We were kind of more focused on your housing situation at the time. Which, I doublechecked with Forte you should definitely be okay?



[ exhales: ]

... but yeah, obviously staying on board isn't ideal. But obviously doing something wild like buying a house is way out there. No point trying to rent a place when we might just be forced back in a couple of weeks? I guess there's hotels? But if not that - it leaves asking to stay with someone or staying here.

[ laughs a little: ]

Most of us are amnesiacs without real homes to go back to - Goose was in prison. Starling's family is close to my adoptive ones and she wouldn't get it. Duran'd probably be legally obligated to report me to them as my former therapist.

Forte probably would but he's, like, going through a lot and likes his distractions a lot. I couldn't do that to him when it'd just worry him more.

[ bumps his shoulder back shaking his head: ]

He might but maybe I need a break from hearing him.

[ it's mostly a joke. ] You can, there's just not much to say, you know?


[ a beat and he decides to say out loud versus gingham possibly just hearing it. ]

... but I guess I am partly afraid of leaving.

What happens if they don't let Dove off?

Or - maybe they do and we all get off and we get used to things and convince ourselves it'll be normal? How do we even do that after a month here? And it sounds like we'll be made to come back anyway.


So I don't know, just feels like dangling false hope?

... yeah. [ Jokingly: ] I was never super normal to begin with —


— that doesn't mean I think other people shouldn't get off? Like you definitely deserve to get off and have fun. Forte, too. And I really wanna hope that it all works out all right and even if it's for a little while everyone has some peace.

[ okay, that earns a laugh: ]

Uh. Duh, I hope you won't? There's a very real possibility we will have our one month anniversary docked and I am pre-emptively booking you for the entire day regardless.

[ snorts, nudging him: ]

Glad to hear I'm worth skipping school for.

[ dramatic gasp ]

Sir, that's practically a criminal offense.

I can't believe you, you've gone rogue.

It's a good thing Holy Order does not actually have a prison cell on ship, just an animal therapy room. You'd have too much fun there, so you can't be locked up there either.

A rebel.

[ leans into him. ]

I like that, but I'm glad you got away from them too. So, school - you're going to go straight back?

There's nothing wrong with that. Why do you think I've been studying so much?

[ hmm ]

I don't know, we'll see each other a lot less if we're in school.

And I'll be trapped between Nightingale and Starling again, true torture.


[ a beat. ]

Actually, school might not be so bad now?