Archive of Our Own

“It’s a boy!” the midwife cried, squeezing Mrs. Nanami’s hand in encouragement, “Just hold on a little longer, Madam, he’s almost out.” True to her words, with one final effort from the woman, the baby was free and soon being cradled in his mother’s arms. An adorable golden-haired boy was born into this world. His cries were silently matched by his mother’s tear of happiness as she hugged the child to her chest. The nurses and doctors were bustling around, clearing up the room and congratulating the mother. She paid no heed to them. She only had eyes for the son in her arms, gazing at him adoringly. There he was, the long-awaited child that she couldn’t wait to shower with affection and love. And with time, her boy would surely grow into a fine man who could do anything in the world.

At least, that’s how Ryusui liked to imagine his birth. His father was a busy man, but even if he wasn’t present at the time of labour, he would’ve spared no expense to make sure his mother was as comfortable as possible. And she was a woman who readily took advantage of her husband’s wealth. Ryusui had fond memories of his early years living with his mother; her life philosophy was to experience life to its fullest, including all the riches and comforts money could buy. Unlike his father, she never restricted his spendings. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why he was eventually moved to live in the Nanami estate closer to the head of the family, rather than in one of the many summer houses his mother occupied.

The change came with a few annoyances – apparently he was old enough by then to begin education to become the prefect little Nanami Conglomerate’s pawn. Too bad it didn’t exactly work out the way his father intended. Oh, Ryusui excelled in his studies when he put his mind to it. It was just that he rarely chose to. He was more interested in pursuing whatever it was that caught his fancy at the moment.

Even as a small child, Ryusui had always had a decisiveness that set him aside from his peers. He didn’t waste time mulling over which of the two presented options was better; he simply demanded both. His teachers and caretakers would scold him for his greed, but no reprimand could stifle the want within him. As a young boy, he didn’t understand why he should be censured for an impulse as natural as the necessity of breathing. Years later, as a young man, he would simply accept that other people would not understand that which defined him in his own core. He wanted, and he desired, and he coveted, and sometimes he felt as if he would never be satisfied. Still, without the desire that was like a living, breathing thing in his mind, he wouldn’t be himself.

Some would – and did – say he was simply spoiled, and there was some truth in the claim. Ryusui recognized that he was born into a beneficial social situation, and all the perks that came with it. However, it only defined his starting point. The end goal – that is to say, obtaining everything in this world as well as the world itself – would remain unchanged no matter what person Ryusui was born as, he was sure. And if some people detested him for it, it was their own loss for wasting time on things they couldn’t change. Ryusui wouldn’t let that affect him.

After all, life was a banquet of possibilities, and he intended to sample every dish on the table.

\

His greed expressed itself in various desires, which often translated into increasingly bizarre hobbies. His first passion, which grew into a lifelong love, was collecting ship models. From passenger carriers and yachts, cruisers, submarines, to frigates and galleons, Ryusui wanted them all in his collection. It was only natural that he would eventually move on from models to actual vessels. If only he could put them all into bottles to display in his rooms... He had to settle on building a house by the decks, where he could see his ships from the window. In a way, he had manged to enclose them too, behind a glass. Or was he the one who was enclosed, a specimen in someone else’s collection? Was there a cosmic entity who looked upon him just as he looked at his ships?

Thoughts like those plagued him on quiet nights, when the murmur of waves failed to put him to sleep. In these moments, he hoped that he was a prized possession, the crowning jewel of an exquisite collection. Perhaps he could accept belonging to someone else then.

But come morning, he would abandon pointless speculations, and make to broaden his own collection again. Not only ships, but anything that he deemed desirable. Riches and luxury, naturally. Fame and influence, of course. The waters and the skies, as easily as breathing. People too, or perhaps people especially. They couldn’t be enclosed in glass bottles the way models did, but Ryusui wanted them all the more for it. There was an exhilaration in acquiring a person that rivalled finishing an intricate model. Because while there existed badly-made ships, Ryusui had never seen a woman who wasn’t absolutely charming. With their flowing hair, soft hands and curvy silhouettes, what was there not to like about women? Their forms were objectively beautiful, just like ancient Greek sculptures or the graceful arcs of sailing vessels. There was a reason cruisers were named after women. Ryusui had also nicknamed a few from his collection after beautiful ladies he’d met.

There was only one model that was still waiting to be baptized - the 1:48 scale mega-yacht. It was bad luck to name a vessel before it was finished, more so before its construction even started. All he needed was a trustworthy man who would make it come to live, someone worthy of teaming up with himself. It was an ambitious project that no mere craftsman could attempt. That no craftsman did attempt, in fact. Anyone who had a look at the model said that it was impossible. Too expensive. Too extravagant. A lesser man might’ve been discouraged, but Ryusui had never given up on something he wanted and he wasn’t about to now. Greed equals justice. It was something he heard Francois say once, and he rather liked the sound of it. That’s right. Sooner or later, I will get my yacht. I need only not stop until I get what I want.

\

Even if he had known it would take a couple thousand years and civilization collapsing, Ryusui wouldn’t retract these words. If it meant he could conquer another desire, it was worth it in his books.

For the longest time, he was alone with his thoughts, not even the sound of his heartbeat breaking the absolute silence. That situation wasn’t unpleasant in itself – he couldn’t move or even feel any part of his body, but he wasn’t in any pain either. However, the inactivity his current situation enforced upon him was less than desirable, considering all the plans he had. Still, there was nothing he could do, aside from thinking, so think he did. He contemplated, he pondered, he reflected, until thinking became a chore and he was utterly sick of being aware of himself. The only thing worse than thinking was not thinking, because the thought (ha!) of falling into the darkness and never waking again was too… unthinkable. Was it death that he could feel staring at him from the darkness, or something else? Some things were better left unanswered.

\

With no other way to pass the eternity stretching below and above, Ryusui mentally catalogued his collection of ships. The way he’d built every model… He recalled every detail as best as he could, imagining the feel of wood under his phantom fingers. Once he was free from the dark, he would…

Ah, yes. He would finally build the mega-yacht. The model had waited long enough. No more waiting for an opportune moment, Ryusui would seize the day with his own hands. And then he would throw a party… No, first he would finally build a full-scale ship from the model he’d…

…

What was it he was thinking about just now?

\

How long had it been?

He couldn’t tell anymore.

\

Without any outside stimuli, time had long since lost its meaning. Soon, staying conscious lost its meaning as well, and Ryusui succumbed to the darkness.

\

Waking up was first a tingling sensation spreading along his body, slowly rousing him from sleep. Then it was blinding light, invading his already open eyes, shocking him into consciousness. It only took him a split second to realize what had happened.

He had never appreciated how sensational human senses were until he had them returned. The sound of crashing waves; the endless blue of the sky reflected on the ocean’s waters; the iodine air he took greedy gulps of; the salty taste it left on his tongue. A cool breeze grazed his skin and pulled at his hair. He was alive.

I’m back at last! And I want everything in this world once again!

Yes, he was, possibly for the first time, greedy for life itself. It was only once the elation at being free again subsided that he noticed the people gathered before him.

“Are you the ones who saved me? I’ll have to thank you then, the best I can.” Yes, his saviours would be properly compensated. They did him no small favour, bringing him out of that despicable state. “Francois!” he snapped his fingers in the familiar motion. A beat passed. When his faithful butler didn’t come to his side, ready at service, he felt something was amiss. And a sailor’s instinct was never wrong. He looked around, cataloguing his surroundings. The beach was familiar, at least. He had been at the launch of the newest ship in his collection when he was overtook by that darkness. There was sand at his feet where the dock should be. The coastline was different, wild where it had been carefully kept. Not to mention no sign of the ship itself. The pain in his hand, which was persistently waiting to be noticed, reared up. A dull throbbing where he snapped his fingers, which were now dyed navy blue. He snapped them again, just to get used to the sensation.

It seemed like monetary compensation was no longer on the table.

“Civilization has collapsed. The Nanami Conglomerate and I have lost all of our assets. Am I wrong?” he asked, looking to the group of people. One of them stepped forward.

“That’s right.” It was a young man with curious hair and interesting scars, running symmetrically down his forehead. “I’m glad you’re quick to catch on.” Ryusui was breaking into a wide smile before he even finished his sentence. If the Nanami Co. was lost, and so was the rest of the world as he knew it…

“That is an amazing opportunity!” he raised a fist in victory. “With all of the world’s ownership rights erased, I can have everything to myself!” That was fantastic. Now, more than ever, the world was within his grasp. The grin couldn’t seem to get off his face, even as he apologized for his indecency and dressed. Interestingly, they gave him a stereotypical pirate’s hat, with an unfamiliar symbol emblazoned on the hem. He put it on, adjusting on his head. He had a vague memory of dressing up as a ship captain as a kid and wearing a similar attire. This time, in this unfamiliar world, he didn’t feel the slightest bit as if he was playing dress up. These people clearly saw him as a ship captain, and the role fit him like a glove.

