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“Say bees!”
“Bees?”
The click of a camera shutter was noticeably absent. “...Huh.” Elysium brought the object in his hands above his head to look at the bottom. Nope, there weren’t any cracks there, either. Not like that should affect the performance anyway...
“What’s this about bees?” Thorns paused his workout, taking a swig from his water bottle.
“If I just said cheese, you’d probably ignore it. But not bees!”
Ignoring his genius, Thorns asked, “And what are you holding?”
“Good question.” Elysium shook the object, which made a quiet rattling noise. “I think it’s supposed to be a camera?”
“Does it even have a lens?” Apparently done for the day, Thorns abandoned his workout entirely to look at the camera closer.
“Right? What’s with this thing... they promised me it worked, too.”
“I could try taking it apart.”
“No.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen anything with a similar mechanism.” Before he could poke at it, Elysium lifted the camera out of his reach.
“You ever wonder how they filmed movies before we had our current Originium technology? Just imagine, you pull up to a set and they have this out! Nian might do that even now.”
“I still don’t know who that is.” A flicker of something flashed in Thorns’s eyes. “But as for movies—“
Right, if it was movies... “You thinking what I‘m thinking?”
“Most likely.”
At this time of day, a personal room was as good a place as any to check. Elysium knocked twice and waited.
“If you want to borrow my water cannon, the answer’s no,” Weedy said, opening the door.
“Ahaha...” She still hadn’t forgotten that incident. “Actually, we’re here for Whisperain.”
“If that’s the case, you can wait inside—wait, we?”
Thorns stepped out from behind him.
Her eyes narrowed. “You on the other hand... I’m not letting you inside until you take a shower.”
“I wasn’t experimenting today, just training.”
“Even more reason! You stink!”
Thorns rolled his eyes but left as told. Elysium watched him, wondering if he should say anything—but honestly, she had a point. He took a seat in the desk chair, looking around. “You redecorated?”
“Thank Whisperain for that.” Weedy gestured to a small potted plant, which had buds just starting to bloom. “She even takes better care of this than I do.”
So she was fitting in well... that was a relief. Weedy had surprised everyone by offering to room with Whisperain, almost bulldozing her into accepting. It was unlike her usual self, especially considering how particular she was about her living space. Elysium had his theories on what caused Weedy’s sudden insistence, but he didn’t voice them in front of her. Directly. “Where is she, anyway?”
“Medical wing.” Seeing Elysium’s concern, she hastily added, “It’s just a regular checkup, I’m sure she’s fine.” Right... with how weak her body was, she was there more often than most.
A knock at the door surprised him, and Thorns entered without waiting to be let in. His hair was still wet, sticking to his forehead—the opposite of his usual post-experiment exploded style. Some of the water slid down his chin, dripping into his clavicle, and…
Elysium slapped his own face with both hands. What was that?
Luckily, Weedy was too preoccupied with evaluating Thorns’s cleanliness to notice that strange reaction of his. She gave him a once-over and sighed, but didn’t chase him out. “I don’t understand how you can be so careless. Do your extractions not require precision?”
“I’m neater than Aak.”
“Oh, Aak. Such a high bar.”
“A-are you guys fighting again?” A petite purple head poked into the doorway. “Elysium is here too...ah, I can leave if you’re busy.”
“No, no, we’re waiting for you,” Elysium ushered her in. “C’mon, you two.”
Thorns shrugged and Weedy looked away.
“Anyway...” He lifted the box from his lap. “Do you happen to know what this is?”
Whisperain lit up. “I didn’t know these still existed!” Forgetting herself, she took it from his hands, opening a hatch he didn’t even realize existed until a lens exposed itself. It wasn’t until she brought it up to her face and saw Elysium through the viewfinder that she realized what she’d done. Freezing in place, she stuttered out an apology, now unsure of what to do with what she was holding.
Weedy took it from her, making the decision for her. “I was wondering what you were holding... A camera, huh? Looks old.”
“It is! This make hasn’t been in production for—“ Whisperain flushed pink. “S-sorry, I, um, I researched this once because it was used to capture the landscape for this one poster...”
