✧ — passionfruit green tea.

[boba]

Comments

[transmit]

[ he wakes up late noon…

…

he eats this breakfast and replaces it with a bowl of dried fruits and nuts. his midday snack, if he wills. ]

[oversea]

[ a baby...

thorns, meanwhile, is going around the ship doing various duties. his mornings are fairly jam packed, with multiple people going to him for help or to alert him of ship updates... some just want to see a cool alchemy trick... nene wants to be carried... ]

[transmit]

[ …

this is always the awkward part of his day, when there are too many people moving about at once to really slip through the cracks. typically, he'd bury himself in books as per weedy's recommendation to see how else he might be of use on the ship, but since thorns seemed willing to trust him with inventory, he'll take a seat in his chair and start paging through the journals and ledgers he was working through yesterday, learning by example.

he needs to be useful… ]

[oversea]

[ elysium.....

eventually, thorns will head back to his room to see if elysium is still there. he has brought nene with him. ]

[transmit]

[ thorns can find him deep in the sauce… he has a stack of his journals on the side and continues to pour over them.

nerd. ]

[oversea]

[ help...

he will tiptoe in, although there's no point in doing that since the moment he sets nene on the ground, it starts flopping around the room. ]

[transmit]

[ you remembering to include nene everywhere after it being gone entirely for the first half of our psl is so funny

but elysium carries on as though they don't register, until— ]

You're back earlier than I thought you'd be. Came to check up on me?

[ continues to casually flip through pages ]

[oversea]

[ i'm so sorry nene i'm a good mom now.... ]

I wanted to see how long you'd be knocked out for.

[ what is his schedule? a mystery. ]

[transmit]

Just the usual amount of time.

[ he closes the book he's on and glances up. did thorns think elysium could really pass out all that long on a floor of all things… ]

I can take inventory tonight and you can audit it whenever you're ready? Then, depending how it goes, you can just leave it to me going forward.

[oversea]

... Alright.

[ he wanders over and checks to see if elysium ate the breakfast. ]

What are you doing next?

[transmit]

[ he did…

he pushes the bowl of trail mix forward. ]

Not sure. Was there anything else the captain wanted to delegate while he was here?

[oversea]

[ hmm...

he peers at him. ]

Have you heard any interesting gossip I should know about?

[transmit]

Oooh. There's a betting pool going on whether anyone aboard the ship can defeat you in a one-on-one. I left a note saying there was no chance in hell, but I think that only invigorated them further.

[ he taps his chin. ]

This was about… two days ago? I think it entirely depends on if the Señora decides to throw in her hat.

[oversea]

Is that so? They might try to mutiny if I lose against the first mate.

[ why follow someone who can't even beat the person who had the job before him...? ]

[transmit]

[ he just peers over. ]

How confident are you? I haven't thrown in my bet yet.

[oversea]

Hm? I'm not going to give insider information.

[ he wants elysium to bet with what he really believes will happen... ]

[transmit]

I should get some perks for being your spy…

[ he wants to nip at him so bad. he settles with kicking his foot. ]

But aside from that, I think people are more impressed that you're managing to fill the Señora's shoes. Depending on how you look at it, them thinking you're unapproachable can be a boon and bane.

… Have you given it any thought whatsoever? What kind of captain you wanted to be?

[oversea]

Not really.

[ ... although he realizes how that might come off as, so he adds on, ]

There is still a lot that I need to learn, so I don't think I can make any decisions like that until I understand everyone and what we are doing better.

[transmit]

You did just jump up a bunch of ranks without intending to. You're higher up than I've ever gone now.

[ they pointedly ignore every rung he's refused to climb since his vice captaincy. it's fine. ]

I think you could be someone like Amiya.

[ it might be strange, comparing themselves to a teenage girl as two adult men. but then again, she's anything but ordinary, incredible in everything she's endured and in how she's carried her responsibility without letting it hollow her out. where hers is a light that illuminates the future for infected; thorns is for iberia. ]

[oversea]

... I'm not sure about that.

[ although he doesn't actually sound dismissive about the idea, but more embarrassed at the comparison. it seems like a leap to be likened to someone who has done an enormous amount of work at such an young age, when he's just... still figuring things out. ]

But I'd like to be.

[transmit]

Where did all your confidence go?

[ a hand finds itself in thorns' hair. it might seem like it's to pat him at first—but then he just starts ruffling at it vigorously. scruffs. ]

If you keep paving the way forward like you always have, you're right on track for it. If you overthink it, you'll end up paralysed and frozen right in place.

As incredible as Amiya is, she hasn't been alone. She's had plenty of support around her, hasn't she? And you do, too. Knowing your mistakes won't be yours alone is a heavy pressure, but that doesn't have to be the only perspective. For better and for worse, it means the burden can be shared as well.

[oversea]

Maybe you should write a book.

[ he goes quiet for a moment, before breathing out a laugh. ]

It just seems a little soon to be saying things like that. There's still a lot of work for me to do.

[transmit]

Should I? A wandering swordsman who goes on to conquering the sea. Now that'd be a story for the big screens.

[ who could play thorns but thorns, though? hmm. he stares at thorns like he's assessing this…

then just laughs. ]

It is a long road ahead. Steps forward, steps back. Every journey is full of them. But what kind of amigo would I be if I let you get discouraged so easily? I won't let you be.

[oversea]

[ ... he wonders, briefly, how did he ever once think that he could manage living life on his own.

but he moves on quickly from the thought. ]

And what will you be doing for yourself during all of this?

[transmit]

Didn't we just talk about how I have a book to write?

[ he

doesn't actually have an answer to that, but it is the truth of it. if he were any over version of himself, chances are he would've left it there. instead, there's a vulnerable, almost sheepish laugh, his gaze drifting, settling on whatever it finds. isn't it enough to join thorns on his journey? a part of him thinks yes. another part yearns to be even half of what the people around him have managed to become, even if he's just reflecting a portion of their lights. ]

Maybe I'll figure that out along the way.