✧ — peach iced tea.

[boba]

this post is so clean

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[transmit]

It technically rescued itself…

[ mumbles. this is so funny considering they literally just had a conversation on this topic. but, okay.

hmmm.

elysium tugs thorns into a stop. ]

I heard you asked the Doctor to make your braid for you, once.

Do you miss them?

[oversea]

[ he wants to ask how did he hear about that, but if anyone gets hold of gossip then it would be elysium.

still, how to answer that... it's true that the doctor is someone he trusts deeply, and he knows that if he just showed up back there now, he'd just get a light reprimand before being welcome back. in other lives, when other operators were scared about being around pirates, the doctor would always be the first on the ship to greet thorns and his crew. ]

They're a good person. They're likely doing better than we are.

[ later on the landship is going to explode ]

[transmit]

[ love how ak has established mantra loves gossip. and then she has elysium and raidian… apples don't fall far from the tree.

the way they're just permanently haunted by their ex now, too. fun. and while elysium had mentioned the braid thing to poke fun at thorns, there is something legitimately concerning about what he'd just said, warranting the slightest of pauses. ]

Yeah? How would you say we're doing comparatively?

[oversea]

[ he realizes he should be more careful with his wording.

he just nudges elysium with his shoulder. they're at the farm gates by now. ]

Oh. I just mean that they don't have to hustle so much for money. Nothing bad.

[ financially, yes they are in way more trouble than they were at rhodes. but they can manage... ]

[transmit]

[ tense abnormal spectrum bgm intensifies in the background

he nudges thorns back, casual as ever. they really are one dialogue choice away from spiraling into a worse bad end at any given time. ]

If you want to go back, we can. I'm not going to accept treatment in the way you think I would if we do, though. If we do it, it'd be for you.

[oversea]

We're not going back.

[ thorns is not going to ignore the fact that they may be forced to go back depending on elysium's health, or if something major happens where there isn't really any other choice but to initiate contact with rhodes island again. but to do so for anything less than an emergency? what would even be the point of them leaving in the first place? ]

I said we'll manage.

[transmit]

[ for the first time since they've made their runaway, the atmosphere between them grows awkward. he just stares at thorns for a long few beats—so much for talking about it! let's never do that again. it can be their point of contention when it arises; it is what it is.

coincidentally, the farmer shows up in the distance and begins approaching, wondering what they're doing standing around and not saying anything? ]

Sure. [ … ] Doctor it is.

[ —then he turns and waves back! they have a child they need to temporarily shelter. ]

[oversea]

[ they have never been so far away from flirting.

thorns lets it drop because elysium does, and he lets elysium handle the explanation. the farmer happily will let docbara stay on the form, but does ask if they can use it every now and then if possible in exchange.

thorns nods his head. the alternative would be getting charged for for it, so sure. ]

[transmit]

[ docybara is so happy to finally be able to graze… elysium has never seen it move so fast away them.

but they really do need to nuke the day away from existence. after the farmer leaves, there's just a long stretch of silence. ]

Is it too early to head back?

[oversea]

I don't know. If you want to rest we can. We should probably drop our stuff off either way...

[ they have gear for a stakeout but they no longer need it with everyone back.

but thorns is not the person to turn to when trying to get out of an awkward atmosphere. so. ]

[transmit]

[ if they get a reset, they'll be fine. elysium could go back to his mood making ways but he's once again too busy brooding.

a pause. ]

We can pick up our payment, drop off our stuff, then see how we feel from there. That should carry us to late evening.

[oversea]

That works.

[ ...

he squeezes elysium's hand. thorns is aware he is the reason the mood died, at least. ]

[transmit]

[ it truly feels like forever since they last got to flirt… he squeezes thorns' hand back through all the brooding.

when they get paid—it's both more than expected and with treats from excursion. the chief says it's for the trouble with the bandits, and while it hadn't been any effort at all, he isn't about to turn down the charity.

one thing is pretty clear though: they'd really like to keep them. it's just a little uncomfortable to stomach. ]

[oversea]

[ on one hand, it shouldn't be too surprising. their entire plan when they came here was to make themselves so extremely useful that everyone would want to hire them. of course that would mean the town would become rather reliant on them afterwards.

still, it is much easier to cut ties and run off together during more tense, dangerous moments. when things are nice and calm, guilt tends to catch up. ]

Thanks. We'll get going, then.

[ they are happily excused, because of course the two of them would want some time to themselves after working all day.

thorns just looks at elysium. ]

[transmit]

[ so what i'm getting from this is that they really need is to live a life of crime and kill more people. got it.

elysium isn't thinking anything close to that. instead, he ends up draping his weight over thorns, not from physical exhaustion but sheer mental fatigue. everyone's been asking about his haircut, yeah, and they say he looks good, but when doesn't he? tch.

by the time they're stumbling back toward the inn, elysium decides— ]

Sorry.

[oversea]

... What are you sorry for?

[ he's not really sure if elysium should be the one apologizing right now, and also what it says about thorns that he wasn't the one who said it instead.

he pauses mid-step, turning his head towards him. ]

[transmit]

It would've been easier for you if I were someone else.

[ a lot easier—and for so many reasons, at that.

he physically turns thorns' head forward. no looking. ]

[oversea]

[ okay, he is most definitely looking at him after that bomb. thorns just comes to a full stop. ]

There wouldn't be anyone else. I can only be in love because it's with you. It wouldn't have happened with a different person.

[ this feels like a conversation from so long ago, when they were first discovering what a relationship between them might mean. ]

[transmit]

I know. That's why I'm sorry. I wouldn't let you be with anyone else, either. Or be in love with them, or let it happen. My circumstances are what they are, my personality is what it is, but I can't let you go.

[ he takes thorns' other hand, clasping both in his own and giving them a firm squeeze. ]

That's what I'm sorry for.

[oversea]

You shouldn't be sorry for that.

[ thorns can't picture a life without elysium. even when he tries to keep things platonic, or him at a distance, they just eventually come crashing together again. why should he ever want anything other than this? ]

I love every part of you. Even the parts you don't want me to see. Nothing will ever change that.

[transmit]

[ okay but that does not change the fact that if thorns was meant for a fish wife he would not be having this problem of oripathy and shorter life spans. but it's reiterating an argument they have before—they've just never had it this in plain.

he tips forward to kiss thorns gently. ]

And that's all that can be said. I love you too, mi luz. We'll stretch our now for however long we can.

[oversea]

[ thorns does not want a fish wife... good luck to anyone who would have tried to romance him.

although it's still difficult thinking of things with an end date. ]

I just need you to know that I wouldn't trade this for anything else. So don't apologize for this again.

[transmit]

[ who wouldn't want to romance the second most fuckable man? thornsbowl… ]

I need you to promise me you won't try to take care of my Oripathy behind my back. Or make decisions solely because of it.

[ it's easy to say now, of course. and it's not like elysium wants to throw his life for a disease he doesn't have to. yet, he's not sure if there's a solution they can agree on exists. ]

[oversea]

I wouldn't do anything without your permission.

[ this is a lie, he definitely has, but thorns is aware that oripathy is a more sensitive topic than most. ]

We need to make decisions together, right? That's why we came here.

[transmit]

… I'll hold you to it.

[ even if he very well has his suspicions—he wants to trust thorns. he wants to give all he can that he couldn't before. then, he releases one hand so he's back to holding just the one. ]

Before that, we have a lot to make up for from today.