“So does it still work?” Thorns squinted at it, frowning. “It doesn’t look damaged.”
Elysium finally took the camera back. “Guys, be careful! It’s an antique,” he stressed. “Whisperain, could you show me how to use it?”
“I don’t know… This is the first time I’ve seen one outside pictures.”
“You got it to look like a camera. That’s more than Elysium ever managed.”
“Hey! You couldn’t do anything either!”
“Got it; both of you don’t know how to use a camera.”
“You didn’t even know it was one, Weedy.”
“Y-yeah! What he said!”
A click caught their attention. Whisperain had somehow gotten the camera again, pointing it directly at the three of them. “And that’s how to use it.”
“Eh? I didn’t—“
“Pay attention? Yes, I know.” She pursed her lips.
Elysium looked at the other two, who looked back, equally ashamed.
Her stern expression faltered, and she added, “I can show you again now, if you want... oh no, I forgot this film isn’t easy to find either...”
“Don’t worry, this hottie doesn’t have a bad angle! Besides, I can probably get more film from Nian, somehow.”
“Who?” Weedy asked.
“Nian! You know, the one that produced Ancient Forge with Lava?” Though calling it “produced” was a bit of a stretch.
“Doesn’t ring a bell.”
“I can’t remember it either...” Whisperain brought a small folder out from her desk, looking through the pages. “I don’t have a ticket with that title here either, maybe it only aired when I was on a mission?”
“None of you know her?” That was surprising. “She always pops up to distract people during their shifts, guess she doesn’t bother the labs.” Wait, no, didn’t she “work” near there...
Thorns yawned.
“It’s only seven.” Weedy raised an eyebrow. “You know, you’d be less tired if you stuck to a consistent sleeping schedule like I told you?”
“I’m not tired.” He yawned again.
Weedy shot Elysium a look, like Can you believe this guy?
“Whisperain, can you show me now? And then we’ll get out of your hair.” Elysium smiled, already thinking of ways of forcing Thorns into bed.
“Of course! See, this lever is to adjust the focus, and this...”
After one blurred attempt where he’d forgotten to adjust the focus properly, Elysium finally managed to take a proper picture... of Whisperain’s houseplant. He’d told her not to worry about it, but the truth was he only had twelve exposures in the film this camera came with. How had it been preserved so well for so long, he didn’t know, but he wasn't going to push his luck.
Nine left... With the camera hanging on his neck and breakfast in tow, he slid into the seat across from Andreana. “Good morning!”
“Hey.” She waved. “What’s that?”
“Aha! You noticed.”
“It’s hard to miss. Actually, isn’t it heavy?”
“Yeah...” Elysium lifted it up and set it on the table, careful not to get the strap in his food. His neck was starting to ache, but it’d be worth it if he could get the perfect shot. For that, he’d decided the best way would be to bring it everywhere. “It’s a camera!”
Andreana squinted at it. “Looks pretty old, does it work? Hang on—“ She pulled out her phone, which was buzzing. “What is it.”
“Really? I take valuable time off my mission to call you and this is how you greet me?”
“Aren’t you just gonna bother me about that again? I’ve been feeding him right on time, don't hover so much.”
“No! I just—I wanted to see you, damn it! I don’t know anyone on this team.”
“Oh.” Andreana blushed faintly. Elysium fidgeted, wondering if he was supposed to be present for this conversation. “Er, I’m with Elysium, so you can see him too.” She shoved the phone at him before he could react, the screen displaying Incandescence’s bright face.
“Don’t change the—hi, Elysium!” She was outside, bundled up in a scarf and mittens of different, clashing colors.
“What time is it for you there?”
“Earlier than it is for you. Hey, what’s that thing next to you?”
Mentally, Elysium cheered. “A new camera! It’s an antique. And it actually still works!”
“Whaaaat? How could you get something cool like that when I’m not around, you know I collect those!”
“She doesn’t,” Andreana interjected. “The only thing Monica cares to collect is—“
“Who asked you! Even if you’re right!” A red light reflected off her face. “Shit, that’s the alarm—Show me the cool pics you take when I come back, okay?”
The call disconnected abruptly.
