a hero's welcome

MATEO

"I don't think so," Mateo says of any other attacks, busy making sure his cactus spines are safely put away before returning to Ever and his terrarium. "If there have been, they've not been enough to cause any trouble for people. Pa hasn't mentioned anything." For better or worse, war talk has become a regular part of dinner conversation, but at least it means Mateo is kept up to date.

He hums his agreement with his friend as he pulls up a stool to sit down and inspect the soil and other succulents in his terrarium, flapping a hand for Ever to do the same if he likes. "I don't like it either," he agrees. "I'd want to be able to know what was happening, even if it wasn't good news..."

The ohhh? is obviously enough for Mateo to continue, because he flashes Ever a grin over his shoulder. "Of course," he says. "Most people make Third Eye to earn a living, I guess. Trading it and whatever. I don't think I'd really care about that all too much though, so I'd make sure my stuff was the purest."

the earth has music for those who listen

Everest

And so it goes that one boy's harmless horticultural find combined with a magic terrarium will likely be enough to set him on a path that leads nowhere good. Well, nowhere good from Ever's perspective. Wishing yet again he had his notebook, the boy does his best to remember all that Mateo has said thus far that he might catalogue it and cross-reference it with books in the library.

"Hypothetically." Ever murmurs doubtfully, raising his eyes in that sulky but adorable way that he's inherited from his father you know which gif I mean. He doesn't raise his voice at the end of the word to indicate that it's a question though; not because he doesn't already know the answer, but because he doesn't want Mateo to confirm it.

"Are you hungry? I'm hungry." If there's one thing that's sure to derail plans of mass-producing high-quality drugs, it's lunch.

~FIN

But if the song never stopped, it wouldn't have any magic
So even though it's gotta end, I'll keep singing along