The boat they used to get to the mainland was a primitive sailboat, but the burly blond man operated it skilfully. Ryusui observed his skill while Senku, as he introduced himself, succinctly explained their current predicament. While the sheer length of time that had passed since he was last on his feet was staggering, Ryusui was more interested in the present situation. As he had thought, his skills as a captain were in demand, which was why he was chosen to be ‘revived’. As they neared the shore, a skeleton of a sailing vessel could be seen, towering over its surroundings. What a charming sight to greet him, he though wistfully. No, this was no time to get sentimental. Rather, Ryusui was surprised to see such an ambitious project already underway. Who was leading the construction?

As they reached the field where the ship was being built, he could hear the sounds of hammers and nails and craftsmen shouting instructions to each other over the ruckus; second only to sound of the open sea, this was his favourite sound in this new world. From up close, the wooden structure of the ship was even more beautiful.

“I want to see the blueprint for this.” He took the rolled-up paper from an old gentlemen who came to greet them at the shore and immersed himself in analysing the design, ignoring the chatter next to him.

“What, no ‘hello’, ‘how are you’ or ‘good morning’?”

“It’s evening, Gen.”

“Is that the captain, Senku? He will operate our ship?”

“How do you like our baaaad boat, Mr. Captain!?”

“What did he say his name was?”

And so on. Once he was more or less up to speed on the ins and outs of their prospective vessel, he raised his head again to look at the structure. He was impressed, that in this stone world, a seemingly random gathering of people could build a sailing vessel of this magnitude.

“I want this!” he proclaimed. There were numerous problems with building a sailboat with the limited resources and tools available to them, but this was a better start than he imagined. Sailing to the other side of the planet though…

He interrupted Gen, who was doubtlessly trying to goad him by questioning his skill.

“Before we continue, you should retreat and protect the ship. A storm is coming!” and his intuition was never wrong. Before long, a downpour was on them, and every available hand scrambled to cover the construction materials laying around. While he was pulling the cloth over some lumber, Ryusui got a good look at it.

“This wood isn’t tough enough. With just the power of the wind, getting to the other side of the world will be a gamble.” he looked to his companions, curious whether they were aware of the faults in their project.

“I figured. We’ll make a motor-sail hybrid ship.” Oh? So there was someone who knew their stuff here. Senku, that brat, was he expecting Ryusui to happily go along with their primary plan? Haha!

“So you were testing me, to see if I would be quick to say yes, even if it was a stupid idea?” The audacity of him! Ryusui was delighted. “You cheeky bastard. I would have wanted you in the Nanami Conglomerate.” It’s been a while since someone was daring enough to challenge him in his field of expertise so outright. But two could play the game. Now that he knew Senku was in charge here, he could just grill him for details directly. Because a motor meant fuel. And Senku must have known perfectly well that coal wasn’t going to cut it. A guy like that would already have figured out the next step.

“Don’t play coy with me! You know what I want, don’t you, Senku?”

Ryusui wasn’t quite sure what exactly he was talking about, but he wanted everything anyways, so it didn’t matter in the end.

\

While Senku got busy looking for the oil fields, Ryusui had time to settle in. He was thrown right into the fray after his revival, and while he didn’t mind living fast, he also appreciated the chance to slowly take in the new world.

That is, the chance take it allll for himself, starting with the oil field. He was now even better aware of the precarity of the Kingdom of Science’s situation, and he didn’t hesitate to exploit it. After all, he deserved some compensation for taking on the risk of an intercontinental voyage. Even if his greed would do him no favours in the eyes of his new companions, he has long since given up on trying to please other people. Gen, unsurprisingly, protested against his demands. An oil field, even a small one, was a gold mine in the old world. Here, with only one source available, if Ryusui could control it, he would quickly rise to the position of a king. Of course I want that oil. His gaze found Senku, since he was the one with actual authority here. Their eyes met as Senku stepped forward.

“Are you saying the oil field isn’t worth your lives and safety? How indecent of you to put such a small price on human life.” Ryusui taunted. “If you think it’s too much, go ask someone else.” And they all knew there was no one else. He had been revived because he was the best there was. Anyone else would be a downgrade, and his intuition told him Senku always aimed at the top. He smiled, already anticipating his victory.

“You’re the only one who has the skills.” Senku spoke up. It was the truth, but it was still gratifying hearing it spoken out loud. Senku chuckled. “You’re extorting us because you know that.” Seemed like he knew what was up. Ryusui was pleased. It was always pleasure doing business with people who were quick on the uptake. Once again, he thought that someone like Senku would’ve been a great asset in Nanami Co. But no matter, because now he could simply recruit Senku for himself. With the new world’s first currency in his hand, he could begin properly establishing his own brand, and from there it was only a matter of time before the Kingdom of Science got sucked in too.

\

Ryusui may have underestimated the Kingdom of Science. It was rather disturbing how easily Senku and Gen could crash the Drago market. Senku could be rather ruthless when he wanted to, didn’t he? And Gen was only enabling him. Or was it the other way around? Ha, and Gen had the audacity to call him unscrupulous! Either way, they made a bad situation work for them, which Ryusui could respect. Gen and his silver tongue could be useful in the Nanami Conglomerate too, he mused. He didn’t have an idea yet how to go about recruiting someone like the mentalist yet, though. He encountered unexpected resistance from some of the Kingdom’s people too. The villagers especially, since they had no preexisting concept of money, were more sceptical of it, but many from the ‘modern’ people as well. It seemed like Senku had earned himself the loyalty of quite a few people. Ryusui was, once again, reluctantly impressed. Senku wasn’t even that charismatic of a figure. Oh, he was charismatic all right, but he lacked the many qualities that made a good leader. Ryusui would know, that lesson had been grilled into him by his teachers. In their Kingdom, it was Gen who managed the so-called ‘human resources’, but he was as much Senku’s man as anyone could get. It surprised Ryusui at first. Gen was, in his own words, ‘the most superficial man on earth’. So if someone like that stuck to Senku’s side like a leech... Well, the fastest way would be to ask the man directly. On a slow evening, he joined Gen next to one of the campfires set up near the shipyard. Gen greeted him with his usual slippery smile.

“Ryusui-chan, to what do I owe the pleasure? Don’t tell me, have you gotten lonely? In that case, little old me will do my best to entertain our captain~”

“Spare me niceties, please. I wanted to ask you about Senku.” If the mentalist was surprised, he didn’t show it. Perhaps it wasn’t anything strange; judging by the rumour mill surrounding their leader, Senku was certainly a person who inspired curiosity.

“Well then, ask away. Though I don’t guarantee I will be able to answer all your questions.” Gen smiled invitingly, which was doubtlessly a ploy to get him comfortable and talking. Luckily, Ryusui intended to do just that.

“Tell me, how did Senku become the chief of the Kingdom of Science? Was he chosen in some democratic process? He doesn’t strike me as the type who would fight his way to the top.” Gen’s lips twitched, as if Ryusui said something amusing. Well, Senku wasn’t exactly known for his combat prowess or even great stamina, so it’s not like he said anything incorrect.

“A~and that’s where you’re wrong, Ryusui-chan” Gen even wagged his finger for emphasis, smirking. “Dear Senku actually won the Grand Bout to be the chief of Ishigami village. He triumphed over Kinrou-chan, Magma-chan and all the other contestants from the village, and ended up taking the position of the chief, as well as marrying the priestess, Ruri-chan.” He ended with a wink. Huh, is that so? Ryusui wouldn’t have thought that Senku was actually a decent fighter, if he managed to win over huge guys like that Magma, or warriors like Kinrou. No, knowing Senku, he used some weapon of science to win. That seemed way more in his style than outright brawling.

“Haha! Senku still manages to surprise me. He’s a lucky man, to be married to such a charming woman!”

“You should tell him that, Ryusui-chan. If you ask me, dear Senku doesn’t appreciate Ruri-chan enough.” Gen sighed. Was Senku not attentive enough to his wife? Now that Ryusui thought about it, he didn’t see Senku and Ruri interacting with each other too often. In fact, he’d say Senku spent more time with old man Kaseki than her. While it spoke of Senku’s dedication to his task, it wasn’t good to make a woman feel undesirable. Was there trouble in paradise? Was Senku throwing himself into work to avoid family matters? He didn’t know the man long enough to guess, and his trusty intuition was thrown off by this new bit of knowledge. Senku as a married man… No, why was he thinking so much into this? Senku’s relationship with Ruri, or with any woman for that matter, was none of his business. Still, at least it answered one question about Gen’s relation to Senku. Back to the matter at hand;

“And what about the rest of you people? The revived are in the majority here. I find it hard to imagine they just accepted the status quo without any power struggles. Am I wrong?”

