watching the progress. A lot of times it still takes him by surprise. ]
Someone will know where they are. [ At this, he pats her ankle in an attempt to be reassuring. Strange to be the one with the positive outlook here. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-08 07:07 pm (UTC)all of that is irrelevant until she finds them again. the only certainty she has at the moment is what kaz says: someone, somewhere, will know something. and where she is studying is in os kervo, where she last saw her parents. where she was taken out of her bedroom window and, presumably, never seen again.
part of the recovery process, now that she is free of heleen, has been doing a lot of paperwork. kaz has helped with a lot of it, just arranging citizenship, her paperwork, passports . . . and letting the ravkan government know that she's alive. to date, inej hasn't heard anything from her parents, but she at least has a starting point. hopefully the home that her parents had in os kervo is still there. ]
I know.
[ she'll find a way. but at that, her phone buzzes, and inej shifts to glance at it -- their food is here. and she sighs before shifting her legs off his lap, getting to his feet with only the slightest wobble, but she dips down to hug kaz loosely around the shoulders before she moves to the front door. she says nothing about why, or what sparks the gesture, but she wouldn't be going to ravka at all, without him.
but as she walks toward the door to get the noodles, she says: ]
I am going to require a nightly video update from you while I am gone, you know.
[ just in case he thought he would truly be rid of her for a few months. ]
no subject
Date: 2020-10-09 01:14 am (UTC)At the same time, he thinks he knows her well enough to sense that she'll be able to figure it out. She's a fighter, that much she's proven. And if she wants something bad enough, she doesn't let it go. Even if all the odds are stacked against her.
They're both shaken from their thoughts when food arrives, announced by the soft buzz of her phone. Inej sighs and lifts her legs from his lap, standing with more grace than should be allowed for someone who'd drank as much as she had. Not only that, but she doesn't fall over when she leans down and hugs him. He's too shocked to do much else than simply let it happen and by the time he thinks to return the gesture, she's already heading for the door.
Ah. ]
Should I get a bird cam for Lizabeta? So you can stream it all day like they do with the baby pandas at the zoo?
no subject
Date: 2020-10-09 03:15 pm (UTC)I do not need a baby panda camera.
[ with a laugh, as she hands him a container. ]
Here, your skewerless chicken skewers . . . and your pancakes with the grass.
[ another container, before inej fishes out the containers with the noodles, settling next to him on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her as she leans her shoulder against his. she hands him a fork before picking up one of her own, leaning over to stab one of the pieces of chicken with a grin. ]
Safest meal possible, no sharp edges.
[ not even in the noodles. ]
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Date: 2020-10-09 05:34 pm (UTC)Scallions are green, relatively tall, sprout from the ground. [ After he takes a bite of one and swallows: ] Grass. Or grass' cousin.
[ Close enough.
When she leans against him, he shifts his weight just enough to get that much closer. Without impeding either of their motions. Probably. ]
What's the time difference again?
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Date: 2020-10-09 07:39 pm (UTC)Six hours, where I am spending most of my time. Five, if I am on the coast . . . it depends. Ravka is a large country.
[ massive, really. ]
I still haven't decided if I want to live in the dormitory housing or not. Or if I will rent another place.
[ it would be cheaper, but require rooming with people that she doesn't know. and inej isn't wholly sure if she wants to do that, despite, you know. her current roommate situation. kaz was just . . . different. ]
But either way, I will find time. [ with a warm smile, as she nudges him with her knee, amused. ] I will miss bothering you every day otherwise.
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Date: 2020-10-09 09:06 pm (UTC)Every country is large in comparison to Kerch. [ They're a small island nation, after all. ]
You wouldn't have to worry about someone not paying bills or doing dishes, in the dorms.
[ Well, depends on whether she ended up in a single or not. ] Might be worth that to save money, though.
[ She does tend to get along better with people, so maybe it would work out. ]
I wouldn't call it bothering.
[ He does, after all, allow it. And he doesn't simply tolerate it but actually has enjoyed their talks. Like now, despite most of his higher brain functions not really working. ]
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Date: 2020-10-10 02:19 am (UTC)I would call it bothering.
[ she says knowingly as she pops the piece of chicken into her mouth. ]
You are not a morning person, nevermind whatever lie you tell yourself every morning. Speaking to you without coffee is impossible.
[ but it's clearly said in affectionate jest, as inej takes another bite of her noodles. ]
You're plenty bothered then.
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Date: 2020-10-10 01:35 pm (UTC)[ Because he knows he's extra grouchy and unsociable when he first gets up. Mornings have never agreed with him. It takes that first strong cup of coffee to really get him going and any period beforehand he shouldn't be taken seriously. ]
Not all of us can be like you and Lizabeta. [ That is to say: early birds. Both of them are so cheerful it's almost disgusting. How does she do it?
(A small part of him wonders what she really looks like when she first wakes up, but there would only be one way to know. He stops thinking about it and eats more of his scallion pancake). ]
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Date: 2020-10-10 09:50 pm (UTC)it became very clear, very quickly, that kaz brekker is not that person. he's the opposite, really. she's learned to leave him alone until he has coffee, and then conversation is safe. for the most part. but she's seen him a few times just after he's woken up, from her perch on the couch, in the very beginning. not so much, now that she has her own room. but he looks . . . younger, almost, half asleep.
cute, inej thinks to herself, though she files that away for later. they were friends. finding him cute probably isn't appropriate. ]
Watching the sun rise is peaceful.
[ knowingly, taking another bite of her noodles. ]
You should try it sometime -- to enjoy it, not because you haven't slept all night.
[ like the insomniac he is. ]
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Date: 2020-10-10 10:27 pm (UTC)Kaz had required coercion to be pulled from bed, when he was younger. Now he just has the sweet promise of coffee to offset his initial reluctance to speak or interact with anyone when he first wakes up. ]
That would make more sense if we lived somewhere that actually saw the sun more than ten days a year.
[ Being an island, Kerch suffered strange weather blowing in from the ocean all the time. Ketterdam, located on its coast, saw quite a bit of fog and clouds, punctuated frequently by storms. ]
It makes for a decent alarm to tell me to go to bed, at least.
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Date: 2020-10-10 11:13 pm (UTC)You will need to come to Ravka, then.
[ warmly, as she fishes out the rest of her noodles from the corner of the container, twirling them along her fork. ]
Though I think you will burn to death, if you see sunlight for more than ten days a year. You're practically translucent.
[ pale vampire child. ]
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