[Well, for one thing, area man is not — for what is probably the first time in like four weeks of Superhell minus the times when he was wearing a bathing suit to swim — wearing his gunbreaker whites with black bodysuit underneath. He is instead, regrettably, wearing this.

Gideon will also find him sitting in one of the little rooms off the onsen itself, perched on one of the little beds, manspreading like crazy. His mandolin is propped up against one of the walls, near enough to him that he could reach it without sliding over, and next to him on the cushion is his hellphone.]

Hello. I don't want to hear a word out of you, understood?

I had a hot coffee upended into my lap.

[He also rolled a nat-1 on his dodge.]

These are my spare garments.

I'm glad my excruciating pain is funny to you. At least that means one of us is getting a laugh out of it.

[Unlike most of the times he fields Gideon's asshole sense of humor, this time he actually sounds a little bit hurt.]

Oh, I would much rather be hale and hearty, believe me, but the burns do make that a touch complicated. Nothing compared to what others have dealt with coming back from one misadventure or another, of course, but surely I can at least claim the right to be a bit inconvenienced.

[Sulk sulk sulk.]

[The worst part about this particular mess is that, where ordinarily his instinct would be to get up and shoulder past her and just leave, he's not about to do that. He could, but he'd have to limp, and there's really no way of making an exit like that with dignity while hobbling, so.

He just closes his eyes instead.]

I did caution that you'd regret coming here. So you needn't stay, if you're dissatisfied.

[...Oh. Oh. He's doing the "I'm being a shit father because I'm caught up in my own emotions and taking it out on my child who desires my affection but doesn't understand why I'm withholding it" thing again.

...ONE MORE THING TO FEEL INSECURE ABOUT \o/ ]

...Normally. When I find myself brooding over things. I would be able to go find some exertion in the gym or a fight, tire myself out to stop thinking on them. And I would, but I suspect pushing myself to the limits I want to push myself to would aggravate the burns on my legs and put my heart at risk, and you and others would disapprove of me doing that to myself.

So I'm staying put, with no outlet. That's what it is.

I ran out of songs to play. Twelve help me, I've started writing them, even.

[He's not saying he's good at it either, but rather just offering this up as a mark of how far his sanity is slipping.]

I saw you've been harassing Harrow, speaking of.

Disgusting in which sense?

[She gets a laugh out of him, though, at the prospect of the targeted crusade of dirty sailing song harassment, up until he notes the redness in her ears and cocks his head in curiosity.]

...Something you're not telling me, Nav?

It's a love song and I'll sing it if you don't circumvent me by fessing up.

[it's probably not a love song but also: against gideon this is a credible threat.]

You don't want your hands anywhere close to my burns. I know you too well.

[He says, equally mildly.]

...Ah. And it was something she didn't have herself, before? Among her own memories.

[It wouldn't sound like a lot, to most. To a normal person, maybe it wouldn't even sound like anything at all, much less affection, and less still romance.

But Thancred is a tank whose nearest and dearest are mages and soft agile fighters, and he can imagine precisely what it would feel like to hear someone say I don't want anyone other than you to protect me, I want you to be the one between me and danger.

Seven hells. On some lips that'd practically be a marriage proposal.]

Good. Good for you both.

[He pauses. Debates with himself, a moment.]

I envy you, really.

Well, not here.

[Maybe that's the part he's envious of, horrible a wish it would be in reality for so many other reasons.]

In a way I envy all of it. The two of you when you're at each other's throats and when you've just reached an accord, and everything in between. In a place like this, having someone yours in a manner unique to you and only you...

[He shrugs a little.]

Oh, I'm certain there are moments it drives you mad. But in other ones, it must be nice.

[He is, in fact, so smart.]

Well. Between the two of us, we'll do our damnedest to ensure you never have to find out. Mm?