“Oh, you have no idea, Ryusui-chan. You must have heard about Tsukasa-chan?”

“Only in passing. From what I understand, Senku killed him?” Gen winced at that, though he collected himself quickly.

“Not eely-ray~ Tsukasa-chan did suffer a mortal wound, but Senku actually did everything to save his life; Tsukasa-chan has been put into a cold sleep to give us a chance to heal him.” Ryusui frowned; did Senku wound his enemy only to save him later? Gen must have noticed his confusion, because he continued.

“Before Tsukasa-chan and Senku-chan became enemies, they were allies; friends, even. But Tsukasa-chan was against bringing back science, so he separated from Senku and made his own kingdom, which was ruled by natural might, so to speak. His goal was to destroy the Kingdom of Science, which Senku established with the Ishigami village. So, this spring, there was a showdown between our two kingdoms, which – you guessed it! - was won by the Kingdom of Science. While Tsukasa-chan was an unfortunate casualty owing to Hyoga-chan, the rest of his people were absorbed into the Kingdom of Science. And since then, peace has prevailed in the lands!” Gen made a peace sign. Ryusui had heard titbits of this story here and there, but laid out like that, it almost had the bearing of a founding myth. There was a comparison to the story of Prometheus that came to mind, but Ryusui put that thought away for later. There was still much of recent history that he was missing, but in time he would fill out the blanks.

“Haha! Our Senku is no slouch! I can see why you people follow him. Science in this stone world is certainly desirable. A last question for you, Gen. What does a man like yourself desire the most?” It wasn’t something he’d intended to ask, or even cared that much for, but the flow of conversation seemed to be bringing him to that question regardless. Gen thought for a moment in silence, staring into the fire. Shouts of children and murmurs of people enjoying the cool evening drifted from afar. From the other side, the crashing of waves rode on the cold wind from the beach, mixing with the warmth of the pyre. Gen turned to Ryusui, smiling secretively.

“Cola.”

\

“You’re here.” Senku closed the metal oven with a bang and turned to face Ryusui. Suika, who brought him to the launch site, watched the earth-bound balloon curiously. It was the evening before they were supposed to take flight, and the air was still. Chrome was there too, looking over Senku’s shoulder in the passenger basket. “I want you to familiarize yourself with the balloon before our flight tomorrow. Here.” Senku extended a hand to help him get up into the high basket. Ryusui gripped it, trying to haul himself up, but he ended up pulling Senku down instead.

“Ack!” choked out Senku, bent over the railing by Ryusui’s weight. Fortunately, Chrome quickly took Ryusui’s other hand and together they pulled him up high enough that he could get a leg over the banister. Senku let go of his hand, breathing heavily. “Dammit… why’d you… have to be so… heavy…” he wheezed. Chrome patted his back.

“Hah, Senku, how did you manage to defeat Magma and Kinrou with that stamina?”

“I don’t have 1 millimetre of an idea of what you are talking about.” Both Senku and Chrome turned to look at him with questioning expressions.

“I mean the Grand Bout, obviously! Gen told me how you became the chief of Ishigami Village. It’s a shame I wasn’t there to see you feats.” he smiled encouragingly, but Senku narrowed his eyes.

“Gen did? And what, pray tell, did he tell you exactly?”

“Only that you defeated all the other contestants in the Bout and earned your position this way.”

“That Gen…” Senku pinched his eyebrow. “I didn’t ‘defeat’ anyone. It was a group effort by everyone from the Kingdom of Science. I just happened to be the last one standing. Anyone could tell you I’m no warrior.”

“But Senku!” it was Chrome who spoke up. “If it wasn’t for your science, we would have no chance in the Bout. Not to mention, Ruri would still be sick. You said it yourself – that science levels the playing field for everyone. You deserved the victory!” he punctuated his statement with enthusiastic hand gesturing. Ryusui hadn’t had many opportunities to talk to Chrome before, but it looked like he was yet another person strongly loyal to Senku.

Senku stuck his pinkie in his ear, leaning away from Chrome, who in his zeal got into his face.

“If anything, science deserves the victory in any competition. Anyway, now that we took a nice trip down the memory line, can we get back to the present? We have a balloon flight scheduled tomorrow, and you two need a crash course on how to steer this thing so we have a chance of touching down in one piece.” And so, for the next hour, Senku explained the intricacies of operating the balloon, punctuated by Chrome’s exclamations for each scientific concept he explained. Senku had a way of making stuff he’d slept on in his student days sound mildly interesting, and he kept Ryusui’s attention for the entire time he detailed what each rope was for and how much tension it could withstand.

After they finished all the preparations they could do, late into the night, Senku led him onto a hill overlooking the area. Taiju and Gen joined them, carrying a device consisting of connected glass jars and tubes filled with some liquid. Ryusui spared a glance at Gen, wondering if he’d made his earlier story vague on purpose to confuse him. Knowing Gen, it was likely. Ryusui was still slightly bitter after the stunt he’d pulled with the card lottery, though it was a cunning strategy – making him pay for piloting the flight!

Meanwhile, Senku filled the pilot balloon with hydrogen and they watched as it ascended evenly.

“It’s a perfect day for launch. We can fly in this wind!” Ryusui exclaimed.

“Yeah. Looks like our flight is commencing as planned.” agreed Senku. Even he seemed to be excited, because in that moment, they had matching smiles on their faces.

\

Though they set off at the crack of dawn, a small crowd came to see them off. A number of people were needed to prop up the balloon as it was filled with hot air, but it seemed many woke up in the middle of the night just to see them fly with their own eyes. Ha! Ryusui could hardly blame them; they were witnessing a historical moment, and he lived to be in the centre of it. In the crowd, he spied Ruri, waving at them with a bright look in her eyes. Understandably, she came to see her husband off on what could prove to be a dangerous expedition. It was a shame Senku was more interested in the balloon than in his wife. Ryusui clucked his tongue in disapproval. However, soon the balloon was full of air and they began ascending, and thoughts of Senku and Ruri and Senku were left on the ground along with everyone else. Instead, the three of them watched as their field of view slowly broadened, revealing the surrounding terrain.

It wasn’t that Ryusui didn’t know that civilization as he knew it was long gone. Still, knowing and seeing for himself were different matters entirely. As far as the eye could see was unbreached wilderness. The view was reminiscent of being on open sea; the feeling of utter isolation was similar as well. And the exhilaration of conquering the forces of nature was a thrill he sorely missed. You didn’t get this feeling anywhere else. Not this unique sensation.

Chrome seemed to be having a moment as well, crying tears of joy.

“I want to see more… I want to know everything about this world!” he blubbered between sniffles. Ryusui smiled at the exclamation. Human greed was inescapable, even in this stone world. Perhaps especially in this stone world. That’s right. After all, I intend to conquer the skies, too!

And conquer the sky he did. Out of breath, sweaty, with hands and back aching from feeding coal into the furnace and pulling at the ropes, they emerged victorious from the storm that threatened to swallow them whole. Their destination, the Ishigami village, was looming in the distance. As they were nearing touch down, Senku spoke up.

“Me too, Chrome. I don’t know everything about this world, and I want to see it.” See? Even Senku was not impervious to desire. No, especially Senku. What else could be driving a man to rediscover all the science in the world other than the need to see it all for himself? To have it, in a way? Ryusui could relate to it well.

“Very well, Senku! I’ll take you there, to the other side of the planet!” It was no different to the plans he’d made with his friends and dates before, but in this stone world, his words held different gravitas. After all, they had no ship to speak of yet, no oil to power it and only the vaguest of plans on how to proceed. And yet, Ryusui found he didn’t mind. He didn’t mind at all because he wanted to take Senku there. Senku would build the ship and find the oil, he was sure of it, and not only because he based his currency on that assumption. He saw with own eyes now, what Senku’s science could achieve, and he couldn’t wait to see more of it. I’m going to acquire it all in the end, he reminded himself. Senku and his science both.

As they descended and the people below became more and more visible, Ryusui asked the question which had bothered him since his talk with Gen.

“If you were the one who made the revival fluid, how did you wake up, Senku?” The one blank in the founding myth he hadn’t yet filled out. It was Chrome who spoke up.