“At least say goodbye...” Andreana sighed, taking the phone back. “This is supposed to be a low-conflict mission, so I didn’t go with her, but they keep running into complications...” She sighed again.
“You miss her, don’t you?”
Her face contorted into something between a scowl and a grimace. “It’s like...when you’re so used to something, you tune it out, so then when it’s gone, it bothers you? Background noise,” she tried to explain. “It’s uncomfortable.”
That was probably a yes, right? “Maybe I should wait for her, if she’s interested in this.” Elysium opened the film compartment, checking if it had randomly spawned new uses while he wasn’t looking. (It hadn’t.)
Andreana shook her head. “Nah, she wouldn’t want you to. I’m sure two days later she’ll be bugging me to show her what you took.”
“You’re right.” With that, Elysium lifted up the camera, focusing it on Andreana’s face.
“Eh?” Andreana startled, covering her face for a moment before dropping her arms, still fidgeting. “I-is this the kind of thing—“
Click.
“...I think Incandescence will appreciate it, that’s all.”
Being the magnanimous friend that he was, he gave Thorns the camera next. It’d be even more special if he could get photos from everyone, he figured.
Thorns looked at it for just two seconds before leaving with it in tow.
“You have an idea?”
“Sure.” At least his shorter strides weren’t hard to keep up with.
And Elysium recognized the place they were heading to; the bioengineering department. Glaucus hadn’t left yet, and helpfully pointed them in Weedy’s direction before she did. “You want a picture of Weedy…?”
He was shushed with a finger to his lips and a stern look. Through the window, Elysium could see Weedy making adjustments to her Bionic Seadragon, Leaf. “There...should improve...of movement…”
“Elysium. Open the door when I tell you to,” Thorns instructed, voice quiet. He had the camera completely focused and ready.
“Why is this a stealth mission?”
“It won’t be, if you keep talking.”
This guy…
“You can open it now, by the way.”
Internally grumbling, Elysium still followed his instructions. Thorns moved fast, poking his upper body into the crack he’d opened and snapping a picture of Weedy patting Leaf’s “head.”
“What the fuck.”
Finally, Weedy noticed their presence, turning to glare at them with a fury Elysium didn’t even see on combat missions. Her gaze locked onto Thorns, and she picked up a wrench.
“Wait, wait, not the camera, please!” At the risk of his own life, he jumped in front of Thorns.
“You seriously brought that just to make fun of me?”
“I’m not making fun of you,” Thorns said.
“Really. That’s why you snuck into my lab—”
“This place isn’t under restricted access.”
“And brought a special camera so I can’t even make you delete—”
“Isn’t that machine important to you?”
That made Weedy pause. “...Of course.”
“Then it should be with you. In this picture.”
Weedy was silent as she considered this. “It...is something I’d want to remember,” she admitted reluctantly. “But what’s with the sneaking?”
Without changing his tone of voice, Thorns said bluntly, “For your reaction.”
They were both promptly kicked out.
“Bro, do you piss her off on purpose?” Elysium was clutching the camera close to him—Weedy had spared them the water cannon treatment on account of it, but he didn’t know if that’d hold up a second time.
Thorns shrugged.
...Yeah, that was about what he expected from him.
They passed Andreana carrying a stack of boxes. “Need help?”
“Nah, they’re lighter than they look.” As she said that, a small box fell off the top and Elysium rushed to catch it. He only had one hand free on account of his camera, and his wrist screamed at the weight.
Thorns took it from him before his arm gave out. Even he seemed surprised at how heavy it was. “What’s even in these?”
“Dunno, I’m just doing a favor for Exusiai. Just have to leave these here.” She ducked into a room, and came out empty-handed.
“Is that the trading post?” Elysium wondered. It didn’t seem like it.
“Nope.” Exusiai said, startling him. When did she get there? “Thanks, Andreana!”
“So you’ll let me…”
“Yep! I even brought it with me.” Without any warning, she opened the bag she was carrying and pulled out a rifle. Elysium felt like he should say something, but the words dried up in his mouth. Did she just carry these around…? “Ain’t my style, so feel free to borrow it as long as you want. The bullets are the expensive part, anyway.”
