[KSGokaiger;prose] this war is long over (interlude: 2)
Captain Marveleous, Joe Gibken
It's a day after Marvelous insisted that he saw Basco, dropping the entire galleon into a state of confusion and unease. Marvelous had even challenged them once, tried to pull rank and insist that they follow him this time because they had followed him countless times before, but even Joe, normally the most obedient out of all of them, is balking silently. His lack of support sends Marvelous seething back to the captain's room like a reprimanded child, and Luka throws her hands up in the air in aggravation.
"I just can't with him!" she says, and there's real frustration in her voice, cracks lining the edges of her words. Everyone else looks similarly worried, or upset, and the galleon is suddenly too stifling in its self-contained existence. Joe hopes that they'll disembark soon on a planet, if only to clear the air and give everyone some space to think.
"Mr Joe," Ahim says, and he nods to her, but not without a sigh. Marvelous is usually easy to read, but never when it comes to Basco. As usual.
"I'll try," he replies.
"I saw him," Marvelous repeats sullenly to his first mate when he lets himself in. He's sitting at the side of the bed, the mobirates held tight in his hand like a comforting toy. Joe leans against the closed door, and wonders how many times Marvelous had called now. He wonders if Basco had ever picked up.
"So you say," Joe says. "But it's still hard to believe when none of us saw him."
"My word should be good enough."
"Normally," Joe conceded. "But this is Basco you're talking about." Marvelous snorts, and plays irritably with his mobirates. It's not a companionable silence, and Joe sighs before he can stop himself. "He hurt you. Many times. They...We were afraid."
"He hasn't hurt me now, has he?"
"That just means that he isn't alive now, Marvelous. Because he's dead. We all saw it."
He knows Marvelous is looking at him, lips drawn in a thin angry line, but Joe doesn't back down. He has to know, because if Marvelous wants him to back him up on this wild goose chase, Marvelous best damn well give him a good reason. Or two. Joe allows himself to smile, wry and disdainful and says, "I'll ask why though. You hated him."
"The same reasons you wanted your own superior back," Marvelous says, slow and silky and dark, two can play at this game and Joe can't help glaring back in hurt shock. "Even though he was Zangyack. Even though he hurt me. You wanted him, if you could.
"And I want him, because I can," Marvelous says. He leans forward, arms resting on his knees as he clasps his hands together. "He's alive, Joe. I know this. If your Cid were alive, I'd chase him to the borders, right behind you. What say you?"
Joe looks into Marvelous' eyes, trying to see if there's a trace of madness at the edge of desperate hope, but all he finds is calm and clarity. "Okay," Joe says finally. Marvelous smiles, stands up and moves close to clap Joe's shoulder.
"Good," Marvelous says, and then a "thank you," so soft, so quiet, that Joe nearly misses it, but doesn't.
It's a day after Marvelous insisted that he saw Basco, dropping the entire galleon into a state of confusion and unease. Marvelous had even challenged them once, tried to pull rank and insist that they follow him this time because they had followed him countless times before, but even Joe, normally the most obedient out of all of them, is balking silently. His lack of support sends Marvelous seething back to the captain's room like a reprimanded child, and Luka throws her hands up in the air in aggravation.
"I just can't with him!" she says, and there's real frustration in her voice, cracks lining the edges of her words. Everyone else looks similarly worried, or upset, and the galleon is suddenly too stifling in its self-contained existence. Joe hopes that they'll disembark soon on a planet, if only to clear the air and give everyone some space to think.
"Mr Joe," Ahim says, and he nods to her, but not without a sigh. Marvelous is usually easy to read, but never when it comes to Basco. As usual.
"I'll try," he replies.
"I saw him," Marvelous repeats sullenly to his first mate when he lets himself in. He's sitting at the side of the bed, the mobirates held tight in his hand like a comforting toy. Joe leans against the closed door, and wonders how many times Marvelous had called now. He wonders if Basco had ever picked up.
"So you say," Joe says. "But it's still hard to believe when none of us saw him."
"My word should be good enough."
"Normally," Joe conceded. "But this is Basco you're talking about." Marvelous snorts, and plays irritably with his mobirates. It's not a companionable silence, and Joe sighs before he can stop himself. "He hurt you. Many times. They...We were afraid."
"He hasn't hurt me now, has he?"
"That just means that he isn't alive now, Marvelous. Because he's dead. We all saw it."
He knows Marvelous is looking at him, lips drawn in a thin angry line, but Joe doesn't back down. He has to know, because if Marvelous wants him to back him up on this wild goose chase, Marvelous best damn well give him a good reason. Or two. Joe allows himself to smile, wry and disdainful and says, "I'll ask why though. You hated him."
"The same reasons you wanted your own superior back," Marvelous says, slow and silky and dark, two can play at this game and Joe can't help glaring back in hurt shock. "Even though he was Zangyack. Even though he hurt me. You wanted him, if you could.
"And I want him, because I can," Marvelous says. He leans forward, arms resting on his knees as he clasps his hands together. "He's alive, Joe. I know this. If your Cid were alive, I'd chase him to the borders, right behind you. What say you?"
Joe looks into Marvelous' eyes, trying to see if there's a trace of madness at the edge of desperate hope, but all he finds is calm and clarity. "Okay," Joe says finally. Marvelous smiles, stands up and moves close to clap Joe's shoulder.
"Good," Marvelous says, and then a "thank you," so soft, so quiet, that Joe nearly misses it, but doesn't.