“I don’t know, but apparently he counted the seconds like crazy without ever going to sleep. And then, after continuous exposure to nitric acid, he broke out from the stone.”

“Is that true, Senku?” he couldn’t help asking. No, he shouldn’t be surprised; counting seconds for a few thousand years seemed exactly like the sort of thing Senku would be capable of. That’s how they even knew how much time had passed!

“Yeah, ten billion percent true.” smirked Senku.

… That man! He was bent on surprising Ryusui again and again. He had thought himself tenacious, with his unwillingness to give up on anything; but Senku was proving to be even worse. Even better. The perseverance to stay awake, conscious of every passing second for 3700 years… The mental fortitude to keep counting without giving in to the overbearing darkness…

I want it.

As they landed, the villagers gathered to greet them and ogle the balloon in equal measure. The villagers Ryusui met at the main camp must’ve been the majority of the population, since the people left here were mainly children and the elderly. The kids flocked around Senku, chattering and tugging at him to play with them. It made a rather adorable picture; Ryusui wouldn’t have thought Senku would be good with children, though perhaps he should have. After all, he took care of Suika well. Meanwhile, Ryusui was intercepted by Kohaku and Ukyo, who took him around the village. Ryusui listened with mild interest to Kohaku’s recounting of their history from when Senku came to the village. The Grand Bout, the battle against Tsukasa… She filled in the blanks Gen’s story had left. Seeing the birthplaces of science in this primitive world, accompanied by Kohaku’s recollections, Ryusui felt like he was touring a historical exhibition. He had to admit to being impressed; the intricate glass aperture in the lab contrasted with the crude hut it was located in only served to accentuate the impossibility of the task Senku had set for himself. Ryusui couldn’t wait to see what next improbable odds he would beat.

Speaking of the man, Senku joined them, siding up with Ukyo, already on the next step of their plan.

“The land team will search from below, while the sky team will search from above. Once we get the king of fuels that is oil, we can go to the other side of the planet. Are you up to the task, gifted captain?” now Senku was just teasing him.

“Who do you think you’re asking? The petrification beam, the future of humanity… Anything you want will be ours.”

Ryusui’s greed, after all, wasn’t so tame it would stop only at his own desires.

The evening of that day, the villagers made a feast to celebrate their successful flight and to welcome Ryusui into the village. Their hospitality, even to a person they met for the first time, was touching, though if Ryusui didn’t eat fish for the rest of his life, it would be too soon. The conversation, or rather the merciless needling that Senku was subjected to from the village elders, soon took his focus away from the plate.

“… and I believe he was even younger than you are now when Ruri was born! Chief Senku, we know you are keeping busy with that science of yours, but…”

“You are such a handsome young man, it’s truly a shame…”

“…and my granddaughter is about your age, I think, perhaps you could…”

“Poor Ruri, divorced right after marriage…” that caught his attention.

“Divorced!?” he asked, perhaps louder than was strictly necessary, considering Senku was sat right next to him.

“Huh? What’s your deal?” Senku raised an eyebrow, nonplussed.

“Haaaah… No, it’s nothing. Being a divorcee suits you better than married life. Am I wrong?” he smirked, snapping his fingers.

“Hm?” Senku furrowed his eyebrows, looking at him suspiciously, but was soon drawn back into the elders’ well-meaning lecture.

He shouldn’t be surprised that the story Gen told him was full of understatements. In the first place, telling the straight truth wasn’t Gen’s style, and it was Ryusui’s fault for making assumptions. Of course Senku wasn’t married. For a guy like Senku, it would only complicate his life. He was a person who valued efficiency above everything, after all. Yes, it made perfect sense. Ryusui laughed at himself once again, and returned to his meal with new vigour.

As the night grew darker and the torches they had lighting up the shack dimmed, a pensive mood fell on everyone. The elders began reminiscing about days long past, taking long sips of wine and sighing heavily. The perpetual cycle of warm springs, hot summers, breezy autumns and icy winters; life dictated by the passing of seasons, bringing with them life and death equally. Weddings and celebrations and illnesses and death, such was the life of the people of Ishigami village. A bountiful harvest meant a good night’s sleep, and a harsh winter was a death sentence to someone’s family.

Seeing beautiful women cry… it wouldn’t do. Ryusui desired to see them all happy and content, not losing sleep over food shortages. Since they were surveying the land from above anyway, it was no hardship to look for food sources along the way. Fish were fine, but there was so much more to life than just seafood. He desired gourmet cuisine! Proper food was one of the things he missed the most from his old life. Hopefully, with the additional resources they found during their oil search, bringing back actual flavour into their food was only a matter of time.

\

Senku was a man of many talents, but baking, apparently, was not one of them. Ryusui spit out the disgusting monstrosity that didn’t deserve to be called bread. It left chalky, burnt crumbs on his lips that he wiped with the back of his hand.

“Senku…”

“Yeah.” In this matter, they were in total agreement. We’re waking up a chef.

And if they were reviving a chef, it could only be one person.

“Pardon me, Ryusui-sama, everyone. I’d like to take a look at the finished bread.”

Ha! You could count on Francois to be efficient and to-the-point. The butler wasted no time, assessing the situation and readying to work. Right away, Senku stepped in, explaining the key points concisely, and from then, a fruitful cooperation established between the two. Senku’s efficiency-oriented approach went well with Francois’ no-nonsense attitude. Even if he wasn’t a great baker, with his general scientific knowledge, Senku could still improve the process. As he pumped steam into the oven, he explained;

“Steam conducts energy way better than air. I slammed it full of heat for you.” Francois almost seemed to swoon. Ryusui smiled, knowing what must be going through the butler’s mind. As Senku walked back to his lab, Francois spoke up.

“In order to bring back the Nanami Conglomerate, to take on this new world… we absolutely want Ishigami Senku.” As if Ryusui needed to be told twice. It was good to know his trusty butler was as in-sync with his desires as always.

“That’s obvious to me. I’m the greediest man in the world, after all.” he smiled to himself, watching Senku fiddling with something in his lab out of the corner of his eye.

The villagers took to the true bread as a parched man to an oasis in the desert. Chrome was actually crying with how good it tasted.

“This brings back memories, doesn’t it?” sighed Kohaku, once she was done stuffing her face with the stollen.  “Would ramen made by Francois taste even better too? Senku made the food of science before, when he was trying to win the villagers’ favour. The ramen back then was quite delicious.”

“Yeah, and then Senku made everyone work for the food they’d eaten by pumping air into the furnace for hours. I hope this treat doesn’t come with a catch?” quipped Gen, batting his eyes at Francois. The butler, professional to the core, remained unflappable.

“We need everyone to be in peak condition to conquer the new world. This is simply an investment for the future of the Nanami Conglomerate.”

“Ahh, Suika’s arms hurt just remembering!” contrary to her word, Suika waved her arms around with usual vigour. “It’s a good thing we have better ovens now, so Suika can stick to twisting strings.”

“I’m not sure it’s such an upgrade…” grimaced Gen, “I would never switch to pumping oxygen, but twisting wires and making batteries is a hellish labour in itself.”

“As if you’re doing any work, mentalist. I haven’t seen you help Yuzuriha’s team with the cloth.” piped up Senku, enjoying his own portion of the sweet bread.

“Senku-chan, don’t you think I already worked my due back during those days? I should let others prove themselves now.”

“That’s right, better rest now, because once we start reviving humanity in earnest, I’m going to put you to work properly.” smirked Senku.

“So errible-tay~ Senku-chan is a slave driver, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!” Gen wailed, but clearly in good spirit, so everyone just chuckled.

“Ha! This act could have fooled me before, Gen, but I know you better now. You come through when it counts.” Kohaku patted his shoulder a little too hard, almost bending Gen in half.

“Kohaku-chan, please don’t go saying things like that so asually-cay~ I have a reputation to maintain.” Kohaku only huffed, a fond smile on her lips.

“I guess you never change, Gen.”

There was only so long they could stuff themselves full before they had to return to their work, and soon Ryusui was catching Gen on his way to the main island.

“Hmm~ Ryusui-chan, how can I be of help?” he was greeted with the trademark smile from the mentalist.

“I’m starting to think dealing in half-truths is a given with you.”

“Whatever might you be referring to?” judging by his smug smile, Gen knew exactly what he meant, but was playing difficult on purpose. Not that it was anything new from the man.

“Ha, you know exactly what I’m talking about, Gen. Were there any other details in the story you told me that you so conveniently forgot about?” Gen covered the lower part of his face with the wide sleeve of his coat.

“How mean~ I merely didn’t want to bore you with unimportant details, Ryusui-chan.”