Andreana’s eyes were practically sparkling. She grabbed it from the bag faster than Elysium could blink, spinning it around to look at the muzzle...and jabbing the butt of the gun into Elysium’s stomach, having him double over and lose his grip on the camera.
He could only watch through pained wheezing as it fell down, down, down, and finally landed with a sickening crunch…
...on Thorns’s back. “Ugh.”
“Thorns! You okay?” Elysium crouched down, shaking his shoulder. He’d thrown himself to the ground face-down, just in the nick of time to give his camera a softer landing. “Answer me, man!”
“Shut it.”
He was fine.
Andreana gingerly lifted the camera off his back, letting him sit up. Blood was gushing from his nose, which he held his glove up to.
“Are you guys always this dramatic?” Exusiai chimed in. “Here.” She produced a napkin from...somewhere, which Thorns took gratefully.
“I got carried away again…I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Thorns said, sounding entirely unconvincing with his nasally voice. “I heal quickly.”
I heal quickly.
A sudden wave of irritation washed over Elysium, and he dragged Thorns to his feet. “C’mon, I’m taking you to Whisperain.”
“For a nosebleed?” The combination of his one raised eyebrow and flat tone made Elysium feel extremely stupid, but he wasn’t going to back down.
“What if you broke your nose?”
“I didn’t.”
“And what about that landing on your back? It’s heavy, and the edges—”
Click.
He whirled around to see Andreana holding the camera up and smiling.
“I have blood on my face.” For Thorns, that was as much concern over his appearance as he would ever muster up.
“Don’t worry, you can’t see it from this angle.” She handed it back to Elysium, who blinked in confusion. “You worry over Thorns a lot, don’t you?”
Was this because of what he’d done over breakfast? “Well, someone has to!”
“All I did was fall on the floor. Aren’t you overreacting?”
“And what if I am?”
Thorns tilted his head, saying nothing for a long moment. Elysium sealed his lips, refusing to give him an opening. “...Alright. Take me wherever you want.”
“Don’t forget this!” Andreana held the camera out, and this time Elysium made sure to put the strap around his neck. He wouldn’t be dropping it anymore.
(“Did I miss something?” Exusiai wondered.)
When he explained the situation to Whisperain, he had a nagging feeling that she wanted to call him an idiot, and the only thing stopping her was her own politeness. Still, she examined Thorns as Elysium asked. “Your nose is fine, but…” She pressed lightly on his back, and he shuddered involuntarily. “You have bruises here?”
“I suppose so.” Even he couldn’t lie to Whisperain’s face.
“That’s an easy fix, at least.” She retrieved her staff. “Elysium, could you lift up his shirt?”
“H-huh?”
“You could remove it completely, but you don’t need to just for this.”
That...was not helping. Thorns held his arms to the side, and Elysium did as told, trying not to look. Still, he couldn’t help but notice the scars crossing the Aegir’s toned abdomen, shifting as he breathed in and out steadily. Thorns had told him that he didn’t usually scar due to his natural regeneration, so those must have been left by some nasty wounds...
Crap, he was staring. He looked away, but he was sure Thorns had noticed.
“That should do it…” Whisperain looked him over one last time and deemed him healthy.
“Mm. It even doesn’t hurt anymore.”
“So it did hurt before?” Elysium narrowed his eyes.
“If I dropped a camera on you, would it not hurt?”
“May I see it, Elysium?” Whisperain asked.
“The camera? Sure, here you go.”
She tested a few buttons, turning it around. “Good, it’s not damaged.”
Somehow, he’d forgotten about that. He looked to Thorns, who was looking back at him with a clear expectation in his eyes. “Sorry, I, uh—no, wait.” Elysium cleared his throat. “Thanks, for saving my camera, Thorns.”
“Just be careful next time. I want to see how the pictures turn out, too.”
After Weedy’s turn with the camera, Elysium gave it back to Andreana, who took another photo apparently following Incandescence’s step-by-step instructions. Both of them refused to answer his prodding about what exactly they captured, leaving him to wonder. Whisperain didn’t take his offer at first, but after a bit of encouragement, she gave in. Elysium followed her to Rhodes Island’s operator-tended garden, empty at that hour, where she took an undoubtedly beautiful picture of the plant life.
