Blue Jay Way

[everythinglost]

Who: Fitz & open
What: Getting the lay of the land
When: Early August
Where: around the Clipper
Warnings: tba if needed

Fitz is well aware that it says something about his lifestyle that the Clipper reminds him of several places he's ended up over the years. On the other hand, being chained in a dank basement would also remind him of many places he's been over the years, so he generally figures it's not worth thinking about. The familiarity isn't a good thing - and the lack of cigarettes, drinks or a fudging door just rub in a short list of what he hates about it. But it does stop any particular outbursts of anger. He's not resigned to it, so he keeps his cool.

For the most part, he goes through the motions of playing along. He slouches, half-asleep in the common room during singalong, wincing occasionally. He reads in an overly comfortable chair, trying not to roll his eyes too often at the content. He tries to find someone to sit with during meals, and even actually enjoys the bathhouse. But, while he usually can't muster up actual cheer, there is a certain focus under the surface, which can be rare to see in him.

He's also doing his best to keep an eye on his friends, to see how they're handling it all. After all, part of 'familiar' also means knowing how much it sucks to play along - and some of the consequences to failing to play the part.

Comments

[consolidator]

The Doctor is most certainly not playing along, not this time round. He's generally polite, because that remains his default, but there's no attempt to suppress snarking, eye rolling, or the occasional nerve pinch. (Does it ever end well? No. Is it worth it? Yes.)

His interest in the sudden flood of new arrivals is both immediate and blatant; there's no need to pretend something like that isn't intriguing. Naturally, he waves one of them over when he's looking for a place to sit. Black velvet, leather jacket; neither of them match their surroundings even slightly and he finds that very appealing.

"Settling in all right?"

[everythinglost]

There's something familiar about the man. Fitz can't pin down exactly 'what' at just a glance, after all, traveling as he does, he runs into a lot of things and people that feel vaguely familiar. It's not accompanied by alarm, so he doesn't hesitate to join him, putting his feet up on a low table that wasn't meant to have boots on it.

"Not so bad. I won't say seen one sickly saccharine space prison seen them all, but there are similarities. Long term resident?"

[consolidator]

There's a reflexive grimace, before he remembers where he is and why; then it morphs into a wryly approving grin.

(He's not going to do it himself. But he approves.)

"Unfortunately." Not the whole truth, but it doesn't need to be. "You're from another ship, aren't you?"

[everythinglost]

"Yeah, formerly of the Barge, like the rest of new maniacs you've no doubt noticed running around the place. What did you used to do before you were scooped up by the Nurse."

He refrains from jazz hands, though he doesn't think they'd be totally inappropriate.

[consolidator]

He can't help it; he glances upwards and says, "I was a Doctor" with all the righteous indignation he can muster.

Then he takes a decidedly grumpy bite of his sandwich. "And yourself?"

[everythinglost]

Perhaps it was seeing him talk with Iris, perhaps it's the faint memories of leaning over Sam's shoulder as she tried to explain that all the pictures are the same person, perhaps it's just that, whatever the face or voice, he'll always recognize that righteous indignation.

On first impression, people have described Fitz as shifty, unreliable looking, perpetually sardonic, and worse. On the whole, this is because people are pretty good at forming accurate impressions - even if they might later gain some, possibly deserved, depth. The second impression many people get, especially in times of trouble, is that Fitz has a friend called the Doctor who is extremely important to him.

He grins, the shadows erased from his expression for a moment, leaving him looking younger and much happier. "Oh, you know, I was just doing a little traveling around the universe with a friend. Actually, it's all his fault I know what these sorts of places are like. He gets into just shocking amounts of trouble, a terrible influence."

[consolidator]

There's nothing sharp in his smile this time, no defiant twist; it's just bright and warm as he realises what Fitz is saying, as that quiet transformation gains context.

"I wish I could tell you he was more responsible in his youth."

[everythinglost]

Fitz laughs. This Doctor might not know him, but his Doctor had forgotten him and that hadn't changed anything for him.

"I know different bodies, different habits, but I don't know if I believe any version of you actually goes around insulting yourself like that."