“Hmph, I’d think the difference between being married and not is rather important.” at that, Gen’s eyes shone dangerously. Ryusui got the feeling he’d said something he shouldn’t have.

“I suppose, if you think so~” Gen lowered his hand, uncovering his face, with the usual smile firmly in place. “I’ll be sure to bore you to death with allll the details from now on. Now, if you’d excuse me, I still feel rather tired from walking all the way to the village. I think I’ll take a nap.” he went his way, leaving Ryusui feeling rather disconcerted.

\

Eventually the novelty of flying wore off, and as the workload remained ever so heavy, everyone returned to their designated tasks. It meant that most of the time, it was just Senku and Ryusui manning the balloon.

“Say, Senku, what was the last thing you did before getting petrified?” Ryusui asked. Senku, bent over the railing to get a good shot of the terrain below, straightened up and turned to shoot him a questioning look. Well, Ryusui assumed it was supposed to be one, though it looked more like a scowl or a grimace. Those kind of expressions, as well as disturbing smiles, seemed to belong on Senku’s face, leaving little room for other emotions to shine through.

“How is that relevant to anything? What I was doing 3700 years ago won’t help us find the oil fields.” Senku squinted at him suspiciously, as if Ryusui was playing some elaborate game he hadn’t yet cottoned on to.

“Ha! It has no bearing on our current situation at all. I was simply making small talk. I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept.” and this time, Senku did scowl, turning back to taking photos. “Operating this balloon gets tedious. I was hoping we could pass the time with conversation. Or would you prefer we remain silent?” perceiving no deception, Senku seemed to relax, returning completely to his task.

“I was in my school’s lab, distilling gasoline from bottle caps. The same thing, more or less, that we’re hoping to find now. Though the oil we’ll find will be ten billion percent less refined, it should be enough for our little sailing project.” he paused, probably to focus on the camera to take the next shot. “That’s if we find it though.” Having taken the photo, Senku turned his head to shoot him a playful smirk. He was provoking him again. If they didn’t find the oil, there would be no cross-ocean voyage and no need for a captain. The currency he’d established would be rendered useless as well. But instead of feeling anger or irritation, he was simply amused. It was just like Senku to try and drag out the worst in him, to examine his responses and judge his control. Another person may have been insulted at the lack of trust, but Ryusui was flattered instead. He was a person of interest to Kingdom of Science, after all. Just like without the oil, he would be ruined, without him the sailing vessel would be useless, a piece of wood sitting pretty at the shore. Besides…

“Are you saying you can’t find it, Senku? After all the trouble we went through to make the balloon and the camera?” Senku snorted, but answered, judging by the tone of his voice, terribly amused.

“There’s no we. Last I checked, you weren’t even 1 millimetre of help during the making of anything. And it’s not like…” he didn’t get to finish that sentence. In that moment, a strong gust of wind rocked the balloon, making Senku loose his footing and tip forward, unbalanced. It was only years of experience manning small yachts, the kind easily swayed by the waves, that had Ryusui reaching out in that same moment and grabbing a fistful of Senku’s coat, dragging him backwards. Senku stumbled, slamming into him with the force of Ryusui’s pull. The camera he’d been holding slipped from his grip and fell to the ground, many kilometres below. For a beat, the only sound Ryusui was aware of was the beating of his heart, frantic with sudden adrenaline as they both remained still.

Senku was the first to regain his bearing, chuckling lowly, the sound resonating where his back was pressed against Ryusui’s ribs.

“I’ll be damned. If it wasn’t for you, Ryusui, I’d be ten billion percent dead by now.” he smirked shakily, stepping out of Ryusui’s space. Ryusui let go of the hold he had on Senku’s clothes, backtracking as well.

The rest of the flight was filled with pensive silence, each focused on their task.

\

It seemed like a hilarious turn of events, that they finally found the oil only while looking for truffles. Either way, the biggest hurdle was out of the way. With oil in hand, the preparations sped up, everyone filled with new eagerness to see their project completed. Even the mysterious Why-Man only seemed to incite Senku further. However, for every difficulty they overcame, a new one seemed to crop up instead. Perhaps they had all grown too dependent on Senku – he was no shipmaker after all, and even with his numerous talents, it would be a near miracle to make a workable design on the first try. For professionals, it took many trials and errors to perfect their work too; however, they didn’t have the luxury of taking their time to work their way up to completion. The threat of petrification was too near to delay for the years that would take.

But giving up on their sailing ship to build a smaller vessel? Unacceptable. Ryusui could wait; he could be a patient man. But just thinking of giving up altogether left a sour taste on his tongue. He had already had to postpone his biggest project so far – the 1:48 scale mega yacht - until a suitable opportunity presented itself, and it felt too much like surrender.

…

The solution was right in front of him, wasn’t it?

It took 3700 years, but Ryusui’s patience has paid off. The man worthy of teaming up with me. The one who will bring the model to life. There would have been no one daring enough in the modern age, but here, in the Stone world, there was one person crazy enough to go for it.

“You can do it, can’t you, Senku? Am I wrong?” he could feel a smile growing at his lips and did nothing to stop it. Senku’s own answering smirk was all that he needed. He knew the feeling of elation that overcame him in that moment well; it accompanied a fulfilled desire, and after several thousand years, it was a heady rush. He was about to broaden his collection, and the anticipation had him jittery. He glanced at Senku, and was met with a similarly thrilled look in those red eyes. Excitement looked good on Senku.

As they reconvened in Ryusui’s golden house, gathered around the model he could – and did – make by muscle memory alone, Ryusui explained, part by part, level by level, plank by plank, everything there was to know about his ship. How every segment fit into whole, which parts were crucial to bring the hull together and which could be modified to better fit their means and purpose. The people present – Senku, of course, along with Gen, Chrome and Ukyo, but also Kaseki and Minami, who claimed that it was a crucial moment in their Kingdom’s history and should be documented. Well, she wasn’t wrong, though the real thing would be – in Senku’s words – ten billion times more impressive than a model, Ryusui would make sure of that.

The engineers present eyed the model with varying degrees of fascination, poking and prodding at every part.

“Hehehe… this is pretty good.” praised Senku, “This ship will ten billion percent take us to South America, as long as we build it right.”

“Don’t you worry about that, Senku! With a model this detailed, building the real thing will be a piece of cake. I can’t wait to get started!” crooned Kaseki, who was probably the most enamoured with the model. Ha! Ryusui couldn’t blame him.

As Senku started explaining how they were going to install engines into the ship, pointing at relevant segments, Ryusui spared a moment to just take the scene in. There was a deep-seated satisfaction in him at seeing Senku appreciating his model, grinning like a child playing with a new toy. He was confident in his skill, and he couldn’t forget that specific form even if he wanted to, but it was still gratifying, having others acknowledge his work. Having Senku acknowledge his work.

The click of a shutter and a flash of light broke him from his musings. He wasn’t the only one caught unawares, as Chrome was belatedly smoothing down his hair and asking Minami if he looked good in the photo. Senku sniggered, teasing Chrome about his vanity and Ryusui smiled at their antics. Not just Senku, but this entire group of people from both worlds and from all walks of life… Who could have predicted that his long-awaited yacht would be built in such unique conditions? Ryusui couldn’t wait to see how it would turn out.

\

There was something captivating about watching Senku work in his lab, or wherever else his science took him. Contrary to what one might think, he wasn’t the type to completely lose himself in his work – he was perfectly capable of holding conversation while mixing chemicals or drawing complicated diagrams. Oftentimes, he would explain the current process to a fascinated Chrome, or exchange quips with Gen while bent over a scheme for another invention. Still, Ryusui enjoyed just observing Senku in silence, watching him focus solely on his work.

“What are you staring at?” asked Senku, not taking his eyes off the flask he was swirling. Ryusui smiled.

“I was just admiring your work ethic.” Senku’s eyebrow twitched, and Ryusui could tell he was tempted to turn around and shoot him an annoyed look, but he didn’t look away from the contents of the flask, which in that moment changed colour from semi-clear to dark brownish. Senku immediately poured some powder in, resuming the swirling.

“I could really use a magnetic stirrer…” he sighed, casting a look at the sizeable pile of the same powder sitting on the bench before him. “Yeah, we’re making it. Ryusui, since you clearly have nothing to do, come help me.” even as he said it, Senku was already on his way out. And so, Ryusui was put to work, pouring hot metal into a small form, Senku at his shoulder inspecting his movements.

“That’s enough.” Senku’s voice sounded near his ear. If Ryusui was any shorter, Senku could’ve propped his chin up on his shoulder with how close he was leaning in to see.

“Once the iron cools down, we’ll put it into the magnetiser, and we’ll have ourselves a neat, stirrer-shaped magnet. All that’s left is assembling the wiring for the base. Handcrafts team, how’s that coming along?”

