✧ — peach iced tea.

[boba]

this post is so clean

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[oversea]

[ this is where thorns is torn about this.

this group, whoever they are, keep showing up again and again. at a surface level, everything seems completely unrelated to each other, but every time it points back to them. if their plans are to keep traveling around together, then there is a chance they may run into this again. it makes thorns wants to investigate so that they can better avoid the tragedies that they keep getting thrust into.

but how can he say that in a way that doesn't come off as this is more important than being with elysium? from thorns' point of view, it's to assure that they can, but it requires finally having that Talk. ]

... I said we can run away together.

[transmit]

[ he tells himself it'll be rhodes' problem, not theirs. the real concern is that their faces are already known, but if they just keep their heads down and make like civilians since they will be civilians, what reason would there be to go after them?

plenty, considering elysium's killed more than a fair share of their people by now or lead to them, but surely they won't expend resources on chasing a random guy… ]

Is now already later?

[oversea]

If you want it to be. Any time can be later.

[ he looks over at the door, his grip on elysium's hand remaining firm.

they should stay for when the other operators arrive. ditching the rookies right now is possibly the absolute worst move they could make for their mental health. but if elysium suggests they should leave, thorns will follow. even though he's aware it may be a bad move. ]

[transmit]

[ every part of him wants to take thorns and run. but it doesn't take critical thinking to know that it isn't the wisest choice; even if they wait for the other operators to arrive, it's too optimistic to think they could simply slip away without anyone's notice. he would not be surprised if they were being monitored since their arrival. inevitably, by sticking around they'll be pulled into the mission, and after how dangerous zeruertza had been… he doesn't think it's wrong to be wary.

… ]

Let's wait for the situation to play out. I'll get roped into surveillance at most, but at least that doesn't put me on the field.

[ his fingers skim over thorns' knuckles, a quiet touch, almost pleading touch. ]

Will you stay with me?

[oversea]

Of course.

[ the last thing he wants to be is away from elysium, anyway. even with all the abilities the corazonix gives him, he still can't be in two places at once. ]

It'll give us time to plan out our next steps.

[ so many of their decisions and actions the past few hours have been reactionary, so what they might genuinely need is a chance to actually sit down and think instead of immediately leaping to an extreme. ]

[transmit]

[ if thorns doesn't protest, he drags him into his lap, settling his body against his own. the problem with being on self-inflicted house arrest is that… they are on house arrest!!! with nothing else but each other to pass time. ]

What would you want to do?

[oversea]

[ he will get comfortable here... this really is just such an abrupt difference to how yesterday was, or even just how they woke up this morning. things really just change without warning here. ]

We need to write our reports.

[ the boring answer. ]

[transmit]

[ the sims need enrichment or all they'll do is woohoo and get nothing done ]

If you couldn't even manage the paperwork for adding me to the squad, I don't want to imagine what your reports look like.

[ his gaze flicks to their bags, papers far out of reach. instead of getting up or asking thorns to, he just exhales a long sigh. ]

… I'll do it.

[ still does not get up ]

[oversea]

[ thorns is making absolutely no attempt to move off of him. ]

We can do it later.

[ they're going to be stuck waiting for the other operators for at least a day, less if they take as minimal breaks as possible, so they do have a few hours before they really are forced to do anything.

that really is a lot of time to waste without going stir crazy. thorns wonders if he should have given the rookies busy work. ]

[transmit]

[ the rookies are grieving they'll be fine.

but you know it's bad when h*rny does not appear to be a viable solution to their problem, so elysium and thorns are a little less fine. a long minute passes before elysium sighs again, dragging the both of them onto their sides and the bed. he keeps thorns close, hooking a leg over his. ]

We should probably rest while we can. Now all that's over with… I'm feeling pretty tired.

[ a lie. he's so awake from everything that's happened and their discussions. but at the same time, he has so much to think about—their future, for one, even though they really should be thinking about that together.

elysium curls up against him. to his back, he starts reciting lyrics, lines of poetry. maybe he can get thorns to drift off to sleep. ]

[oversea]

[ thorns is truly wondering why they keep getting the worst missions of all time. if he knew what final destination was, he could make some sort of joke about how that's just what's happening now; they really were just supposed to die in that original timeline, so everything keeps going wrong.

he closes his eyes, not drifting to sleep just yet. ]

You can't sneak off.

[transmit]

[ this is what happens when you go against the natural order of the world. thorns should've been the bigger person and left elysium dead? that's what it would've wanted. ]

I won't. [ but that's not exactly a guarantee, hence— ] Should I handcuff myself to you to make you feel better?

[oversea]

You should, yes.

[ he agrees so immediately.

thorns places his wrist against elysium's. ]

It'd look nice together.

[transmit]

That's one way to have matching rings.

[ don't just make this sound like a normal conversation. he hums, as if seriously considering thorns' assessment. ]

You aren't wrong. Still, as resourceful as a guy I am, it's not like I carry handcuffs around with me everywhere—let alone own a pair.

[ … ]

Wanna make them with your Corazonix?

[ holds up their arms. OKAY. ]

[oversea]

[ he makes a small noise of surprise when elysium says he doesn't own a pair of handcuffs, as if he expects him to just have these things on hand.

but he looks at their hands, and slowly a construct forms between them around their wrists—a handcuff delicately made from the corazonix. ]

There.

[transmit]

[ who is he, wrio?

but he watches, rapt, as the corazonix coalesces into the two bangles. he attempts to jostle it, making a show of trying to break free, before setting it down.

this does make their sleeping position a little awkward, so he shifts around to find a more comfortable position. ]

You did it so readily. I see…

[ said in the tone of someone learning something for the first time despite knowing full well how much he enjoyed being tied up. that technically didn't happen here. ]

[oversea]

Why waste time...

[ at least, thorns seems pleased by this? you really need the little things to cheer you up when everything around you is on fire.

they likely have to actually face each other to make this work though. hi... ]

You'll have to take me everywhere.

[transmit]

[ cute… thorns is cute even if the subject material is entirely questionable. ]

I was going to take you everywhere regardless. [ but it makes thorns happy, so by extension, so is elysium. ] Aren't a collar and leash more appropriate for something like that?

[ he's thinking aloud… ]

[oversea]

Should I wear it or you?

[ this is a really good way to get their mind off of things, by instead discussing things that are terrible for a different reason.

at least the atmosphere isn't bad. ]

[transmit]

If you're worried about me wandering, I guess it'd be me…

[ he falls into silence not because he's judging but because he's sincerely thinking about this. ]

But you sound like you want me to walk you, so maybe we both should?

[oversea]

[ thorns goes quiet next, and he pulls back a little more so he can look elysium in the face better. ]

Do you think we have problems?

[ IS THIS NORMAL. ]

[transmit]

[ yes. ]

No. … Do you have problems with me?

[oversea]

No. I love us.

[ they have so many problems.

his hand that is not currently handcuffed to elysium reaches out to caress his neck. ]

You would look nice.

[transmit]

Other people might think otherwise, but do their opinions really matter? What matters to me is yours and only yours.

[ the way this is also deeply problematic. he takes thorns' hand and presses it flat to his neck, guiding it to curl around him as though his hand were a collar. ]

Are you the type who'd prefer a bell or a tag?

[oversea]

[ their world continues to become more insular as time goes on. it's difficult to think about the fact that he was the captain of a ship and had to look after dozens of people when right now everything is just elysium. ]

A bell is too noisy.