JUNE OPEN LOG

[sailmods]

[but, hey: you shouldn't be left out of the camping fun just because you didn't think to sign up, or you only got here yesterday, or actually you only got here today and you have no idea what's going on! because the camp can come to YOU!

meaning, shortly after seeing the others off, Friday returns to the atrium and begins setting up a few items she's brought from... somewhere, one assumes? a pup tent. two sleeping bags. a tent stove. s'mores accoutrements. there's a fake potted plant that she decided looked enough like a tree. all pushed together in the middle of the atrium.

at her spot behind the desk, she looks visibly pleased with herself. she's doing her best.]

Comments

[pineapplesalmon]

Johnny sure is angry but what he says sounds so entirely nonsensical to César that it blossoms into confusion instead of fear or anything else. César's voice stays even throughout. The logical fallacies he thinks he sees trap him into being calm.

"But I'm not Rex. I can't fight, Johnny, and I don't know if I could take lives if it was necessary. And we don't know if the boat is safe yet. My decision to stay... it's for both of us."

[businessorlibation]

He rubs his eyes with the heels of his hands, taking a huffy breath.

"You'd be able to do something. You're smart--brilliant, you'd figure out something. I can't do anything to help Watson, and now I can't even help Rich, either."

[pineapplesalmon]

... Oh, Johnny's not angry at him.

César aborts a gesture to touch Johnny, staying where he is.

His expression smoothing over as he expands his mind across possibilities, almost like a switch. "Thinking and reacting are two entirely separate thought processes. I'm good at the first. Not at the second. I can tell you from experience that I'd likely be the first casualty."

Of course, debating with someone logically who is clearly reacting is not the best choice, but it's also the only choice César feels he has.

[businessorlibation]

Johnny huffs, tossing the crumpled letter in a trash can and heading for the door. "At least you'd be there, that counts for something."

[pineapplesalmon]

César's thoughts are obliterated as one truth emerges from that statement, and he watches Johnny's back as he walk away, voice quiet. "You'd... prefer my death?"

To ease your guilty conscious? is what César manages to not ask aloud.

[businessorlibation]

"No, I..." The sentence trails off to a frustrated grunt. Johnny doesn't turn to look back at him, though. "...no."

[pineapplesalmon]

"Okay. ... Okay." César closes his eyes and clears his expression, voice still quiet. "... I'll talk to you later."

[businessorlibation]

It is actually only a few hours later that Johnny returns to the cabin--with a plate of food for César, all his favorite things from the Windjammer. He knocks on the door rather than letting himself in.

[pineapplesalmon]

There's no answer, but just visible is the corner of a sheet from the ship's memo pad. It's been tucked into the door at eye height–not César's. Johnny wasn't the only one that didn't stay after that upsetting conversation. The note is tucked in such a way that it's easy enough to pull out to read.

The note is pretty simple:
I'm in my room, and I have my cruise phone. Just didn't want to get locked out if I needed to leave in a hurry.

[businessorlibation]

So Johnny texts.

I got lunch for you. Also there's blanket forts and camping supplies in the atrium. Weirdly artificial marshmallows.

[pineapplesalmon]

The reply back is surprisingly quick.

Can we eat in a blanket fort?

César could use a fucking blanket fort, okay.

[businessorlibation]

Yes. Meet me in the atrium in 7 minutes?

[pineapplesalmon]

César's room door opens a moment later, with him trying to walk out the door, prop the door open, and get his second boot on at the same time. This does not work. He manages to get his boot on the rest of the way, yes. Except the door hip checks him, causing him to momentarily stumble sideways with a little 'ahhh!'

When he manages to catch his balance, César looks up and shrugs elaborately with a light smile on his face, as if to say seems silly to walk separate?

[businessorlibation]

Johnny offers César the plate quietly, before falling into step beside him.

"Friday had a single pup tent and two sleeping bags out. That hardly seemed enough, you know?"

[pineapplesalmon]

César will take the plate, nodding his agreement; on one belt is lacing he's jerry-rigged to carry a big bottle of water, and probably the offender of why his scramble was so messy. "Not even close. So where did the blanket forts–"

The food hits his nose, César looks down to take stock, and then he stops dead in his tracks, eyes widening a bit before a smile slowly spreads across his face. "These are all favorites of mine." He looks up to Johnny, clearly touched. "You took notice?"

He's never not going to appreciate it when people pay attention to him in little ways like this.

[businessorlibation]

“Food is important. Of course I noticed. You were upset, so I wasn’t sure if you’d stop to get yourself something.”

He looks off to one side. “As for the blanket forts, someone must have asked Friday for supplies to make them, or something...”

[pineapplesalmon]

César has things to say. Firstly, though, he needs to carefully bend over to kiss that cheek. When he straightens, he starts walking again.

"Mmm, you were right. I threw myself into designing things to forget and forgot to even drink water." Hence that big water bottle making another one of its occasional appearances, but usually just straight up science being the cause, not upset. "Ha, what a quick thinking person they were."

Is this an apology? Was it something apology worthy? César's not sure he cares, knowing that Johnny has gone to such lengths now.

[businessorlibation]

“Or maybe they just needed something to do with their hands because they didn’t like feeling useless.”

Who knows, it’s a mystery.

[pineapplesalmon]

César's going to focus on walking for a moment as they reach the elevator. "... Oh."

An air of why is my boyfriend cute and sweet in that little sound. "They should've asked me to help."

[businessorlibation]

“Maybe they weren’t sure you’d want to, after all that. But hey, you get to eat lunch in a blanket fort, so that’s cool. And maybe we pick a couple nights and sleep out in the atrium?”

He hopes César will agree to that.

[pineapplesalmon]

The little bit of modern(?) slang just keeps that smile going.

"I'll always prefer to work through the feelings upsetting me rather than hold onto them. Always. So you know next time." César won't make it difficult, and he walks into the elevator as it arrives. "Incredibly cool. And I would love to sleep out in the atrium. I used to sleep outside my family's hacienda in the early summer. My parents would kill most of the lights so we could see the entire sky."

[businessorlibation]

“Do you think Friday would turn out the lights in the atrium for us?” He’s already asked a favor today, he might beg César to ask her this one. Look, look, people are difficult, especially when you can’t read their face.

[pineapplesalmon]

"She might; that would be lovely," César smiles softly at the idea, then looks over the atrium through the elevator glass. "Oh, wow. You've been busy!"

[businessorlibation]

"I needed to do something with my hands." Yes, he said that already, but maybe this time it'll be understood properly. "Besides, now there's space for just about as many people as might want to camp out. I don't even know how many of us are left on the ship."

[pineapplesalmon]

"Either way, it should be enough." César realizes he's missing something and looks at Johnny apologetically. "Ah, My brain can't parse the subtext in the 'I needed to do something with my hands'."

It's ESL or ADHD, he's not sure.