“We’re almost done!” Suika showed them thumbs-up with the hand that wasn’t twisting copper strings into wire. Other children gathered with her shouted their assent, while Ryusui shed the heavy protective gear he wore for handling the hot iron.

“That’s great, you guys. Once you’re done, bring it up to the lab.” Senku turned as Ryusui rejoined him. “Say, have you ever assembled any kind of electronic circuit?”

Ryusui hadn’t, and he wasn’t sure how much it would’ve helped him even if he did, but half an hour later he was elbow-deep in copper wire, trying to wrap it around a U-shaped magnet without disturbing the rest of the machine’s guts. Meanwhile, Senku was using a separatory funnel to separate some kinds of liquids, crouched at the bench with the flask at eye level. Once Ryusui was done, he carefully extracted his hand, managing not to knock anything askew.

“It’s ready, Senku.”

“Great.” Senku left his task to look over Ryusui’s work. “What do you know, you have a knack for these things. Maybe I should take advantage of you more often.” Senku smirked even as he returned to the separating liquids, placing a new flask underneath the funnel.

“Haha, don’t think my work will come cheap!” Ryusui snapped his fingers in the well-practised tick. Senku’s eyes seemed to briefly leave his work to zero in on his hand.

“Hey, Ryusui, do your fingers cause you any pain?” the inquiry was uncharacteristically considerate, coming from Senku. Was he worried about Ryusui…? He had managed to manipulate the thin wire just fine, but the concern was appreciated.

“Haha! My fingers are in peak condition, but thank you for asking, Senku!” he snapped his fingers again for good measure. Instead of being reassured though, the scientist seemed to grow thoughtful. And, without any warning, he snatched Ryusui’s extended hand and brought it up to his face. Ryusui swallowed a sharp breath at the unexpected action. Senku must have noticed it, given their proximity, because he quirked an eyebrow and raised his gaze briefly from where it was focused on his hand. Even the corner of his mouth lifted in amusement.

“My, Senku, what unexpected forwardness, coming from you. At least take me to dinner first.” Ryusui cocked an eyebrow and smirked, trying to save face. Senku scoffed, but didn’t let go of his hand. He even procured a magnifying glass from somewhere and was eyeing his fingers through it.

“Get your mind out of the gutter. You were about to snap your fingers when the petrification hit you, correct?”

“That’s right.” Ryusui replied, trying not to let his fingers twitch where Senku was holding them. His hands were warm on his blackened skin, as Senku traced the edges of his scar with his fingers, starting with the tips of his nails all the way down to the bones of his wrist. His touch wasn’t particularly gentle; having confirmed Ryusui wasn’t experiencing any pain in his fingers, Senku moved his hands methodically, pressing at his joints and feeling the texture of his skin.

“So the whole time you were a stone, your fingers had to endure the pressure without any give… You can even see exactly how the tension was distributed throughout the hand. Heh, you’re one lucky bastard, Ryusui, that you have your fingers still attached. The healing effects of depetrification are stupidly strong.” concluded Senku with a satisfied smile. Ah, so that’s what he was getting at. Yes, that certainly seemed more in-character for Senku than being worried. And while Ryusui wasn’t in any pain because of the scarring, the skin of his right hand did feel different. It was more raw, as if scrubbed so thoroughly some feeling was washed away with the outer layer of skin. He couldn’t feel textures the same anymore, but he was more sensitive to changes in temperature.

Once Senku freed his hand, the autumn air felt almost freezing. As he left the lab, he remembered he had been about to negotiate the payment for his help today. Another time then.

\

Before they knew it, the mild autumn turned into a harsh winter, and they were soon shovelling snow away from the key communication tracks. The abundance of snow, however, also meant that winter sports were now on the agenda.

“Ryusui, Suika, over here!” Minami called, aiming the chunky camera in their direction. Ryusui, who was in the process of tying up Suika’s ice-skates, only had enough time to turn over his shoulder before the sound of a shutter signalled the photo had been taken. Giggling, Minami looked at the camera, which must’ve been purely force of habit, since these things didn’t have any sort of display to view the photo she’d just taken. Francois materialised at her side, bowing as always.

“Minami-san, once that photo develops, I would be much obliged if you held onto it for me.” Minami smiled knowingly, while Ryusui busied himself with checking if the skates were secure enough on Suika’s feet. It was none of his business how the butler chose to spend his free time, and sometimes one was better off not knowing other people’s business. Instead, once he was done tying up the skates, he guided Suika to the icerink, steadying her as she took first hesitant steps onto the ice.

“This is harder than it looks! The ice is all slippery, and the skates aren’t as steady as Suika thought!” still, Suika said it with a smile, and Ryusui patiently held her hand as she got used to the ice. He had desired winter sports, after all, and he wanted everyone to partake in them.

“Suika-chan, you’re getting the hang of it!” it was Yuzuriha who gracefully skated near them, stopping in place with ease. Suika eyed her movements with awe.

“Yuzuriha, I see you’re a pro at skating! I desire your talents!” he snapped the fingers of his left hand, since his right was held by Suika. Yuzuriha smiled bashfully.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a pro. My parents used to take me to a local icerink when I was a kid, so I skated a lot as a child, that’s all.”

“You’re way better than Suika though!” Suika gushed. Yuzuriha smiled down at her.

“I could show you some moves, if you want.”

“Thank you, Yuzuriha-chan!” Suika managed to skate the half-step from where Ryusui was standing on the edge of the ice to Yuzuriha without much trouble, and from there, she and Yuzuriha skated away hand-in-hand. Suika waved goodbye to Ryusui, turning over her shoulder. Ryusui waved back, a small grin on his lips.

“My, my, how adorably omestic-day. Who would’ve thought that Ryusui-chan was so good with kids? Senku-chan, you might have some competition for the title of Suika’s favourite person!”

“I don’t have 1 millimetre of interest in things like that. Besides, Kohaku is ten billion percent Suika’s favourite.”

It was Gen and Senku, ever the dynamic duo, passing by with rolls of paper, undoubtedly schematics for another of Senku’s inventions, stacked in their arms.

“Hmm~ if you say-so, Senku-chan!” hummed Gen.

“Aren’t you going skating, Ryusui? You were the one who insisted on winter sports.” as Gen continued walking, Senku peeked at him from behind the stack of papers in his arms. Ryusui eyed the pile, wondering if it was in danger of falling into the wet snow.

“I was just about to. Are you also going skating, Senku?”

“Nah, I’ve got things to do. You guys should enjoy yourselves though. Once the snow melts, it will be back to working day and night for all of us.” Ryusui frowned. As Senku started walking away, he reached out and grabbed his arm, not too forcefully so as not to disturb the delicate balance of papers Senku was carrying, but firmly enough to halt him in his steps. He could feel the muscles of Senku’s arm flexing instinctively. Senku was the kind of person who would spend all his time in the lab if he could, but years of physical labour left their mark on his physique. He tightened his grip experimentally, fingers digging lightly into Senku’s bicep.

“Did you need something?” there was a strange expression on Senku’s face, something between bewilderment and a challenge and a brightness in those red eyes. Distantly, Ryusui realised his earlier assessment was wrong – Senku’s face could show all kinds of emotion, he just didn’t know the man enough to read them.

“You should take some time off too, Senku.” Ryusui said, his tone serious, “It will be no good if our head scientist falls ill because he overworked himself.” he squeezed Senku’s arm for emphasis.

“Fine, fine.” Senku huffed, adjusting his grip on the papers, “What are you, my dad? I know when to take a break, thanks for the reminder. Can I go now?” Senku’s tone was more snappish than usual, so Ryusui spared him the daddy joke and let go of his arm.

As he went his way, Ryusui curled his hand, feeling the warmth. Wrapped in a fur-lined version of his usual outfit, Senku felt to touch as warm as he looked.

He could almost fell the phantom pressure of another hand on his.

I want it.

\

As winter slowly receded to make way for spring, the atmosphere improved with warming temperatures. Since construction was put on hold for the duration of winter, work now resumed with increased enthusiasm, everyone eager to see their ship finally finished. It also meant Minami had doubled down on her photography efforts, leaving no stone unturned in her quest to document the rebuilding of modern civilization. Ryusui had so far seen her photograph the hull of the ship along with the builders at least a dozen times in a variety of configurations, all the elders of Ishigami village in a group photo, the science team on nearly every step of the engine-making process, as well as Francois, who got a whole photoshoot featuring different dishes. Since brainpower was in high demand with making the engine, it was Suika who took over the development of photos, becoming an expert by the time the trees started sprouting leaves.

