✧ — peach iced tea.

[boba]

this post is so clean

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[transmit]

[ the irony of thorns saying this. anyone would be grumpy if their naptime got interrupted…

elysium just sniffles and rubs his ass gingerly. ]

We were sent here to ask if you needed help…?

[ attempts helpfully despite almost dying. except, the guard is already back asleep? okay. they were bound to run into someone difficult eventually. ]

[oversea]

[ OKAY.

thorns stares at the guard, before grabbing elysium and moving him a few feet away. ]

I'm going to try something. Stay here.

[ he would normally take elysium with him, but his reflexes are not where they should be due to his damaged h*le.

but by try something, he means he is just going to try to walk past the guard into his station. ]

[transmit]

[ wow, thorns is about to be so cool. elysium watches! ready to clap with bated breath.



the guard does nothing. he is too tired to deal with rowdy kids, damn. ]

[oversea]

Let's go home. He doesn't need any help.

[ thorns' heartstrings were not tugged by this villager so he is ready to move on to the next side quest. he goes back to where he deposited elysium to pick him up. ]

[transmit]

[ help. thorns has no patience to unlock the hidden and tragic backstories of stoics…

elysium peers over for a moment longer, as though running through a mental list of reasons to stay or go. well, there's no real rush to max out their camaraderie with the locals just yet. so! it's fine. ]

Okay. We got enough done today, anyway. [ did they. ] We can try the farm tomorrow for real?

[oversea]

[ he does not think it's his problem and will make no effort to learn about it on his own. you either spill your tragic backstory to him immediately or else he moves on.

he nods his head. ]

If they say yes we'd probably be doing a lot of walking there, so it is best to rest up.

[transmit]

[ but if you're an extrovert, your tragic backstory doesn't matter i see……

elysium fits himself against thorns' back, arms crossing securely over his front. ]

What do you think about getting a bike? Something that could handle both our weights. It'd make getting around easier, especially if we're planning more of what we're doing today. We could even attach a cart so we don't have to carry things around all the time.

Am I a genius or am I a genius? It could be the first investment we make for our future. Orrrrrr we could start with a rental. Heh.

[ they could be so cute. those anime montages where people are biking along the countryside with reeds and the sunset as their backdrop… ]

[oversea]

[ it would be useful for travel, at least... as long as they're sticking to roads, anyway, it would get tricky once they start traveling through unexplored forests or anything without a path. but thorns supposes there's not as much reason to do that if they aren't actively in hiding. ]

.... That would be nice.

[ it's a domestic enough image that it makes him animal crossing flowers. ]

[transmit]

[ will their mentals be able to take it if they have to abandon their first inanimate child

but they can be an entire field of animal crossing flowers with how this is going. ]

We can start asking around tomorrow, then. There's bound to be something.

[ their hopes and dreams are about to be crushed when they find out generic and mass-produced bicycles are not built to carry two grown men. this is a hard crime against them specifically, but for now, they are naïve and innocent to the cruelties of the world. ]

[oversea]

[ they have abandoned so many children that if they ever get their hands on an actual child they are going to have the ultimate test of how insane they are.

but for now, everything is pure and good. they make it back without much hassle and they can get ready for bed without incident. while the inn rooms aren't gigantic, they are spacious enough to give a cute homey feel... ]

How early do you want to head out tomorrow?

[transmit]

[ elysium will note that thorns has disregarded their chess date entirely. this is too early to be sleeping… tch.

but if it means canoodling, he supposed he can't complain all that much. ]

We're only expected at the workshop atter noon, so any time early in the morning's probably fine. How about whenever you feel like getting up? If you end up sleeping in, we can put it off for another day. Then another day. However many it takes.

[ the last part is half a tease. ]

[oversea]

[ thorns just thinks elysium is a princess who needs to get his beauty rest in... he is so aware of his h*le and needs it to heal properly. this is a cursed sentence but here we are.

he kisses elysium's nose. ]

Maybe you'll sleep in.

[transmit]

[ tears up they both love each other's h*les so much they need to recover for untenable reasons.

elysium kisses thorns' nose back. ]

Maybe I will. How long will you let me sleep in for? What if I feel like keeping you to myself for the next week?

[ but they need money. ]

[oversea]

You can have me all you want. No one else will look at me.

[ ...

but then he mutters, ]

We may have to skip a few meals in that case though.

[transmit]

No. You aren't allowed to starve.

[ is this how he becomes that nightmare au version of himself…?

why is living so expensive. ]

We can get up at sunrise…

[ he does not sound happy about this ]

[oversea]

[ elysium becomes a host real

but thorns just pats him. he decides to be nice and let them sleep past sunrise, but it will mean the interaction with the farm will be a short one to just express interest without getting a proper tour or anything. but that may be better for the h*le.... ]

[transmit]

[ it is definitely better for the hole. while elysium is not desperately trying to keep himself upright without hobbling away, it is rather achey…

still, that puts them in a bit of a rush to get to the workshop. the guy explains away at processes they both already know the entirety of the time, but it is very cute… more importantly, they have enough time at the end of the day they're referred to a place where they can put an order for a bike. or bikes.

he laughs at them when elysium asks about a bicycle that can support them both—nice try. he visibly droops.

but the days are rather fulfilling, no matter how many hopes are risen and dashed in the process. it helps that thorns is by his side. ]

[oversea]

[ they should save up and get a tandem bike in exchange of looking really stupid.

but it's fine. it really does not take long to get into the groove here, considering the townspeople are all desperate for some helping hands. both their shared skill set and their different ones cover so much ground that they could probably be set for life if they had wanted to live here permanently.

a couple of weeks can pass... his h*le is healed. apparently the nearest town is holding a small festival and the townspeople are planning to all travel to attend. thorns is... uncertain. ]

[transmit]

[ do the h*les ever truly heal. much to think about. sometimes (a lot of the times) peaceful days feel a little too peaceful and so they take matters into their own hands.

but to the actual pressing problem: ]

We don't have to go. We can just say we want to stay behind to look after the village—this would be the time it's most vulnerable.

[ elysium turning down a festival? whomst!!! but it says a lot that in this span of time, elysium still has not bothered to get to know the peers their age.

their "friends" consist of the elderly… ]

[oversea]

Are you sure? This seems like something you'd be into.

[ he does like to make thorns go outside and touch grass... although that seems to be happening less and less as they becoming more and more codependent. but this is not something thorns is actively thinking about so he is not making the connection. ]

[transmit]

[ they go outside and touch grass everyday. wdym. ]

Hm? Not really. Festivals happen all the time.

[ he realises this is not entirely characteristic of him, so he adds, almost defensively: ]

Besides, did you see the comp? It's absurdly generous for how little work it'll probably take.

[oversea]

[ hmmm.

well, even if thorns thinks it's weird this isn't really something he'll fight for. the only real reason to go would be to see if they can buy anything that might be sold only during a festival, but he is still in penny pinching mode so it's not as large of temptation. ]

It may be nice to just have us here.

[transmit]

Kinda makes it feel haunted…

[ it's like he's envisioning it at this exact moment. ]

You can deal with a couple of ghosts easy, right?

[ 'we' until it's convenient for elysium to leave himself out ]

[oversea]

Are we not a team now?

[ hello!!!

but then he adds, a little too seriously, ]

Nothing is impossible... Destreza...

[transmit]

See? You've got everything under control. I'll handle backline support just like always.

[ but he pauses, the lightness in his tone dimming as he considers it more seriously. ]

Is there something on your mind? Ghosts aside, I mean. It seemed that way when you asked me about the festival.

[ don't make the ghosts sound like a guarantee ]