We'll meet in the stars (Chapter 8)
Nino sat in the corner of the ship and leant back against the cushions that had appeared there suddenly one day. He watched A’tuin that was wandering around slowly and smiled before concentrating on his hand-held game.
Nino had forced Jun a few times to go back to his time and home to do a few things. He needed a few changes of clothes and wanted to terminate his contract at work for the time being. It was easier that way. Nino had liked his job, but it had never been what he had wanted to do for the rest of his life. A new start meant that as well. At least Nino had decided so. Then, of course, he had become bored quickly on the ship and demanded to get back to get some of his hand-held games. The rest was provided by the ship and Jun.
“Are you going to stay inside today as well?” Jun asked suddenly and let himself fall beside Nino, disturbing him in the middle of a boss fight.
“It’s your job to find all the information that Sho-san had wanted. Not mine.”
“That is true but isn’t it boring to sit here all the time?”
“I have my games. I like games, and it’s calm when you are not here. The ship plays music when I ask it, and otherwise we get along well.”
“As glad as I am that you get along well, I don’t think it’s healthy to be inside all the time. Go out and try to get to know some new things.”
“As far as I know I might die on some foreign planet,” Nino disagreed.
Jun rolled his eyes and hit him softly on the back of the head. “Don’t worry. Nothing will happen the moment you get out of this ship. Most places are quite safe for all humanoid creatures. I won’t take you anywhere else. Hell, my ship probably won’t take me somewhere too dangerous. So get up now, and we will go out together.”
Nino groaned but realised that he had lost when the game was taken away and Jun pulled him up beside him. He followed the other out of the ship without much complains. Maybe, he thought, he might find some new information about Ohno.
-
Nino blinked in surprise as they stepped out. His eyes twinkled slightly as he saw the purple sky with streaks of green. He looked around with a low hum. “It looks nice here,” he said after a while, before shoving Jun to the side at his smug grin.
Jun laughed as he took his hand in his own to lead Nino further from the ship. They looked around with Jun talking to some people around while Nino just enjoyed looking at everything. He would never say it, but Jun had been right. It was good to go out sometimes instead of being on the ship all the time, even if he enjoyed his time there very much.
It was just… It was strange. Whenever he saw out of one of the windows, it was always stars and more stars. He liked looking at them, but the thought of being in a small ship amongst them was scary as hell.
“Hey, Jun?”
“Mh? What is it?”
“What exactly did that man ask you to do?”
“That man? Oh, Sho-kun? Sho is an author he just wants to write a new book.”
“What kind of book and what does it have to do with you?”
“A fantasy book. He wants me to tell him about the different worlds and take pictures. It’s always easier for him to write if he has images to see how the worlds can look like to put that later into words.”
“Eh… Wouldn’t it make more sense for him to go?”
“Maybe but he has a horde of children to look after.”
“I’m sure he has a partner to keep them in check,” Nino grumbled as he thanked a vendor a bit awkwardly after they handed him a box over that Jun had ordered for him.
He stared at the green balls there and then back at Jun. “Is this safe to eat?” he asked in a whisper, scared that the other would understand what he was asking.
Jun chuckled as he popped one of the balls into his mouth, munching on it. “Yes, trust me. I wouldn’t buy something that could upset your stomach. One time watching you throw up all over my precious girl was enough.”
“Sure you are not in love with your ship?”
“I am in a way,” he said, laughter clear in his voice. “She brings me everywhere I can imagine. I like that life on the road.”
Nino hummed in understanding as he picked up the small ball and looked at it from all side before taking a tiny bite from it, much to Jun’s amusement. He blinked when the other took a picture of him. “What are you doing?”
“Taking a picture,” Jun said with a grin as Nino decided that it tasted okay and put the whole ball in his mouth.
It tasted slightly like nuts and chicken. But it was tasty, so he ate the next one and walked beside Jun. “What will the book be about?”
“Dunno. I will take the pictures and talk to a few people around about their lives and their traditions, and then I’ll send it to Sho in the nights.”
Nino hummed as he munched on the snacks and continued to look around. He grinned as he looked at a wooden game on one stall, trying to figure it out. It looked fun.
He could feel Jun’s eyes on him as he talked with the person behind the stall and tried out the game. It was fun, even if it was more complicated than he had thought possible. In the end, he thanked the man when he felt Jun at his back.
“We’ll take that one,” he said, pointing at the game Nino had tried. Nino blushed slightly at his words, as he looked back up.
“Thank you,” he said in surprise, making Jun chuckle at his playful look.
“Maybe you come with me more often if I get you gifts,” Jun teased him. “And it’s not peeping as much as the other games you have.”
Nino rolled his eyes but then thanked the other as he got the game. He held the bag tightly in his hand as he trailed after Jun as he talked to the other people around him and looked around more before he found a stall which sold bracelets. He glanced over at the other who was still distracted, and in the end, he decided to get one for the other as a thank you.
Nino knew he was awful sometimes and that he had been angry a lot in these last few days. Still, Jun had been patient, if sarcastic and forced him to enjoy himself a bit more. He could probably make it a little bit easier for Jun, he decided.
After all, Nino mused, Jun had promised him to help him find Ohno. And this time, he swore to himself not to let the other man go.
“Nino let’s go?”
“Yup!” Nino yelled as he paid the man with the money that Jun gave him each time they went to another planet just so that he could get something if it caught his eyes.
“Hey, Jun? Can we visit some place in the past on Earth next time?”
“I suppose,” Jun said warily. “But you are not allowed to change anything.
“I know, I know. I just would like to watch an original kabuki play.”