“You have to lay the photo down carefully, so the liquid coats it evenly, like this.” Suika’s voice carried as Ryusui walked into the so-called ‘photo booth’, though no actual photo-taking took place there; it was just the shack where Minami hung most of her photos, with a separated area for a dark room. Somewhere along the way, Chrome and Suika put their heads together to actually improve upon Senku’s design, modifying the structure of the camera so the film could be replaced in one apparatus, thus making it multi-use. The downside was that the photographs had to be developed separately, but the overall quality was quite good, all things considered. Minami had been pleased, and she knew her stuff.

Ryusui had come down to the photo booth to check out the newest photographs; there was one shot he was particularly interested in. As he perused the pictures hanging on the walls where there was space and stacked on the table where there wasn’t, he overheard Suika instructing another kid on the development process. The dark room was separated with a thick curtain, and they must not have heard him come in, because the conversation flowed uninterrupted.

“… and then we wait for it to dry! The photos will be ready in no time!”

“… That’s really amazing.”

On the far left, near the corner, hung a collection of shots from the writing class. The sight of Kinrou sitting in the back behind rows of children was amusing. Underneath was a close-up of some of the students’ work – clumsily drawn kanji for ‘Garnet’ and ‘Jade’, complete with scribbles and drawings in the margin. Students’ antics never change, regardless of age.

“Right? Senku’s inventions are incredible…”

On the other wall were pictures of the science team: Kaseki and Chrome with a crosscut saw, the old craftsman yelling something with Chrome turned to the camera, opening his mouth to say something; Senku holding up a vial with some liquid in the lab, the edge of Gen’s coat peeking out the edge, most of the picture taken up by notes detailing the chemical formula; Chrome with a collection of rocks and mineral, grinning for the camera, signed ‘Check out my bad collection!!’.

“No, I’m talking about you, Suika. It’s amazing that you understand all this stuff.”

Centrally, drawing anyone’s eye was the photo – Senku with his tongue peeking out, the hot air balloon behind him. The first photo taken in the stone world, depicting their very own genius scientist. It really was the centrepiece of this collection, and Ryusui anticipated displaying it in the Nanami Museum, once it was opened. I desire entertainment! Perhaps he could scout the artist among their people, and commission them to paint or craft, to exhibit along the pictures.

“Ehe, Suika is just repeating what Senku and Chrome do. It’s not that hard once you learn all the steps. It’s not like Suika understands how it all works yet.”

Closer to the entrance were shots of daily life; it truly seemed there wasn’t a person in the Kingdom of Science who didn’t get photographed at least once. Gen showing magic tricks to the power team on their break, signed in his loopy handwriting ‘The mentalist Asagiri Gen’s wondrous magic show!’ with doodles of flowers and a cartoon face of Gen himself. Ruri and Turquois on the beach, dipping their feet in the water, Turquois’ normally stern face relaxed and soft. Yuzuriha and Taiju laughing at something together, with doodles of hearts all over. Speaking of hearts…

“Still, Suika, you are trying to figure it all out! That’s really admirable. Honestly, I-”

“Ah, the photos are done! Look, granny Hichi made a funny face here!” Ryusui grinned, amused. Ah, young love. The curtains separating the dark room flung open, and an excited Suika jumped out with a stack of film in her arms. She startled upon seeing him, almost dropping the pile in her arms. She peeked from behind it, peering up at Ryusui. He was amused by the similarity to Senku he saw in that act.

“Ryusui! When did come here? Suika didn’t hear you enter.” the boy that emerged from the dark room after Suika startled at seeing Ryusui, but, to his credit, quickly recovered and moved to take the film from Suika’s arms, adding it to his pile.

“Let me.” he mumbled. Not bad, Ryusui thought, but gave him a piercing look regardless.

“Which photos were you looking at?” Suika asked him. Ryusui smiled, gesturing across the room.

“All of them. And it looks like you two have more?”

“Yeah! Look at this, Ryusui!” Suika reached for the top of the pile still in the boy’s arms and showed him a picture of an old woman sitting with a stick in hand, a dog laying at her feet. Her face was scrunched interestingly as she was yelling at someone out of the frame. Ryusui could see what Suika found so humorous. She was looking up at him expectantly, so he patted the watermelon head, laughing lightly.

“You should show it madam Hichi herself. Wonder what she will say to that?” Suika put the glass photo down to get a better look at it, while the boy unfolded the rest on the table to be annotated and hung up later. The boy spoke up;

“Better not. Knowing the old hag, she’d throw a fit and break the photo in half.”

“Hmm, you might be right, Aito-kun. Granny Hichi is rather irritable. Just look at his pic-ha-hahaha.” Suika broke out into giggles when she looked at the picture again. Aito-kun? Ah, must be short for Benitoite. Ryusui might’ve heard that name before. He’d keep an eye out for Aito-kun, just in case.

As the two busied themselves spreading the photos out and making space on the crowded walls to hang the new batch of pictures, Ryusui cast one last look over the room. Surveying his collection, so to speak.

That’s right – all these pictures belonged to him; he had paid Senku to mass-produce the cameras for Minami to use, so starting with the very first photo of Senku, and ending with the funny picture of granny Hichi, they were all his.

\

The evening before they were supposed to set sail, the five generals convened for the last time. The ship has been ready for long enough now that Ryusui had time to make sure it was in peak condition and could be taken to open seas, though the final exam would come once they set sail. As the captain, he had prepared the crew manifest. The supplies were packed, the science equipment was loaded, oil tanks were full. There was nothing to be done at the moment; no preparations to be made, and yet they all ended up at the conference room, as was pompously named the shack where they held their meetings. There was no meeting scheduled, however; they were all simply drawn here, seeking companionship before their mission.

There were no voices coming from the conference room, so Ryusui believed it empty at first. Walking closer, he saw Ukyo leaning against the doorframe, his cap casting shadows over his face in the moonlight. Gen was shuffling his deck of cards, expertly manoeuvring the cards between his hands; the riffling blending into the sounds of the night. Senku was bowed over the table littered with maps and schematics. Ryusui couldn’t make out his face in the darkness, and it was doubtful whether Senku actually saw anything on the papers. There was unmistakeable tension in the air. Ryusui snapped his fingers.

“Haha! Why the long faces, everyone? You will be sailing with best captain in this world! You already entrusted your lives to me, so don’t be having second thoughts now!” his voice boomed in the silence, startling everyone and making Gen lose hold of his cards. After a second, Senku chuckled.

“Heheh… that’s right. And the greediest captain in this world will ten billion percent want to see the world for himself.” Senku raised his face, finally facing the light. Ryusui matched his grin.

“See? I desire the world in its entirety! Just looking is not enough!”

“What are yelling for? Man, I took a walk because I couldn’t sleep, but now I’m definitely wide awake.” Chrome came up from behind him, sure as the sun, heading towards the conference room. “Eh- you’re all here! Did you guys have some sort of secret meeting behind my back!? Not fair!”

“Calm your tits, we were waiting for you. Now that we’re all here, there is still one aspect of our voyage that we haven’t discussed yet.” What was Senku talking about? Was there something he had been holding back from them?

“Senku-chan?” even Gen seemed unsure. Senku smirked in that signature manner of his, and with the moonlight casting shadows over his face, deepening the petrification scars, he truly looked like a mad scientist about to unravel some monstrous experiment. Even so, Ryusui could not find it in himself to dislike that face.

“Why, we haven’t named our vessel yet. Captain, I’m sure you have some ideas. I leave it to you.” and just like that, the last vestiges of the nervous mood that permeated the atmosphere were gone. Ukyo’s posture relaxed, and Gen picked up his scattered cards, effortlessly shuffling them into a new deck. Ryusui and Senku shared a brief moment of eye contact, Senku cocking an eyebrow and Ryusui widening his grin in response. He straightened up, enjoying everyone’s attention on him.

And so, their last night on the mainland was spent thinking up increasingly ridiculous names for the ship. Ryusui was tempted to propose naming it ‘Senku’, but the man in question would probably laugh it off as another joke. Shame. It was Gen who, in the end, came up with ‘Perseus’, and thus was born ‘Science Vessel Perseus’. An ostentatious name, exactly how Ryusui liked them.

The sky was beginning to light up on the east, the dawn near, when they finally retired for a scarce few hours of rest for what remained of the night. Before Ryusui could climb the stairs leading to the wooden house he called his, he was stopped by a hand on his elbow.

