✧ — passionfruit green tea.

[boba]

Comments

[transmit]

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?

[oversea]

[ 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...

[transmit]

[ 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.

[oversea]

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. ]

[transmit]

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.

[oversea]

[ 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!!!!!!! ]

[transmit]

…

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 ]

[oversea]

[ he is so annoying. die.

thorns just sighs, wondering just what is he going to do with this man. he can't say this isn't helpful since it is incredibly so, but. god. die!!!!! ]

I can hang you upside down whenever I want.

[transmit]

Isn't that a little cruel to say to someone who just told you he wanted to see the world with you?

[ he ducks behind the desk, fingers still visible where they cling to the edge. just enough of him remains in sight, both his eyes and the crown of his head barely peeking into view. don't hurt him… ]

[oversea]

[ he must keep elysium on his toes.

but he leans over so he can peek over the desk. ]

Then see the world with me.

[transmit]

[ HE IS JUST A LITTLE GUY!!!! ]

Aren't I?

[ mumble mumble ]

[oversea]

Are you...?

[ this is why he's asking elysium to stay with him until he leaves!! ]

Come to the deck with me one night.

[transmit]

[ it feels like he is being… seduced?

he ducks even further down the table. stop perceiving him. ]

… Just for one night?

[ makes it worse. ]

[oversea]

Yeah?

[ because he doesn't want to take up more of elysium's time since it sounds like he does most of his busywork at night. ]

[transmit]

That's only seeing a part of it and not all of it.

[ elysium is so annoying. ]

[oversea]

[ ...

he just rolls his eyes. he truly is so annoying. ]

Then every night?

[transmit]

[ his eyes emerge from the table…… totally not in interest, or anything… ]

You have enough time for that?

[oversea]

I have enough time for anything. I make the schedule.

[ thorns is only as busy as he wants to be; there are definitely captains out there who are much less involved than he is. ]

The sky at sea is something else.

[transmit]

[ his chin comes to rest on the edge of the table. little by little, his weight settles there, until his ear his pressed against the wood and he's looking up at thorns like this, like coaxing a skittish animal into a fragile sense of safety. ]

… Yeah. Every time I looked up at it, I'd hope you were seeing the exact same thing. It makes you feel so unbearable small looking at it alone, though.

[oversea]

Then we'll fix that.

[ he isn't sure when elysium will be summoned back to rhodes, so it's best to make the most of their time now. ]

You know you could always come find me. It's not that big of a ship to be alone.

[transmit]

[ he should say no… it should be enough just to be in proximity. but even if he misses what they were, he misses their friendship more. ]

Should we make it a tradition? Like how the sun gives way to the moon. Only for us, there's that small window where we get to meet each and every day—so neither of us has to feel so alone?

[oversea]

[ this is incredibly romantic. it is a shame that thorns has not had any kind of conversation to get him thinking about romance and he has convinced himself purgatory was a dream, so he is not being properly wooed here. ]

We should. There's no one better to do that with.

[transmit]

[ it's fine this is just the au where they remain platonic forever. the real timeline future historians will cite as proof they were simply very good friends and nothing more. ]

Should we start it off tonight?

[oversea]

[ it is so late.

and yet, he nods. ]

Mm. It should be clear tonight.

[transmit]

[ it is very late and most definitely past thorns' bedtime, but&dmash; ]

Just for a bit! And then we'll have to send you back to bed.