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[retravel]

@leo.fitz| ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

Comments

[retravel]

[ !!!! ]

Hi, Connor.
You alright?

[cyberlife]

Yes, I'm doing very well. Thank you for asking.

I thought you'd be interested in going on a trip.

[retravel]

With you, I assume? Yeah.
Whereabouts are you thinking?

[ is it... an investigative trip... ]

[cyberlife]

Outer space. It seems they have exploratory passenger flights.

My workplace is offering discounts up to 20%, as we are provided government subsidies and are often hired by the space port to uphold occupational health and safety standards.

1/?

[retravel]

[ oh my god

recalibrating recalibrating recalibrating ]

You want to go to space. With me.
Using your employee privileges to subsidise the cost for you. And me.

[retravel]

[ jemma wanted to go somewhere tropical and bloody snorkel for their anniversary! snorkel! this is Space!!

did he do something to deserve this? ]

Did someone mention it's my birthday this month?

[ HE SAID NOT TO DO ANYTHING ]

[retravel]

[ immediately. ]

Nevermind. I don't care.

k i'm done

[retravel]

We should go.
Definitely.
This is such a brilliant idea, Connor.

1/3

[cyberlife]

Yes, of course.

I thought you might like to go, but now it seems that I'm being invited along instead. So it's all settled, then.

2/3

[cyberlife]

3/3

[cyberlife]

It's your birthday this month?

[retravel]

[ of course, just like that, settled... how... ]

Technically, I was born on this calendar month in an entirely separate timeline, yes.

[ fitz, it doesn't matter ]

What brought this on?

[cyberlife]

I was too, even though it shouldn't be my activation's anniversary for almost seven months yet. I'll remember that yours is in August, but you'll have to tell me the exact date.

I wanted to repay you for what you did for me last week.

[retravel]

[ there are two people that he tries his best to be honest and straightforward with (while pointedly omitting key facts from his personal history, granted), and they’re the bleeding androids. fantastic. can’t even grumpily ignore this inquiry like he would from anyone else. ]

19. And your activation date?

[ a beat. ]

You don’t have to repay me though. We helped that guy together.

[cyberlife]

The 15th.

(connor stares at the virtually empty message window. he could leave it at that, but he feels like he needs to explain. fully.

if not for himself — and he knows it'll feel good to share pleasant thoughts for once —, then maybe for fitz. he could be having a hard time too. it's possible that he needs to hear that he's making a difference, even if it's for one person.)

Sorry, but that's not what I mean.

When I stepped in to assist you, I admit that I wasn't operating at- (connor pauses, hating how that sounds.) -I wasn't well. Physically. Mentally. The many events that took place over the course of the outbreak left me overwhelmed. And... I was scared.

You helped me pull it together, Fitz. This is thanks for that.

[retravel]

[ as soon as the date comes in, it’s in his calendar with a note tacked on: quick turnaround, so he knows to pull something together fast.

and then there’s the rest of connor’s message, popping up on the interface projected on his kitchen countertop. fitz has a habit of tinkering with prototypes or even his portal-generation while using the implant, but he stills then. can’t be easy for connor to articulate this, even if he seems to err on the side of honesty. admitting fear requires a great deal of bravery, paradoxically enough.

it’s precisely what he needs, too, to hear that he was able to help, in some small way. in recent months, fitz has been confronted with evidence that he’s not the man he thought he was — digging inside himself only revealed an ugliness, truer than anything at the surface — but maybe he's more than one thing. maybe he can dig deeper. ]

You're welcome.
Thank you for saying that.

[ the messages come after ten minutes of overthinking. ]

I'm glad we ran into each other. Would've been a terrible day, otherwise.

[ it was terrible, anyway, but, y'know. not the part with connor. ]

1/2

[cyberlife]

(reading the reply, connor almost laughs at how relieved it makes him feel.

instead, it comes out a wobbly smile from the safety of his own apartment.)

I couldn't agree more, Fitz.

2/2

[cyberlife]

So there are two options to consider:

1. A flight with a pitstop at the UN Space Station
2. A direct flight through the asteroid belt

[retravel]

[ waoooo ]

My instinct is to say #1 so we can do a recce at the space station.

[cyberlife]

I agree. It also sounds far safer. As exhilarating as navigating through asteroids sounds, I don't want our maiden voyage to go up in flames.

Let's make it back in one piece.

I'll be all set to purchase these as soon as my next pay check gets deposited. Did you have a preference for when you wanted to depart?

[retravel]

Tell me how much I owe you, and I'll transfer it. My job may be amateur hour, but it pays well.

[ he's got that money money money ♫ ]

Unfortunately, I reckon I just got out of the doghouse with my flatmates, so I shouldn't disappear on a space holiday with you for a wee bit.
Could shoot for the end of the month or later?

[ what's the turnaround time on planning space vacays anyway... ]

[cyberlife]

(ooh baby, sugar daddy vibes.)

I didn't expect you to pay for any of it.

(nvm it's the other way around now.)

We can take our time with the dates, I am flexible and Markus is more than capable of taking care of things here himself. The end of the month sounds like a fine time, since I'll be able to remove my sling.

I imagine you need full range of motion in space.

[retravel]

[ ok wait he wants to address the heartwarming cohabitation of his favourite androids and connor's deeply important recovery but whomst is the sugar daddy here ]

You can't just buy me a space holiday, Connor.
What'll the girlfriend think?

[ don't romance him, you cad. ]

[cyberlife]

On the contrary, I can do whatever I'd like with my money. This is the first opportunity I've had to earn it.

Would she like to come along?

(THIS SASS)

[retravel]

[ WHEN DID HE GET SO COCKY ]

Well, yes.
I suppose you can.

[ nailed it. he can hear jemma saying oh, fitz now. and he gently ignores the invite because she's not here ha ha ha. ]

It's just a bit of a grand gesture.

[ does he even... understand... ]