“Ryusui-chan.” it was Gen. He sighed inwardly, hoping whatever mind games the mentalist had to play would be quick at least. “I just wanted to say ‘good job’. We needed that unwavering confidence of yours tonight, and we’ll need it going forward too. I’m sure Senku-chan appreciated it too.” Gen smiled softly, stripped of his usual craftiness. And perhaps Ryusui was simply too tired to look for some hidden meaning behind those words, but he believed them. As Gen bid him good night, Ryusui turned, watching him walk back to wherever he spent his nights.

\

After setting sail, Ryusui didn’t leave the bridge until the morning of the next day. He was too excited, too overjoyed to be at the stere again to leave so soon. It felt as though he had returned to being a little boy, not wanting to go to sleep so he could keep playing with a new toy just a bit longer. Knowing that the entire expanse of the pacific ocean was stretching on in front of him, waiting to be claimed, and that there would be no other captain aside from himself sailing in these waters was exhilarating. But eventually, he had to retire; he wasn’t the sort of irresponsible captain who would put his crew at risk because of fatigue. The sky was clear and the waters as peaceful as you could get on open seas; he could leave his post for a while.

The rocking of the ship on waves was a familiar lullaby, but he didn’t fall asleep immediately. Instead, he carefully unwrapped a package Minami had thrust at him before he boarded.

‘Here. I though you might be interested, so I put it aside for you.’

He was admittedly curious what a woman like Minami would want to give him. He knew she wasn’t fond of him, so to go as far as prepare a farewell gift…

Even before he peeled off all the paper, he could feel the smooth, cool surface of the film. Haha! Of course, Minami would give me a photograph. He remembered when this one was taken. It was on New Year’s Eve of 5741, as informed the annotation in a familiar scrawl. Senku made some fireworks for the occasion (which he then sold him for an exorbitant price in Drago), and the fireworks show was huge hit, equally amongst the revived and the villagers. Minami made many great photos that night, but the one Ryusui was interested in had seemed to be lost in the amount. That cunning woman… Ha, a journalist will always be able to sense a scandal. The picture Ryusui was now holding depicted himself and Senku setting up the next series of fireworks, crouched together as Ryusui was thrusting the wooden base into the ground. The light from the fireworks illuminated their faces, but neither of them was looking at the display. They were both grinning at each other, though Ryusui could not remember what they had been talking about. Only the way Senku’s face had lit up with colours, his ears and fingers red from the cold. Only the way Ryusui had thought about warming them up with his own.

Haaah…

He dragged his hands down his face, feeling the wariness of the past day. But before he succumbed to the pull of sleep, he wrapped the photo securely and put it between his clothes, just to be safe.

\

“Haaah... What I’d give to have access to a computer right now…” he could hear Senku sigh heavily where he was sitting at the desk behind him. It was just the two of them on the bridge tonight; Ukyo has left just moments before.

“If it’s you, Senku, why don’t you just make it? It’s unlike yourself to be complaining.” for a moment, Senku was silent, shuffling some papers in his hands.

“I guess you know me pretty well, huh?” Ryusui allowed himself a smile where Senku couldn’t see.

“Oi, what are you smirking for? I can see your reflection in the window.” still, Ryusui couldn’t seem to stop smiling. Sailing a gorgeous ship that he himself modelled, trading inconsequential jabs with Senku – it almost  felt like his greed was satiated in that moment. “Anyway, it’s still a long road before we can make so much as a circuit board. It’s definitely in the plans, but there are more pressing matters now; not to mention the materials and technology we’d have to acquire first.” he could hear Senku stand up from the desk, legs of the chair scraping against the wooden floor. “I guess if it were you, you’d find such a long wait unacceptable.”

Ryusui thought about 3700 years of darkness, and of cold fingers illuminated by fireworks.

“Contrary to what you might think, I can exercise restraint. I don’t always mindlessly seize whatever I want that happens to catch my eye.” Senku’s steps came from behind, brushing his shoulder as he passed him to lean against the window to Ryusui’s right. Facing forwards, he could just see the man out of the corner of his eye.

“Oh? This doesn’t seem like the Ryusui I know; if you want something that’s right in front of you, why don’t you just take it?” Ryusui breathed in carefully, his grip on the wheel tightening involuntarily. Was Senku provoking him? It wouldn’t be the first time; the scientist seemed to like walking that thin line between a tease and an outrage, when it came to Ryusui.

He turned to face Senku. The man was already looking at him, a challenge in his eyes. Was this what it was? A provocation? To what end? His trusty intuition was failing him in this matter. How far was Senku willing to walk that plank before he sunk them both?

“You say that, but my desires may bring you trouble.”

“As if I don’t already know that. You are the greediest man in the world, aren’t you?” Senku smirked, “And I’m going to take advantage of that greed to bring back science well beyond simple computers, so you’d better be prepared.” Ryusui exhaled through his nose in a facsimile of a laugh.

“You call me greedy, but Senku,” he spoke, “you’re pretty greedy yourself. Am I wrong?” Senku laughed, but it lacked the usual biting edge. He looked straight at Ryusui as he answered.

“Perhaps I am.”

\

‘I guess if it were you, you’d find such a long wait unacceptable.’ Senku’s judgment was on-point. Yes, Ryusui could pace himself; but while his greed seemed bottomless, his patience was most definitely not. Perhaps it was inevitable; his endurance has been stretched thin over thousands of years, so it could run out any day.

Ryusui shook his head, both to clear his mind and shake away the pieces of hair falling into his eyes.

“Can you even see anything? It would be stupidly ridiculous if we were shipwrecked because our captain couldn’t be bothered to get a haircut.” Senku reached out and took a piece of his hair between his fingers, holding it up.

“Should you really be commenting on other people’s hairstyles?” Ryusui raised an eyebrow, casting a pointed look at Senku’s hair. Senku clicked his tongue.

“Touché .” he let go of Ryusui’s hair, retracting his hand. But before he could step away, Ryusui caught his hand in his own. He didn’t know yet where he was going with it, but Senku’s earlier words were echoing in his mind. ‘If you want something that’s right in front of you, why don’t you just take it?’ Leaving the stere locked, he crowded into Senku’s space, making him instinctively back up, right into the radar cabinet behind him. Senku looked up at him, but there was no alarm on his face. Rather, he looked mildly curious.

“What’s your deal now?”

“You were right, Senku.” Ryusui said, raising his hands to Senku’s face. His red eyes traced the movement until he splayed his fingers on Senku’s temples. “I’m not so tolerant that I would stand aside faced with something I want.”

He moved his hands so his thumbs touched the edges of Senku’s scars on his forehead. Slowly, he moved his fingers, tracing the scars from the tips down to Senku’s eyes. Different from his own, they were merely thin zigzagging cracks marrying Senku’s forehead. They definitely added character to his face, and Ryusui couldn’t imagine Senku without them. Though his curiosity was satiated, Ryusui didn’t remove his hands from Senku’s face, keeping his eyes closed. Immediately, to replace a desire fulfilled, a new one rose in its place. Senku was acting terribly obedient so far, and Ryusui was interested to see how far he could extend this moment.

He stepped even closer, caging Senku between himself and the radar equipment. The scientist swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, but made no move otherwise, keeping still as Ryusui moved his hands again to cup Senku’s jaw. When he opened his eyes, the pupils were blown wide. With his lips parted slightly, redness creeping into his cheeks, Senku looked so unlike his usual self it would be amusing, if it wasn’t so damningly attractive. Slowly, he leaned in, keeping eye contact with Senku, feeling his breath fan out on his lips. He was looking at the scientist the entire time, so he noticed how clearly his eyes strayed to look at Ryusui’s lips.

Surprisingly, it was Senku who fisted a hand in Ryusui’s collar to pull him closer, bringing their mouths together. His lips were dry and chapped, so unlike all the women Ryusui had kissed in his life. It was obvious Senku had no experience in kissing, but his other hand, pulling on Ryusui’s hair at the nape of his neck effectively kept him from thinking too much about anything. In fact, kissing Senku in that moment was all Ryusui could focus on. He dug his fingers into the line of Senku’s jaw, making him gasp as the kiss deepened. In response, Senku pulled at his hair so hard Ryusui saw the stars briefly, though it could also be the lack of oxygen. He pulled back, breathing in greedily. Senku was in no better state, looking positively debauched, with reddened lips wet with spit and a look in those eyes- Gods, Senku was looking at him with that wild gaze that promised adventure and improbable odds. The same greed that had brought every item of science into this stone world was now shining through his eyes. Ryusui felt a shudder run down his spine, anticipation and desire mixing into a heady concoction.

At least, that’s how Ryusui like to imagine his desire would one day be fulfilled. Even if it wasn’t today or tomorrow, as long as his greed persisted, he would get what he wanted eventually. He was the greediest man in the world, after all.