[ he bumps shoulders again with thorns, laughing. ]
Calling you my compañero de vida will probably get too long-winded after a while. But there's no substitute for that, so I guess we are stuck with just Elysium and Thorns.
[ it was just one of those dialogue options that locked them into the platonic route for the next year. it's fine. elysium is the master of self-sabotage…
[ it has been so long since he's been able to do this…… but one of the reasons he knows about the spot is that it isn't the first time he's watched people at the helm like a creep.
but it is different when it's under his hands. different when he's allowed to be here without the high stakes of others' lives and able to fully immerse himself in the moment. the wind presses against his hair, the saline bite of the sea fills his lungs.
[ exhibit a for why he should be doing a better job of maintaining distance: his hand twists instinctively to catch thorns', leaving him awkwardly holding on as he scrambles for an excuse.
… ]
Are we steering together now?
[ desperately tries to make it sound like a tease. ]
[ imagine if he just jerked it in a random direction and startled everyone awake. this could've been so much worse—he could've reacted so much worse—he deserves a medal. ]
You guess? [ he flattens thorns' hand on the wheel, his own still wrapped around it. ] We're literally charting a path right now, aren't we? Where are we off to?
I said what I did about us navigating together, but at the end of the day, I'm not exactly a member of your crew. If they found out some guy they didn't even know existed had a hand in where they're going, they'd probably be furious, yeah?
[ well.
that's also setting aside how the places he does want to go are meant for them and only them. ]
[ he sighs... but won't press the topic much further, since this isn't really worth arguing about. it just would have been a nice moment, he thinks, between friends. ]
... It's my ship in the end.
[ as in, what he says goes. but that's all he'll say for that. ]
There's some islands coming from on our left soon. They're really small and uninhabited, but they have good fruit.
[ elysium has to remember his boundaries, or it would be far too easy to get carried away. he doesn't have anything to say to that, either, letting the topic drift off with the wind and sink back into the sea.
he takes half a step to the side, arms braced against the railing. it's only half a step, but it feels symbolic of so much more—of the weeks and literal lifetimes spent in a far-off world, if it could even be called that, more than he could ever hope to explain.
… ]
Is that right? How do you know about it? Have you been reading?
[ well, thorns meant it more as even if his crew complained, he has the last say in the end. but the only thing that festers more than a wound is feelings, and that's what a misunderstanding is made from.
he nods. ]
There's old maps I can reference, although most aren't accurate to our standards. I sent probes out, so I know they're still there... although I don't know how they taste.
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but he redirects his attention to the ocean. ]
Elysium.
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Calling you my compañero de vida will probably get too long-winded after a while. But there's no substitute for that, so I guess we are stuck with just Elysium and Thorns.
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[ it still feels like he failed a test somehow, but there's not much he can do about that now. ]
Come here.
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but he takes a step closer. ]
Yeah?
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Steer.
[ and he waits to see. ]
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but it is different when it's under his hands. different when he's allowed to be here without the high stakes of others' lives and able to fully immerse himself in the moment. the wind presses against his hair, the saline bite of the sea fills his lungs.
this must be what it feels like to be free. ]
A guy could get used to this.
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[ he watches elysium from where he's at, and he thinks of how this looks so natural and right, like a puzzle piece sliding into place.
he reminds himself that he'll have to leave eventually, and takes a step forward so he can fix the positioning of one of elysium's hands. ]
This is better.
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… ]
Are we steering together now?
[ desperately tries to make it sound like a tease. ]
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at first he thought elysium was just trying to catch his attention, although the method is... odd. he looks at their hands then at elysium's face. ]
I guess we are?
[ friend jokes are so funny haha ]
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You guess? [ he flattens thorns' hand on the wheel, his own still wrapped around it. ] We're literally charting a path right now, aren't we? Where are we off to?
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but thorns really is thinking that it's nice to be friends who can do this... elysium is so silly? ]
Hm? You can't tell me? Look at the sky.
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As the captain, shouldn't you be telling me?
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[ he expects a lot from him, apparently. thorns just waits for what elysium says... ]
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Where your heart has decided to take us…
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he sighs. ]
I guess this is too much responsibility for you so soon.
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[ thorns has successfully raised his hackles. ]
How am I supposed to read your mind?
[ he no longer wants to steer and lets go of the wheel. bye. ]
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he'll just put his other hand back on the wheel once elysium lets go. ]
... It would have been fine. I was just curious.
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[ well.
that's also setting aside how the places he does want to go are meant for them and only them. ]
What you said earlier wasn't wrong.
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... It's my ship in the end.
[ as in, what he says goes. but that's all he'll say for that. ]
There's some islands coming from on our left soon. They're really small and uninhabited, but they have good fruit.
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he takes half a step to the side, arms braced against the railing. it's only half a step, but it feels symbolic of so much more—of the weeks and literal lifetimes spent in a far-off world, if it could even be called that, more than he could ever hope to explain.
… ]
Is that right? How do you know about it? Have you been reading?
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he nods. ]
There's old maps I can reference, although most aren't accurate to our standards. I sent probes out, so I know they're still there... although I don't know how they taste.
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[ elysium's super complicated maps no one wants to read… ]
Where do you keep them? I wanna take a look, too.
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[ and he isn't putting something that precious in storage... someone might accidentally take it not knowing what it's for. ]
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[ thinks this is very smooth of him. sometimes you are delusional. ]
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Go ahead. But I'll be later than usual.
[ so he shouldn't wait up for him if it takes too long. ]
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