“Flowers live such short lives…” she said, wistfully. “But they’re so beautiful, too—I want to remember them.”
This left him with three uses, one of which he immediately wasted on trying to get a selfie with his captain. Of course, being an older model, Elysium couldn’t operate it with one hand, and his best attempt had him fumble and almost drop it, accidentally taking a picture in the process. At least Mantra had been close by, so he might have gotten her in the shot by some miracle. And he was lucky that he hadn’t actually dropped it, or Thorns might shave him bald after what he’d done to save it before.
Speaking of Thorns… “Tho~orns! Look at this—” His words died on his tongue as he saw Thorns still curled up in bed, blankets in a heap on the ground. He must have kicked them off in his sleep. “Still asleep? Jeez, do you do this every time I don’t drag you out of the lab?” Thorns wasn’t one to overwork himself exactly, but he did spend an awful lot of time on creating things that’d inevitably get them both hung up on deck. And that wasn’t work, so he’d lose track of time, and...
What a pain, Elysium thought with an unreasonable amount of fondness. He was sleeping in a supremely ungraceful way, too, chewing on his own hair that’d fallen into his open mouth with one leg hanging off the bed. At least he didn't seem to be caught in a nightmare this time.
Elysium considered the camera in his hands. He held it up, aiming it to capture Thorns’s face in the viewfinder, then adjusted the focus until his features came into sharp clarity. Before taking the shot, though, he hesitated, letting his arms drop. Only two opportunities left; shouldn’t he save it for something special?
But! Wouldn’t getting such an embarrassing picture of Thorns using this be even more special?
Or maybe it’d be weird…?
Of course it’s weird, said a voice in his head, sounding suspiciously like Weedy. Why would you even want a picture of someone like this? Just look at him, he hasn’t even brushed his teeth. When’s the last time he washed those clothes he’s wearing!
Why not test some medicine on him instead, another voice said, this time sounding like Thorns. Exactly like him. May as well make the most of it.
Suddenly irritated, Elysium lifted his camera and clicked. Take that.
Thorns didn’t even stir at the noise, which entirely defeated the point of his revenge. “Broooo, wake uuuuup,” he whined, shaking him.
“Five more…hours…”
“What? Don’t make me get the bucket again!”
“Fine…” Thorns grabbed his arm, pulling it towards him and almost knocking Elysium off-balance.
“Wh—let go!” Still not fully awake, he was cuddling it like it was some stuffed toy. Maybe Elysium would even think it cute if it wasn’t his own arm. And Thorns’s half-opened eyes were already drifting shut. “Gah!” Without any other option, he pulled until Thorns tumbled onto the floor, right onto the pile of his blankets.
Now, he sat upright, rubbing his eyes. “Good morning,” he said, like nothing was out of the ordinary.
Elysium sighed. “If I hadn’t shown up, could you even say that?”
“You brought your camera.”
“Well—! I told you, I can’t miss a single moment!” Don’t ask if he’d taken anything just now, please please pl—
Thorns stood up, and reached up to tap the tip of Elysium's ear. “Your feathers are fluttering.”
“Please ignore that…” His ears felt hot, and surely Thorns would have noticed that.
But he wasn’t one to make fun of those things, so he didn’t say anything more.
Now he had exactly one picture left.
Wait, wasn’t that way too quick?
Elysium wasn’t thinking about that now, though, focusing on trying not to blush as he fixed Thorns’s tie. The suit he’d picked for him had been on the tighter side, but Thorns hadn’t complained so he didn’t bother exchanging it.
Actually seeing him wearing it, though…!
He was going to die.
“Thanks, Elysium,” Thorns said, voice low enough that in Elysium’s addled mind, it registered as a purr. “Your feathers…” He reached up, gently smoothing them out. “They’re fluttering again.”
“You!” Didn’t he know how sensitive those were! “Y-you really have to learn how to tie a tie! I can’t do it for you a-all the time!” ...It was too embarrassing to mention, though, so Elysium blustered through something else.
“You’ve done it for me so far. If you’re not here, I’ll just go without one.”