“Okay, we can do that,” Jun hummed after a few seconds and with a smile. “That should do no harm.”
Nino had forced Jun a few times to go back to his time and home to do a few things. He needed a few changes of clothes and wanted to terminate his contract at work for the time being. It was easier that way. Nino had liked his job, but it had never been what he had wanted to do for the rest of his life. A new start meant that as well. At least Nino had decided so. Then, of course, he had become bored quickly on the ship and demanded to get back to get some of his hand-held games. The rest was provided by the ship and Jun.
“Are you going to stay inside today as well?” Jun asked suddenly and let himself fall beside Nino, disturbing him in the middle of a boss fight.
“It’s your job to find all the information that Sho-san had wanted. Not mine.”
“That is true but isn’t it boring to sit here all the time?”
“I have my games. I like games, and it’s calm when you are not here. The ship plays music when I ask it, and otherwise we get along well.”
“As glad as I am that you get along well, I don’t think it’s healthy to be inside all the time. Go out and try to get to know some new things.”
“As far as I know I might die on some foreign planet,” Nino disagreed.
Jun rolled his eyes and hit him softly on the back of the head. “Don’t worry. Nothing will happen the moment you get out of this ship. Most places are quite safe for all humanoid creatures. I won’t take you anywhere else. Hell, my ship probably won’t take me somewhere too dangerous. So get up now, and we will go out together.”
Nino groaned but realised that he had lost when the game was taken away and Jun pulled him up beside him. He followed the other out of the ship without much complains. Maybe, he thought, he might find some new information about Ohno.
-
Nino blinked in surprise as they stepped out. His eyes twinkled slightly as he saw the purple sky with streaks of green. He looked around with a low hum. “It looks nice here,” he said after a while, before shoving Jun to the side at his smug grin.
Jun laughed as he took his hand in his own to lead Nino further from the ship. They looked around with Jun talking to some people around while Nino just enjoyed looking at everything. He would never say it, but Jun had been right. It was good to go out sometimes instead of being on the ship all the time, even if he enjoyed his time there very much.
It was just… It was strange. Whenever he saw out of one of the windows, it was always stars and more stars. He liked looking at them, but the thought of being in a small ship amongst them was scary as hell.
“Hey, Jun?”
“Mh? What is it?”
“What exactly did that man ask you to do?”
“That man? Oh, Sho-kun? Sho is an author he just wants to write a new book.”
“What kind of book and what does it have to do with you?”
“A fantasy book. He wants me to tell him about the different worlds and take pictures. It’s always easier for him to write if he has images to see how the worlds can look like to put that later into words.”
“Eh… Wouldn’t it make more sense for him to go?”
“Maybe but he has a horde of children to look after.”
“I’m sure he has a partner to keep them in check,” Nino grumbled as he thanked a vendor a bit awkwardly after they handed him a box over that Jun had ordered for him.
He stared at the green balls there and then back at Jun. “Is this safe to eat?” he asked in a whisper, scared that the other would understand what he was asking.
Jun chuckled as he popped one of the balls into his mouth, munching on it. “Yes, trust me. I wouldn’t buy something that could upset your stomach. One time watching you throw up all over my precious girl was enough.”
“Sure you are not in love with your ship?”
“I am in a way,” he said, laughter clear in his voice. “She brings me everywhere I can imagine. I like that life on the road.”
Nino hummed in understanding as he picked up the small ball and looked at it from all side before taking a tiny bite from it, much to Jun’s amusement. He blinked when the other took a picture of him. “What are you doing?”
“Taking a picture,” Jun said with a grin as Nino decided that it tasted okay and put the whole ball in his mouth.
It tasted slightly like nuts and chicken. But it was tasty, so he ate the next one and walked beside Jun. “What will the book be about?”
“Dunno. I will take the pictures and talk to a few people around about their lives and their traditions, and then I’ll send it to Sho in the nights.”
Nino hummed as he munched on the snacks and continued to look around. He grinned as he looked at a wooden game on one stall, trying to figure it out. It looked fun.
He could feel Jun’s eyes on him as he talked with the person behind the stall and tried out the game. It was fun, even if it was more complicated than he had thought possible. In the end, he thanked the man when he felt Jun at his back.
“We’ll take that one,” he said, pointing at the game Nino had tried. Nino blushed slightly at his words, as he looked back up.
“Thank you,” he said in surprise, making Jun chuckle at his playful look.
“Maybe you come with me more often if I get you gifts,” Jun teased him. “And it’s not peeping as much as the other games you have.”
Nino rolled his eyes but then thanked the other as he got the game. He held the bag tightly in his hand as he trailed after Jun as he talked to the other people around him and looked around more before he found a stall which sold bracelets. He glanced over at the other who was still distracted, and in the end, he decided to get one for the other as a thank you.
Nino knew he was awful sometimes and that he had been angry a lot in these last few days. Still, Jun had been patient, if sarcastic and forced him to enjoy himself a bit more. He could probably make it a little bit easier for Jun, he decided.
After all, Nino mused, Jun had promised him to help him find Ohno. And this time, he swore to himself not to let the other man go.
“Nino let’s go?”
“Yup!” Nino yelled as he paid the man with the money that Jun gave him each time they went to another planet just so that he could get something if it caught his eyes.
“Hey, Jun? Can we visit some place in the past on Earth next time?”
“I suppose,” Jun said warily. “But you are not allowed to change anything.
“I know, I know. I just would like to watch an original kabuki play.”
“Okay, we can do that,” Jun hummed after a few seconds and with a smile. “That should do no harm.”