✧ — passionfruit green tea.

[boba]

Comments

[transmit]

[ he's cultivated enough that there should be plenty for everyone when it's checked the next day.

but watching elysium move around the room is probably amusing. wherever he goes, clutter gives way to neat stacks, as if tidiness follows him and is left in his wake. eventually he reaches the walls, now dressed with photo frames: the iberian crew on rhodes, a snapshot from their last anniversary, and three full-sized posters from each successful volume of saga of the captain valourchin. the captain's shown from behind every time, his crew growing larger with each release. it's obvious who it's meant to be, his clothing emblazoned with radial suns and stars.

has thorns been keeping up with them? the best friend is on none of these… ]

I thought, when we got back, that your room might feel better with a few personal touches. Not bad if I say so myself.

[ holdover from purrfect penance being so off-putting to be in alone? maybe… ]

[oversea]

[ the idea of having posters of himself up is so insane to him

but thorns will look each new addition over, amusement growing on his face with each one. ]

I was expecting more sunscreen.

[ he is holding one of the photos... he doesn't even remember when this was taken... ]

[transmit]

[ it's the captain valourchin, hello? there's enough suspension of disbelief to pretend it's not thorns. don't worry… ]

That's coming, that's coming!

[ he lets himself straighten out this last thing before bounding back over to thorns, plopping a ten-pack into his arms. ]

For you.

[ has he even used up the the last of his stock. probably not. but let a guy dream. ]

[oversea]

[ he definitely has not. it's fine.

he will take this... ]

I really should be paying you.

[transmit]

You can pay me back by taking care of yourself. There's nothing more I want than a return on my investment.

[ pats his shoulder. ]

You haven't told me what you think! Doesn't your room look more lived in now?

[oversea]

It looks fine.

[ he puts his sunscreen stash down.

... ]

Thanks.

[ his manners... ]

[transmit]

Noooo problem.

[ heheheh… last hour's mushrooms are a thing of the past. ]

Was there anything else you needed to get done, or do I have you to myself now?

[oversea]

I won't be needed anywhere until later.

[ he's given everyone free time before they are forced to do chores, which also means that he has free time before he must go back to work.

if elysium wasn't here, thorns would likely spend it working still. ]

[transmit]

Theeeeeen we're getting you off the ship—!

[ he goes ahead expecting thorns to follow. ]

Have you eaten yet?

[oversea]

[ he follows after him... what else is he supposed to do... ]

Yes. [ ... ] Wait, no.

[ he ate dinner last night... ]

[transmit]

[ make him walk off alone like a loser… ]

What do you mean, no? You—

[ he's about to chew him out again when thorns' crew members hook their arms around both of them and haul them down to eye level. apparently they heard something about dinner? funny coincidence, that's exactly why they'd been looking for them—or at least, why they were looking for elysium in particular. elysium, there are single operators among the crew, right? and he's single too, isn't he? it's perfect. he can help set people up and join in on the mixer!!!!!!!!!! ]

Huh? I was hoping to catch up with—

[ cut off again by another excitable crew member saying they can catch up anytime! and thorns is welcome to join or supervise, if he wants! elysium's reluctant thought is that this can probably be platonic…? so he glances over at thorns, deferring the judgment to him. they do not seem like they want to let it go. ]

[oversea]

[ okay.

thorns looks so pissed at this that the crew member immediately apologizes for assuming thorns would want to get involved and starts carting elysium off.

thorns is pissed at the idea of elysium being set up with someone. ]

[transmit]

[ help ]

That's a pretty strong reaction. They try this with you often…?

[ he thinks thorns is more pissed off at them trying to set him up… ]

[oversea]

Not really.

[ he forces his expression to be more neutral. ]

Are you interested...?

[transmit]

They seemed really desperate. [ … ] Hard to imagine anything coming out of it, but I could at least ask the other operators if they were interested in mingling.

Should I?

[oversea]

[ ugh...

there's a long pause. ]

You can see if they want to go...

[transmit]

[ he leans over to gaze at thorns… ]

What's bothering you so much?

[oversea]

I'm not bothered.

[ he clearly is. ]

... Are you interested?

[transmit]

I don't come all this way just to hang out with other people. Unless you were interested, why would I be?

[ hehe. ]

[oversea]

[ explodes

he looks away... ]

I guess we can go to keep an eye on things. We don't have to participate in what they're up to.

[transmit]

[ thorns realising they do not talk like normal people but this is just something elysium has accepted about them as part of their friendship. sorry

also the funny part about this is that thorns really did lead them away and now they have to crawl back… he tilts his head. ]

I'll go talk to everyone about it, then? Ask your guy where he wants us to be and we can reconvene once we've figured things out.

[oversea]

Yeah, sounds good.

[ and this way thorns can watch elysium to see if he actually is secretly interested in this and if he is he can throw himself into the sea. ]

We can meet up later.

[transmit]

[ what is romance… elysium hallucinating that a version of him gave him his feather, apparently, and everyone else corroborating that thorns was wearing one up until today. he resists the urge to glance over his shoulder as he leaves, finding most of the operators now in the room, in the middle of settling themselves.

in the end, most of them come along simply to pass the time, elysium showing up at the docks with the group. as far as appearances go, he looks a little tidier than when thorns left him, hair styled, though only in that distinctly nonchalant way…?

jk he looks try hard as he always does. ]

[oversea]

[ why did elysium fix his hair... is it because he wants to find a boyfriend??????

thorns is spiraling but he just nods his head at them when he sees them. the pirates have found a neat little tavern that agreed to save enough space for them; sailors tend to like to get drunk which means a lot of money for them yippee.

but they'll lead them there... everyone is chatting excitedly! the mood is good!!!

thorns makes sure to walk slightly behind elysium on the way there so he can watch him... and then see what he does about seating... ]

[transmit]

[ wow maybe he just wants to find a girlfriend… have you considered that? he is in his het era for real.

but no, he's just being his vain self, wanting to look presentable for what he's treating as any other social event. thorns' crew knows not to be cringe, right? that's the hope, not that elysium's actively worrying about it when no one's given him a reason to.

anyway, unfortunate for thorns: he doesn't actually get to see what elysium does about seating on his own volition, as the moment they walk in, someone's already waving at him, excitedly, gesturing for him to come sit next to them. he figures sticking too close to thorns would just make him annoying, so he sees no reason not to go along with it. ]