“No!” What logic was that? “If we weren’t going to be late, I’d make you learn right now.”
“You say that every time.”
The event they were dressing up for was an impromptu party thrown by what was supposed to be the cleanup crew of an Important Event with some of Rhodes Island’s donors. The majority of their funding came from rich relatives of infected patients, and some still insisted on old-fashioned events like these. Elysium wasn’t privy to the details of this particular one, but what he did know was that a decked-out ballroom was too good to waste. And he wasn’t the only one with that opinion, so here they were.
Weedy was waiting for them, wearing an elegant black and gold dress. She’d been part of the cleanup herself, on her own insistence so the ballroom would be up to her standards. “Aren’t you early?”
“Because we’re usually late, is that what you mean?” Every time, without fail, he would find something drastically wrong with Thorns’s outfit and have to rush to fix it, but this time he’d planned ahead.
She wasn’t listening, though, squinting at Thorns. “...You cleaned up well,” she admitted, grudgingly.
Thorns gestured to Elysium.
“Oh, you two got ready together? That explains it.”
The room was decorated lavishly, and tables upon tables of refreshments lined the edges. This left the center open for dance, where Thorns’s attention immediately focused. With a cursory wave goodbye, he left to join in.
“Hey, welcome! Want a skewer?” Blaze, wearing a well-tailored suit, walked up to them with two skewers in hand.
Elysium took one with a thanks, but Weedy refused. Even if she’d forced herself past her discomfort to attend this party, eating food left out for everyone to take from was probably past her limits. “Did we always have a room like this?” Even after two plus years of being here, he was sure he hadn’t seen every part of Rhodes, but this place seemed a bit too conspicuous to miss.
“Nope. I mean, we had the space, but the floor and chandeliers and other pretentious bullshit was commissioned just for this.” Well, her opinion was obvious. “We made them pay way more than what it cost, at least.”
“There’s a lot more people here than I expected,” Weedy observed.
“Right, ‘cause it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing? A lot of people are visiting home for the holidays, too—ones that can, I mean.”
Not to mention there were people like Incandescence, stuck at her mission site due to blizzards impeding travel. Nothing to worry about, she insisted, but it would’ve been nice to have her here. “A lot of people are probably curious about this sort of stuff,” he said.
“I guess an excuse to get everyone together isn’t bad.”
He spent the next hour mingling among the other operators, trying various appetizers and appreciating everyone’s outfits. There wasn’t an official dress code, but it seemed most people had the idea to dress up. Actually, this would be the perfect place for his final picture…
“Enjoying yourself?” He found Weedy again in a relatively secluded corner with a brightly-colored cocktail. She gave it to him—apparently, she’d just been holding it to look less awkward. Mango-flavored…
“It’s a bit crowded.” She didn’t turn to look at him. “Just look at those two.”
Elysium followed her line of sight, ending on Thorns and Whisperain dancing together. A slow song was playing now, and Thorns had his hand on her waist, leading her through the steps. It wasn’t anything like the dances Thorns preferred, but for her, he was patient.
“They look...way too good together.”
“Yeah? Are you…” Jealous? he almost said, but trailed off. Wait, was he…?
“I tried dancing with her earlier. I kept tripping over my dress, or stepping on her feet, or something… it wasn’t worth it.” She sounded frustrated. “But they’ve got it down.” Thorns was saying something to her which Elysium couldn’t hear, and Whisperain smiled in response.
“Thorns is a really good dancer.”
“And he and Whisperain just get each other. I know, but…” She shook her head. “Why are there so many people here…”
“How about we go to the deck? It’s not far from here, and it’s probably empty since it’s so cold out.” Elysium decided, it was his mission to make Weedy enjoy herself. Starting now.
The door nearly slammed into Andreana’s face when he opened it, and she stumbled back, catching herself before she fell. “You guys are here too?” She took in their outfits. “Ditching the party?”
“No, just taking a break. You?”
“I showed up earlier, but everyone’s so...fancy.” Her outfit was nice, but her top was loose to accommodate her tentacles. It could be taken as underdressed, he supposed. “And Monica called, so.”
