Jedao gazes around. They really do have a shortage of convenient alternative social options on the ship.
"It doesn't really matter. The point is to have something you practice to say 'yes this other thing,' instead of 'no, not that' - like on the simple side, 'I really want to see the sky, can we go to the enclosure instead?' Or say you start decorating your room. You decide what you might like, you pick some colors, whatever. Stock up some equipment in a corner, trays and rollers. But you don't actually work on it much. And then when someone invites you to the pub, you say, 'oh, actually, I was going to work on fixing up my room tonight - but I'd love to see you, want to come help?' And maybe, if it's just been a disaster and that sounds like a weird plan, you throw in some flavor, 'it's just really soothing to work with my hands sometimes.' And they say 'oh, okay, what kind of stuff are you doing?' And when they show up you have something to do that doesn't take very much concentration but also keeps you sort of socially occupied while you talk, that takes the same place that drinks would. And if someone says 'hey, haven't you been painting your room for like a year now, what's up with that?' You say 'fuck you, we're not on a timetable in space prison, and it needs three coats,' and while they're distracted I stab them a lot. Something like that."
"And if you get a 'can't you do that later,' there's always 'sorry, I just opened the paint, I'd have to wash all the brushes out so they don't dry all tacky, and it takes just ages -'" He smiles, reaches to ruffle Quentin's hair.
"He's pretty cute," is Jedao's assessment, although the indulgent warmth of it is mostly for Quentin. Then he swallows, struggles to nudge Quentin off enough to get his own comm out of his pocket.
"Hang on, I want to show you -"
He brings up a still - it was an awful fucking memory, but it doesn't matter if he doesn't play it. There's a heavyset women in the Kel uniform, with greying hair and a shockingly pale scar across part of her round, dark face. She's got her arms folded and an unimpressed expression; she and Jedao are standing in some kind of terribly fancy bathroom, with a gun on the counter.
It plucks the breath out of him again, every time. There she is.
"That's. Colonel Kel Gized. She was my Chief of Staff for a decade."
She was my best friend, says Jedao's entirely familiar expression, whom I was in love with.
He says, and looks from it up to him. He remembers a story- not sure if it's this one- that ends badly. It's a good guess. All of Jedao's stories end badly.
"She saved my life that night," he says quietly. "Probably. I didn't deserve it either."
He doesn't say she died for it too, even though it took longer, even though Gized has never had the opportunity to yell at him about it.
"I was always boring her with games. She was a straightforward soul, but she put up with me." Good-humored, as well as indomitable, with the particular level-headed sort of brilliance that makes an excellent administrator.
He admits- and who knows, maybe he will some day. The barge is weird that way. And, because he knows sitting too deeply with any recollection eventually makes Jedao cringe, if he isn't steering;
"Eliot turned up here, and immediately got laid. I woke up naked with a stranger, that was fun."
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magician_king) wrote2020-01-12 01:19 pm
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"It doesn't really matter. The point is to have something you practice to say 'yes this other thing,' instead of 'no, not that' - like on the simple side, 'I really want to see the sky, can we go to the enclosure instead?' Or say you start decorating your room. You decide what you might like, you pick some colors, whatever. Stock up some equipment in a corner, trays and rollers. But you don't actually work on it much. And then when someone invites you to the pub, you say, 'oh, actually, I was going to work on fixing up my room tonight - but I'd love to see you, want to come help?' And maybe, if it's just been a disaster and that sounds like a weird plan, you throw in some flavor, 'it's just really soothing to work with my hands sometimes.' And they say 'oh, okay, what kind of stuff are you doing?' And when they show up you have something to do that doesn't take very much concentration but also keeps you sort of socially occupied while you talk, that takes the same place that drinks would. And if someone says 'hey, haven't you been painting your room for like a year now, what's up with that?' You say 'fuck you, we're not on a timetable in space prison, and it needs three coats,' and while they're distracted I stab them a lot. Something like that."
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"I do want it to be white in here."
Rather than the off-yellow of dormitory past.
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"Aiming for camoflage?" he teases.
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He says, tucking in against Jedao's shoulder again, closing his eyes and hiding a smile.
"Thank God that's all over, hey?"
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The emotional centre of a number of Quentin's years.
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"Hang on, I want to show you -"
He brings up a still - it was an awful fucking memory, but it doesn't matter if he doesn't play it. There's a heavyset women in the Kel uniform, with greying hair and a shockingly pale scar across part of her round, dark face. She's got her arms folded and an unimpressed expression; she and Jedao are standing in some kind of terribly fancy bathroom, with a gun on the counter.
It plucks the breath out of him again, every time. There she is.
"That's. Colonel Kel Gized. She was my Chief of Staff for a decade."
She was my best friend, says Jedao's entirely familiar expression, whom I was in love with.
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He says, and looks from it up to him. He remembers a story- not sure if it's this one- that ends badly. It's a good guess. All of Jedao's stories end badly.
"You must miss her?"
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He doesn't say she died for it too, even though it took longer, even though Gized has never had the opportunity to yell at him about it.
"I was always boring her with games. She was a straightforward soul, but she put up with me." Good-humored, as well as indomitable, with the particular level-headed sort of brilliance that makes an excellent administrator.
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He admits- and who knows, maybe he will some day. The barge is weird that way. And, because he knows sitting too deeply with any recollection eventually makes Jedao cringe, if he isn't steering;
"Eliot turned up here, and immediately got laid. I woke up naked with a stranger, that was fun."
Read; immensely perturbing, hair raising.
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"Good for him. I'm not sure if I'm sad or relieved that I'm probably not the one who's seen you levitate out of bed fastest on the ship."
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He says, not really complaining, just laughing and lifting his head back up so he can actually smile at him.
"Please seduce Eliot if he turns up again."
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