✧ — peach iced tea.

[boba]

this post is so clean

Comments

[oversea]

[ oh...

thorns stares at his phone, and then just quickly types out a response. ]

Okay.
I'll be home.

[ he will wait... again. embarrassing. ]

[transmit]

[ he sends a cuter sticker after that which involves smooching and a copious amount of hearts. that should fix everything between them, right? right. they're both embarrassing.

and thorns can wait again but no one comes home that night……… ]

[oversea]

[ OKAY

thorns sends him some question marks and falls asleep on the couch. binch. ]

[transmit]

[ there is no response… not even a read receipt…

if he decides to look for elysium in the morning, he isn't anywhere to be found, either. whack. their last (in-person) conversation really had been an argument. oopsie. ]

[oversea]

[ okay...

thorns does not know elysium's classmates or who he works with so he can't really ask them. so he just sends another text. ]

Are you okay?

[transmit]

[ almost an entire hour later—

signs of life!! ]

Yeah

Sorry for the late response
Just had something come up with family

[oversea]

[ oh. he wonders if he can ask for more info, but he isn't sure if they are back to the closeness point where that's fine. things are so hard.

vague questioning should be fine though? ]

Is everything alright?

[transmit]

For now, yeah.

But I got an exemption from the school in case you're worried.

[ … ]




I'll make it back for our date. For sure.

[oversea]

[ so he isn't planning on coming back soon? it really must be serious then. if that's the case, the dare shouldn't really be a priority, he thinks. ]

Okay.
Let me know if I can do anything.

[transmit]

[ for a while after the read receipt, there's nothing. no response, no typing indicator. it's easy to assume he's either asleep or gone.

then, nearly an hour later— ]




Are you free to video call?
It's fine if you aren't.

[oversea]

[




he immediately calls him. ]

[transmit]

[





hopefully thorns has his volume on low because that sure is a loud yelp as elysium just barely catches his phone in the process. otherwise, he seems fine, if not a little tired. he's suited up with the distant night sky as his backdrop, and it appears he's somewhere high up.

ahem. ]

… Hey. [ belatedly, he notices how much of a mess he looks on camera. panicked, he runs his fingers through his hair to tamp it down. ] You really weren't up to anything?

[oversea]

Nothing.

[ he is sitting on the ever familiar couch. he was getting some work done, but his laptop was abandoned as soon as elysium texted him back. ]

... Where are you?

[ that might be easier to broach than just asking what happened, maybe. ]

[transmit]

[ hopefully it isn't too obvious that he's already braced himself for some of these questions. he takes in the familiar scenery with a flicker of longing; it's only been a day since he left, and he already feels…

… ]

Out of town. I would've liked to make it back every evening, but it's better that I stay here for now until I wrap everything up.

[ he considers this enough of an answer, so! he moves on. ]

You're already all caught up with work? Don't forget to take out the trash and clear the lint from the dryer. I won't be gone that long—but still. You gotta do these things or knowing you, they'll pile up.

[oversea]

I know how to do chores...

[ he means for it to sound annoyed, but it falls flat; he can't manage to hide his concern. if he's in another city then did he go back home to his family? ]

Is everyone okay? Your mom?

[ it has to be serious. why is he in a suit. ]

[transmit]

Knowing how to do them doesn't mean you'll remember to do them.

[ he taps his phone with his nail in quick succession to emulate prodding. ]

I told you everything's fine. Have you been eating? Sleeping? The ghosts aren't trying to get you now that they know I'm gone, are they?

[oversea]

[ his question was ignored...

he will just believe they will circle back to it. ]

Ghosts aren't real. [ okay. ] I've been fine.

[ feasting on instant ramen and pb&js like god intended. ]

[transmit]

[ god intends nothing of the sort. ]

What was for dinner?

[oversea]

[ he regrets agreeing to a video call because he is very visibly looking away. ]

A sandwich.

[ he keeps it vague. ]

[transmit]

[ elysium stares into the camera for a long moment… then pulls back slightly, eyes flicking down as he starts tapping at his phone as if he's in the middle of typing out a message. ]

Yeah? What kind? I haven't had time for our usual grocery run. Did you end up going yourself?

[oversea]

There hasn't been any need to go yet when it's just me

[ he ignores the question of what kind because it was just peanut butter and jelly.

that is technically getting fruit? ]

[transmit]

I don't remember there being any proteins or vegetables in the fridge before I left.

[ surprisingly

his tone isn't veering towards wanting to kill thorns? likely attributed to how he's still distractedly tapping away. ]

[oversea]

[ MY COMMENT NEVER SENT

thorns once again looks away from the camera for a moments ]

I guess your memory is bad.

[transmit]

[ tags your words as #me

he glances back up at the camera. ]

We haven't seen each other in so long and you don't want to look at my face?

[ this is the wrong thread for elysium to be saying these words. ]

[oversea]

[ oh my god

this is... embarrassing? thorns pauses, before eventually looking directly back at the camera. hi. ]

I'm looking.