Chapter Text
A few hours earlier in the Perseus´ deck.
A soft breeze ruffled Ryuusui´s cape. The wind was going the right direction, no signs of a storm coming and the shore was still far, but still close enough to be seen.
Such a calm landscape installed an overwhelming fear.
They should be close to their destination, but there weren´t enemies around. Not even a single thing that supposed danger was at sight. He breathed in, slow and deeply.
"I have a bad feeling about this" he told himself without expecting to be heard.
"You think so too?" The mentalist said appearing out of nowhere making the other jump. He had the sneaky advantage as his light steps became unadible without shoes.
"Gods, you always creep on people that way?" he asked putting a hand on his chest trying to hold his pounding heart.
"The reasons change according to the person" Gen cryptically responded "There´s something wrong about this solitude don´t you think Ryusui-chan? We should be around the why man´s location already, but nobody has come to receive us. Not that that is a bad thing, but is certainly unnerving to be kept on this suspense"
"Yeah, I would suppose it´s because we are still far from their actual base or we´re not actual threat to them"
"If nothing of what Senkuu-chan has built until now is no threat for them then we are stepping into an already lost battle" Gen told the captain with such a tone a tear of sweat appeared on his forehead "The why man might not be alone, but if our numbers and power isn´t enough to let us get as close to their base as we are now, they want us to go to them. To talk or to fight..." Gen´s half and half hair was ruffled by a sudden strong wind. He pulled himself to smile through a frown "We might be getting ourselves into quicksand without knowing".
"Doesn´t that mean that whatever they have is even better that what we could ever dream off?" Gen´s attention had drifted to the captain. Whose sweat failed to mask the excitement on his voice. "I´m the man who will get everything on this world. I can´t back off from the opportunity of taking it with my own hands"
If Gen didn´t know the man sleeping on the crows nest above them thought the exact same about the situation, he would´ve laughed at his audacity. Instead he put a smile and walked towards the stairs of the foremast.
"Then we´re counting on you to get us there safely, captain" he said going up silently.
It was still half an hour before dawn. So the stars where still visible in the night sky. The old man Kaseki had unexpectedly built a portable version of the telescope back at the observatory when they had celebrated Senkuu´s birthday on board. He had tried to hide his dread of leaving behind the structure, but eventually a half and half, silver tongued fox had once again, made his words work just fine.
"And here I thought you would need an extra blanket" Gen said emerging from the small floor tramp that led to the crows nest. Senkuu had two blankets already and a journal on his lap. "Silly me carrying an extra blanket" Gen continued sitting besides him and pulling an arm over Senkuu´s shoulders. To which he responded by covering Gen´s legs with the blanket.
"You can be too corny at times, mentalist" Senkuu said, secretly enjoying the warm.
"Well, there´s things that should be done before anything could happen" Gen went making a deep silence stand. "You already know that we´re going into quicksand don´t you?" Gen asked looking at the stars as slowly, ever so slightly, the light of day started to paint the sky.
"Yeah, for quite a long time" Senkuu responded after a second. Gen breathed in, expecting a follow up "If they´re letting us enter their base is because we don´t suppose any danger to their eyes. But that doesn´t mean we won´t be able to defend ourselves if it comes down to it. The first thing I want to do is talk to them" Senkuu went and he didn´t need to say it for Gen to hear a "I´m counting on you for the negotiations, mentalist".
But as he was about to answer to the unsaid resolution, Senkuu tightly gripped on his pencil. His eyes were stranded into a very deep thought in particular. The calm and almost always cocky aura Senkuu irradiated, had suddenly been tainted black by a silent rage. Like a lion trapped in a cage, unmoving and carefully watching its keeper´s moves. Just for the smallest mistake to break havoc.
"Just talk..."
"Senkuu?" Gen´s worried voice suddenly made him bolt back to reality.
"We´re not running away without getting answers" His aura had gone back to normal, but Gen´s worries stayed. "We will get to the heart of the matter 10 billion percent" he said in his usual tone.
"Without knowing what we´re going against you can still say something like that... I would hope that luck was on our side, but with yours Senkuu-chan I´m not so sure" Gen giggled wryly.
"Relax. Even if we don´t know what will come our way, we will break through with science" Senkuu said, despite not knowing if he was trying to reassure himself or Gen.
"Ah" suddenly the mentalist gasped looking up. Senkuu followed his eyes and saw a few shooting stars. Senkuu had been observing the draconids all night but they should´ve stopped around five hours ago. "Make a wish, Senkuu-chan!"
"That doesn´t even work Gen..." The man on his side put a finger on his lips and smiled.
"Jeez, ok, ok" he sighed, mentally doing his wish. And hoping with all his might, he could make it come true "Made your wish?" he asked Gen closing the journal.
"Yep" he simply responded letting the soft russtle of the sea waves float in the air.
Unconsciously Senkuu got closer to Gen. He had gotten so close with everyone on the ship, with Gen, he had fully forgotten about the six months he had spent alone. But at the door of the reason he had the cracks on his face without any info whatsoever about what could be going his way, he was feeling terrified of the future.
He had lost everything once and had to take it back with a hell of hard work. Even if not everything was back to normal, he couldn´t help but feel the growing terror of the possibility of all happening all over again.
He wouldn´t let it happen. No matter what.
Everything was better than being alone again.
Gen took notice of how close Senkuu was to his chest and took the chance to gently brush his hair.
"Look, my wish came true" Gen teased him making Senkuu giggle.
With everyone on the deck after breakfast, they prepared themselves to land on the enemies territory.