✧ — passionfruit green tea.

[boba]

Comments

[transmit]

[ fucking help

the woman only tightens her grip on elysium's arm and starts hauling him along, babbling about not knowing if the thing will come back and needing him to fend it off if it does. this is what he gets for open carrying a sword, i guess. but what an eventful day. first nene causes such a ruckus it becomes infamous, next elysium is very clearly getting kidnapped in broad daylight. ]

Uh. Ma'am…

[ unless thorns escalates, elysium may say something very rude ]

[oversea]

Where are you going with my b––companion.

[ smooth save...

but he walks over to them, grabbing onto elysium's other arm. ]

[transmit]

[ the way he notices the save but only briefly wonders if thorns is really that shy about calling him his best friend. okay.

she yanks in the opposite direction, and for a moment it almost looks like he'll just go along with it. then he remembers that thorns is at a particularly sensitive point in his life and gently peels his arm free from the woman's grasp. ]

I don't know you like that. Besides, security is saying it's clear. You'll be fine.

[ gooby. he gestures to thorns that it's time for them to skedaddle. ]

[oversea]

[ okay...

thorns will walk off to reunite with nene, who is snuggling on top of the window curtains. he looks down at it. ]

This place isn't safe. They lost Nene.

[transmit]

[ it really isn't. the woman looks like she'll perhaps send hitmen after elysium. ]

You don't think it's Nene not being able to stay in one place…?

…

Okay. Let's get our lights and go.

[oversea]

[ no, it's ikea's fault.

but he will not delay... they may have to backtrack a bit to get to their lights since they had to rush over here. ]

You sure there wasn't anything else you wanted?

[transmit]

Me? To decorate out the guest room? You already got us beds. That's more than enough.

[ already assumes he'll be demoted back the next time he visits…

he puts this into thorns' hands. tilts his head. then just… nods. ]

[oversea]

I mean to bring back with you.

[ elysium is so funny. thorns will make them have sleepovers every time until he gets self-conscious about it.

but he looks down at this cat lamp. ]

What is this?

[transmit]

It's a night light.

[ there are already more conventional light fixtures in their cart. and if thorns isn't a fan of that, there's also this. he can dual wield them as he figures out which one tog et. ]

You need something gentler for when you're still awake but not working.

[ is this… an oxymoron? ]

[oversea]

I see...

[ he is sure there are better choices than these but okay. ]

I think you have ulterior motives.

[transmit]

For when we're chatting away? Maybe. We could still fall asleep with either of these on.

[ maybe THORNS is the one who should be talking about his ulterior motivates. ]

[oversea]

[ thorns is never going to say anything ever, thank you.

he just puts the lamp with their other purchases. ]

[transmit]

[ but is it the cat or the otter

elysium is just content that thorns is reinvesting in himself outside of his lab and weaponry. with that settled, they can head to check-out. ]

Now that that's done… how's Nene? If it isn't doing well, you can head back to the ship or at least get some air first.

[ losing it in one of the furniture sections sounds even worse than the cafeteria, actually. ]

[oversea]

[ the cat...

nene is chewing on the curtains now, which thorns is ignoring. ]

It's fine. I'll stay with you... unless you think I should go.

[transmit]

[ can we not ruin things before we install them. thanks. he picks nene up, who's hopefully still at least half-bgged and unrecognisable to the people around them, and deposits it into thorns' hands. ]

You were just going to let it ruin your curtains before you even got to use them? C'mon, man. You can't let it get away with everything.

[ elysium doesn't think they're co-parenting in this scenario… offers unsolicited advice. ]

[oversea]

It wouldn't have damaged them that badly.

[ okay.

thorns just peers at elysium. ]

Do you not like Nene?

[transmit]

I just think it's spoiled…

[ it is not his baby in the way thorns and docybara are his babies. ]

It's not so much of a problem now, but when it gets bigger, it needs to be more aware. It'll be harder to train those habits out later. [ he arches a brow back. ] Is that not liking something to you?

[oversea]

[ no, it's definitely more than that, since it seemed like elysium was trying to compete with it earlier.

but he won't push the topic. thorns has no logical reason why he is suddenly fond of nene. ]

There's the line. Wait as I pay.

[transmit]

[ OKAY. his very mild jealousy is one thing; wanting to set it up for success is another. they cannot have both thorns and nene completely unsocialised with the rest of society. he tells himself that he will take this upon himself if thorns will not.

but, he reluctantly takes nene back. the funny thing is elysium already has an entire narrative over why thorns is fond of nene, even if he doesn't know. he gives it a long, serious look and tells it that it needs to grow up eventually—and that elysium will need it to continue to look out for thorns for him when he can't. can he trust it with that? does it understand his sentiment?

he says it quietly, but he still attempts to futilely beam it into its head like he does many other things to thorns. like father, like child??? ]

[oversea]

[ thorns is once again unaware of all of this that is happening. he waits in line... pays for his items... gets distracted at the lil food area at checkout.

hot dogs... hm... meatballs? no, he will resist...

but he waves them over. ]

[transmit]

[



he makes sure to take the bag with the knives in it, exchanging it for the bag of nene. ]

Did you want me to put in an order for arms, by the way? I could probably get a shipment in by the end of this week—next week, latest.

[oversea]

No, you don't have to. We can manage with what we have.

[ and that's one less thing for elysium to worry about. ]

But thanks for the offer to do so.

[transmit]

[ he doesn't have to, but he could. hmm. he makes a note to check their stock himself and canvas the crew later. ]

This is what I'm being paid to do. You've done plenty for Rhodes in turn, so have a higher bar than just 'managing'.

[oversea]

[ thorns should know better than to try to give elysium less work to do, because he'd end up finding some one way or another.

they can trek back to deposit their goods. ]

... Did you want to do anything else today?

[transmit]

[ it's true… either you assign him work, or he finds his own, which usually leads to mixed results. pick your poison. ]

Not particularly. After we get everything installed, how about we use the rest of the evening to relax?

[ left to his own devices, it's hard to imagine thorns doing so willingly. and no, his lab work doesn't count as relaxation no matter how much he might enjoy it. ]

Chess?