To say that something turns into a flaming shipwreck that you just can't take your eyes off of is to presume that it did not, in fact, start in such a way and then progressively, somehow, get worse from there.
That was about the shape of how things were going as they neared Wind Country's primary port city, and Makoto felt as if he had no one but literally every idiot who thought this was a good idea to blame. (What, was he going to blame himself? It wasn't his fault that the people in charge of missions for the Wardens had taken a look at their team composition and said 'yeah, this looks good.')
As predicted, Tatsuya had waited all of ten minutes to hit on Sheimi, who had unsubtly threatened him with extreme violence if he persisted for the rest of the voyage. The words 'feed you to a giant squid' may have showed up at some point. At which point his cousin had retreated, more baffled than actually afraid, and he had felt the need to warn Sheimi that Tatsuya did not, in fact, feel fear at all, judging by the gap in his emotions.
Two days in they had settled into an uneasy truce, with her avoiding Tatsuya and him not seeking her out, and Makoto putting as much distance as possible between himself and both the crazy people on his team for as long as possible.
That time ended soon, of course. With Wind Country on the horizon, and them docking soon, they would have to act as a team onshore.
"Finally!" Sheimi said with a sigh when she approached the bow. "I can't wait to get solid ground beneath my feet again. I can sense all this...stuff under the boat all the time!"
"...Like, sharks and things?" He didn't know what else could be in the ocean.
Sheimi rolled her eyes. "No, like, waves and currents and things. I'm not a manga heroine."
He coughed. "Oh. Right."
Tatsuya didn't rejoin them until they were actually getting off of the boat, which was probably wise of him. He'd even fetched all their bags, as an apparent peace offering. The snake that usually rode with him had apparently confined itself to an inner pocket, too, as if that was what bothered either of them about him.
"Look," Sheimi said to Tatsuya as they were getting off the boat, "I'll work with you. Because I have to, and someone seems to think it was a good idea to invite you along on this. But just to be absolutely clear: I think you're a jackass. I know you're engaged. I'm pretty sure you know I'm dating someone already. So don't hit on me again, or I'll knock your head off. Got it?"
"How in the void did you know I was engaged?" Tatsuya asked, his posture suddenly shifting from lazy to wary. "And no, I didn't know you were already dating. That's just...well, it's what I do to anyone I'm not related to."
"Well, stop," she told him. "Especially with foreign dignitaries. That doesn't endear you to people."
He flashed her a sharp smile. "You'd be surprised," was all he said in response, before strolling onto the docks whistling. Sheimi snorted and hefted her bag over her shoulder before heading off after him.
"Oh yeah," Makoto said out loud emptily, to the phoenix or just the general are he didn't know. "This is going to be great."
[Arrived in Wind from Moon]
That was about the shape of how things were going as they neared Wind Country's primary port city, and Makoto felt as if he had no one but literally every idiot who thought this was a good idea to blame. (What, was he going to blame himself? It wasn't his fault that the people in charge of missions for the Wardens had taken a look at their team composition and said 'yeah, this looks good.')
As predicted, Tatsuya had waited all of ten minutes to hit on Sheimi, who had unsubtly threatened him with extreme violence if he persisted for the rest of the voyage. The words 'feed you to a giant squid' may have showed up at some point. At which point his cousin had retreated, more baffled than actually afraid, and he had felt the need to warn Sheimi that Tatsuya did not, in fact, feel fear at all, judging by the gap in his emotions.
Two days in they had settled into an uneasy truce, with her avoiding Tatsuya and him not seeking her out, and Makoto putting as much distance as possible between himself and both the crazy people on his team for as long as possible.
That time ended soon, of course. With Wind Country on the horizon, and them docking soon, they would have to act as a team onshore.
"Finally!" Sheimi said with a sigh when she approached the bow. "I can't wait to get solid ground beneath my feet again. I can sense all this...stuff under the boat all the time!"
"...Like, sharks and things?" He didn't know what else could be in the ocean.
Sheimi rolled her eyes. "No, like, waves and currents and things. I'm not a manga heroine."
He coughed. "Oh. Right."
Tatsuya didn't rejoin them until they were actually getting off of the boat, which was probably wise of him. He'd even fetched all their bags, as an apparent peace offering. The snake that usually rode with him had apparently confined itself to an inner pocket, too, as if that was what bothered either of them about him.
"Look," Sheimi said to Tatsuya as they were getting off the boat, "I'll work with you. Because I have to, and someone seems to think it was a good idea to invite you along on this. But just to be absolutely clear: I think you're a jackass. I know you're engaged. I'm pretty sure you know I'm dating someone already. So don't hit on me again, or I'll knock your head off. Got it?"
"How in the void did you know I was engaged?" Tatsuya asked, his posture suddenly shifting from lazy to wary. "And no, I didn't know you were already dating. That's just...well, it's what I do to anyone I'm not related to."
"Well, stop," she told him. "Especially with foreign dignitaries. That doesn't endear you to people."
He flashed her a sharp smile. "You'd be surprised," was all he said in response, before strolling onto the docks whistling. Sheimi snorted and hefted her bag over her shoulder before heading off after him.
"Oh yeah," Makoto said out loud emptily, to the phoenix or just the general are he didn't know. "This is going to be great."
[Arrived in Wind from Moon]