“It’s freezing out here! How was this a good idea?” Weedy interrupted. Compared to them both, her dress didn’t provide much coverage. Elysium slipped off his suit jacket and handed it to him, which she accepted after a thorough examination. “Thanks.”
“Warm, right?”
She crossed her arms, looking out at the horizon. The sun had long set, but they could still see easily. “It’s snowing…”
“So why are you out here?” Thorns asked, making them both jump. Whisperain was following behind, looking like a ghost in the pale moonlight.
“Why are you?” Elysium countered.
“We followed you, obviously.”
“Ah...were you two trying to be by yourself?” Whisperain looked at the ground, conspicuously trying and failing not to shiver.
“Take this, you look like you’re going to shake apart.” Weedy shrugged off the suit jacket and handed it to Whisperain, who put it on gratefully.
“Thank you...it’s very warm.”
“Yeah, because it’s mine?” Weedy’s protectiveness was sweet, but he felt like he had to say something.
“Ignore him.”
“Hey!”
“Do you want my jacket?” Thorns offered out of the blue.
“N-no?” Wait, did he look disappointed—
“We practically have our own party out here,” Andreana commented. “How hard do you think it would be to smuggle some snacks out?”
Out here…
Of course! This had to be the moment. “No one move!” Four pairs of eyes turned to Elysium, reflecting varying degrees of alarm. “Just until I get my camera,” he explained hastily, then ran inside.
When Elysium returned, Weedy was missing. Andreana reassured him she’d be back, so he decided to start setting up while waiting for her. “Thorns, move a little to your left...Andreana, a little forward...Whisperain, could you, uh, squat? You’re really tall.” It was the rule of threes, or something. He’d overheard someone mention it, but wasn’t actually sure what it was—maybe, pictures were best with three people? But he couldn’t leave Weedy out…
“Don’t listen to him,” Thorns told Whisperain, who was struggling to find a way to squat elegantly in her gown. “Where are you going to be?”
“Nowhere, I’m the one taking the picture.”
“Nope.” Weedy had returned with Leaf in tow. “If you thought I’m letting you be excluded from this, you’re wrong.”
“Excluded? That’s a bit dramatic.” The snow wasn’t falling hard, but it was still annoying shielding the camera from it. “Besides, someone has to.”
“You never think about yourself, do you?”
“Huh?”
“Look, Leaf can take it.”
Elysium looked down at the machine, which on Weedy’s command, extended something that looked like a camera stand.
“I added this recently, it wasn’t complicated.”
He poked the extension. Obviously, it didn’t move.
“Here, I can set it up.” She did exactly that, the extension somehow raising up until the camera was at Elysium’s eye level...and too high for Weedy to reach.
So he checked the focus himself, adjusting it just slightly. “How...will it?”
“I’ll take care of that.” She went to stand next to Whisperain, leaving a space between her and Thorns that he filled. It was odd, staring down his own camera. Almost nerve-wracking.
Thorns nudged him with his shoulder. “Bees.”
“Bees?”
“Isn’t that what you told me to say?”
“You two! We only have one shot, so look at the camera!”
“Okay.”
“Got it, got it.”
“I’ll count to three, and then signal Leaf.” Weedy looked to both her sides, where Andreana gave her a thumbs-up and Whisperain a small smile.
Thorns reached around Elysium, placing a hand on his opposite side and leaning into him. “W-what—”
“Look forward.”
“One...two...three!”
Scene had graciously agreed to help them with developing the film, so all that was left was to wait until they were delivered. This came in the form of her drone rolling up to him during his lunch break with an envelope carefully balanced on its head.
“That was fast?”
“I actually helped for most of it. It’s not exactly in my skillset, but I managed,” Weedy said, poking her head into the cafeteria. She looked around, wrinkling her nose.
Out of all places in Rhodes, this was possibly the one she couldn’t stand the most. Knowing this, Elysium told her he’d meet her in her own room and finished up his food quickly. There was no way he was keeping them for this, even if he’d definitely have to do Utage another hundred favors for abandoning their shared shift.
The others were waiting for him already, the room now seeming miniscule with five Iberians squeezed in it. “Well?” Weedy prompted.
