the horizon in my eyes

Everest

Blinking, Everest does not understand his friend’s comment as an invitation for more information, and so he merely shifts slightly and glances down into the water. Lost in the optical misalignment of where his body is and where the water makes it appear to be, the attuned gives himself a mental shake lest he disappear into his own thoughts.

Taking you are my friend and I cannot subject you to my thoughts as being two different sentiments altogether, Everest immediately raises his gaze that he might return the botanist’s sentiment. “You are my friend too.” He mutters quickly, rolling his shoulders slightly as the steam begins to loosen his perpetually-tight muscles.

“What about while I’m at work?” Frowning, the aviator tries to puzzle out how Mateo might indeed accompany him everywhere. “I am not sure you would want to do the sort of jobs available on a sky ship.”

If I told you that you'd do nothing with it
I'd still be that cigarette that you couldn't finish

Mateo

champagne, cocaine, gasoline
and most things in between

Deep enough in the water now that only his eyes and nose are above the surface, Mateo is able to watch Ever’s thoughts fire and misfire, and his smile is a private thing masked by the steam of the springs. Replying to his friend does require the use of his mouth, and so it’s with an indulgent sort of reluctance that he bobs back up. ”That would be a bit of a problem,” he agrees, momentarily distracted by a smudge of colour over Ever’s shoulder where a small, baby blink hare is hopping along the side of the springs.

”You will not be an apprentice forever,” he considers. ”When will you be a fully fledged pilot? You could come and sail my skyship permanently?” And at least then they wouldn’t have to be apart.

The blink hare looks as though it’s going to take an accidental dip in the springs for a moment; luckily it startles itself into teleporting away at the last moment, and the two men are left alone once more.

I roam the city in a shopping cart
a pack of Camels and a smoke alarm

Everest

While other’s might have likened Mateo’s appearance to some sort of crocodile, Everest instead thought of him like a painting. He was both a realist mess of curls and blue eyes beneath long lashes, while at the same time being a hazy approximation of a man beneath the water. Both uncomfortable and intrigued, the aviator swallowed hard as he knit his fingers together against his stomach.

“No.” Everest agrees, and though he notes the way Mateo’s eyes have shifted over his shoulder, he does nothing about it. “I think in another year or so. I have completed everything that is required of me to get my full license, but the others..” Tilting his head to the side, Ever sighs. “They say I’m not ready, but won’t give me concrete reasons why.” In fact, those reasons were things like He’s weird, and I think he’d fly a ship into the side of a mountain if someone told him to.

“If I worked for you, I suppose you could offer delivery to all regions of Caido, instead of just Stormbreak. And with your terrarium…” And so the afternoon was spent in lazy conversation about Everest becoming Mateo’s employee, including what duties would be expected of him, and what, if any, benefits the Botanist would provide.

~FIN

If I told you that you'd do nothing with it
I'd still be that cigarette that you couldn't finish