chatime | ✧ — passionfruit green tea.

[ they've started leaving offerings for the ghost hoping it'll do their work for them… it seems like it has an attitude? it won't just accept anything nor will it just do anything.

a group thorns passes by happens to be talking about how to best bribe the ghost. predictably, elysium has not gone to weedy at all but is trying to get fresh air hanging around a hidden area of the ship. if he's already having a crisis over thorns now, will he survive beyond this? it is so doubtful.

life is hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ]

[ thorns is really wondering how elysium is managing to pull all of this off without getting caught. he tells them that he heard fries is a good way to lure it, except it's impossible to have fries here so good luck.

he later needs people trying to convince the cook to invest in a fryer... ]

[ some people are getting a clearer picture of this ghost by day but there are so many conflicting accounts that they're not sure what's real or fake. some even dare to call it ethereal…? woah.

they are so confused how thorns would know this about the ghost but they will not question it as he is captain. they decide to leave raw potatoes out a la reirin which is funny—because he would be charmed on that fact alone. over the next however long, he's about to start show up to thorns' room every evening with potatoes…

eventually, he ambles over well past midnight. is thorns' awake or waiting for him? he peeks through the door like a normal person for once. ]

[ he is.

he is sitting at his desk, writing into a journal. his expression is puzzled, but it smooths over when he hears movement by the door. ]

Yes?

[ he has an entire stack of things in his hands, but it's mostly blankets and pillows and less one would typically expect from him. he look around the mound and over to thorns. ]

Still working this late?

Mm. I had a few things I needed to get done.

[ ... ]

And I was waiting for you.

[ this is so reminiscent of when he'd tried to make himself comfortable in thorns' room. he's an invited guest now… wow. except he's once again laying sheets in a corner and trying to make himself as small as possible. ]

Sorry to keep you up. [ … ] These are a ghost's usual haunting hours.

Did you think I wouldn't show?

I was wondering...

[ it's sometimes hard to tell what elysium will decide to do.

he watches elysium put his things down. ]

See? Loads of space for two people.

[ elysium just constantly says one thing and does the other, it's true. ]

I don't think it was ever a matter of space. Don't you usually prefer to have a place by yourself?

[ he lasted so long in purgatory alone… ]

I do.

[ he just agrees.

... but he feels like he needs to keep a better eye on elysium. ]

Have I become a ghost to you too, friend…?

... I don't know when you'll decide to go, so it'll be nice to spend some time together.

[ they really haven't much at all, despite elysium being on the ship. ]

[ he will die as this goes against his stalker creed. ]

… It has been one thing after another. When's the last time we got to properly hang? Back on Rhodes?

... Yeah, I guess so.

[ there is obvious hesitance before he answer. he is aware this is a true statement, but for some reason it doesn't quite feel right. but it is right... ]

A lot has happened.

[ i guess for continuity, elysium would have one of thorns' rings. if he'd put it on his ring finger before, it's somehow migrated to his index now. smooth. he's clear across the room and makes a deliberate effort to angle that hand away from thorns as unobtrusively as possible, though maybe he's already noticed. who knows.

he is not thorns who is apparently ready to divorce at the first sign of trouble ]

I haven't technically left Rhodes, if that's what you're worried about.

[ he's also thinking about the landship being on the verge of exploding, but it feels like one of those things best left alone. not when he's operating on incomplete and imperfect information. messing with timelines… they'd seen in the lake themselves what that had done for them, didn't they? ]

When they need me back, they'll let me know. My work was already delegated when I took this mission with Weedy, so if anything, it's all just been extended.

[ it's good experience, too, for the operators who have been particularly keen on being given more opportunities. as of right now, there really isn't anything they need him for specifically. ]

Still, I told them not to expect much else from me. Unless it's the Doctor or the Captain calling, they're big kids now. They can handle themselves.

[ HE'S NOT DIVORCING HIM he is scared of freaking elysium out.

but that makes sense. and if elysium did actually leave properly, there likely would have been slightly more fanfare than him sneaking onto the ship; if anything, he's sure mantra would have reached out to him to check on things herself. ]

Right. Is there anything you want from this experience in particular?

[ weedy stayed for the opportunity and the research. and while elysium already said he mostly wanted to hang out, if there's anything that he specifically wants to learn or experience, then thorns would like to take care of that. it would be at minimum months before they see each other after he leaves. ]

[ taking off the ring is always one of the first indicators of divorce……… his life is so sad. ]

I want to see Terra with my amigo! I don't think it needs to be any deeper than that, does it?

... I guess not.

[ he will try to ignore his brain telling him that doesn't feel like the whole truth. he is simply hallucinating. ]

You should get some sleep if you're tired.

I have to do my rounds soon. How else do you think I've been managing to go under the radar?

[ he is going to do his rounds and come back with potatoes… thorns did this. ]

I'll go when you head to sleep. What're you working on?

[ elysium... you sleep.

he gestures at the journal. ]

I keep notes on what happens during the day. No wonder the Doctor is always doing so much paperwork...

[ elysium is living the ly schedule…

he probably misses the sun a lot more than i do, though. ]

Anything I can help with? I'm pretty used to it because of my position.

Keeping track of our inventory and calculating how long we can go before we need to restock is the most annoying, since it's not something most people remember to be mindful of.

[ people are careful to make food last, at least, since they all remember going hungry in iberia. what is harder for people to be more mindful of are normal supplies that you wouldn't typically think would be hard to get since you can just buy them off merchants on land. ]

Oh! That I can do. Food, ammo, medicine, toolkits, spare parts, sealants and adhesives… amongst other things that keep a ship running. I keep a personal inventory of a lot of things, but I can just as easily track what's needed for an entire crew if you already have the foundation of the paperwork accounted for.

[ he shuffles back over to thorns, and suddenly there's a notebook placed in front of him. ]

Actually! Since I've been doing so much work around the ship, I've been keeping a general log on the state of the ship. Who's handled what and when since I came aboard, as well as the date of parts that were recently serviced. Weedy's been helping me keep it up since she and the Señora started talking about a rehaul.

[ thorns stares at the notebook. he picks it up and idly flips through it for a moment before he sets it back down again. ]

How much should I be paying you?

[ THIS IS NOT WHAT PEOPLE DO ON VACATION!!!!!!! ]

…

You can also consider this as part of my rent? [ HOW MANY TIMES IS HE GOING TO USE THIS EXCUSE!!! ] I'm too useful to be thrown overboard, Thorns…

[ says this while knowing full well it will increase the odds of him being thrown overboard ]

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