“You haven’t seen them yet?”
She shook her head, so Elysium opened the envelope, scattering the photos across her desk. Andreana caught the one that fluttered off the edge before it could hit the ground. “Thanks for the save!”
“No prob—hey, why is there a picture of Thorns sleeping...?”
Thorns took it from her before Elysium could bluster out an explanation. His genius revenge plan sure seemed a lot more stupid now. (Maybe it always was?) “I should cut my hair.”
“It’s not—what?” He blinked. “O-oh, I guess it’s gotten pretty long...”
“Would you mind doing it again?”
“You want me to cut your hair?” he checked, and received a nod. Undoubtedly flushing deeper red than he already had been, he blurted out, “Okay! Leave it to me!”
“If you two are done.” Weedy gave him a Look, and picked up his first blurry attempt at a photo. “What was this?”
“That plant, there’s a better one, hang on…”
Elysium’s search was interrupted by the sound of a sob.
Four heads turned to face Whisperain, who was trying to cover her face, holding the final picture.
“Are you okay?” Weedy touched her arm, and she shuddered.
“I j-just—” Whisperain sniffed, making a choking noise. “All of us, together...I d-don’t want to forget this...”
Ah.
Her set of unique Aegirian characteristics, creating the constant cycle of death and rebirth she was trapped in....Elysium preferred to not think about it. Death in general was a subject he avoided thinking about—as did most people.
“You won’t!” Weedy insisted, taking her hand. “As long as you’re with us, it...won’t happen.”
“And we’re not leaving you anytime soon. I’m pretty stubborn with these sorts of things, you know. Monica can attest to it.”
“I won’t let you die,” Thorns said, more determined than Elysium could remember ever seeing him before. “I don’t care what sort of ‘death’ it is or isn’t.”
“You should keep them! The pictures.” Elysium gathered up the rest. “So no matter what happens, we’ll always be with you.”
Whisperain blinked, tears falling from her eyes, which she hurried to wipe away. “I...I can’t…”
“Elysium.” Weedy sighed. “Are you really okay with giving away all of these?”
What kind of question was that? Of course, he almost answered by reflex, but looking at them again stunned him into silence. His selfie attempt had gone better than he expected, and he could even make out Mantra laughing in it—she’d been laughing at him struggling with the camera then, and this picture felt like he’d frozen that moment in time. When was the last time he’d seen her laugh so freely…?
Taking mercy on him, Weedy made a suggestion to break the silence. “We all took some pictures, so it stands to reason that we can split the results. Are we in agreement?”
“Alright.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“I...like that idea. Yes.”
Elysium was the last to respond. “If everyone else is good with that, sure?” He recalled Weedy’s words to him just a couple days ago. Was this what she’d meant, about him not thinking about himself?
Really...she worried over others too much. Then again, she’d probably say the same about him.
“Is this the one you took, Weedy?” Whisperain was holding a picture of herself, trying a cake alongside Glaucus. From the concerning color, it must have been one of Blue Poison’s creations.
“Ah, yes. Did you not notice me there?”
“I think I did, but...it’s odd, seeing myself here.”
“You’re in this one, too.” Thorns pointed to the first picture Elysium had taken, in all its blurry glory. True to his word, part of Whisperain’s head was visible in one corner.
“I don’t think that counts, bro.”
He shrugged. “I’m taking this.” Somewhat surprisingly, he was referring to the one Andreana had taken of them both arguing.
“What, ‘cause it’s got a closeup of my handsome face?”
“Yes.”
Elysium choked.
They divided the rest amongst themselves, Whisperain taking the final picture with no small amount of insistence from all four of them. Embarrassingly, this left Elysium with Thorns’s sleeping face immortalized in physical form, which was starting to feel more and more...intimate.
Gah, just thinking about it was embarrassing! “Thorns, it’s not weird, right?” he blurted out.
“I don’t mind.”
“Huh? Oh, uh, good? Good.” In that case, he’d keep it somewhere safe. It…was a good picture.
(“Really? They still aren’t? And he thinks he can make fun of me!” Weedy muttered.
“For what?”
“...Don’t worry about it, Whisperain.”)