[ wait until you hear that bestie status isn't actually bestie status… there's an entire tier above that which is comprised of like, two people. don't worry about it.

However disastrous or not disastrous this tour has turned out, the fact of the matter is that she's feeling well enough to banter and pout, and that's enough to elicit a softer smile from him despite feeling off-kilter. ]

Uh huh… [ Even when he shows his chagrin it isn't truly chagrined, matching her cheekiness with an exhaustion that's entirely for play. ] Whatever the boss lady says, I'm at your disposal. There are whole worlds out there we've yet to see, and the one in front of us we've hardly even scratched the surface of.

[ … It feels somewhat unsettling, talking to another person about travel to this extent. He'd been a little envious of Siffrin whenever they'd spoken about their party, but he didn't necessarily mind being on his own, either. Not tha he's expecting them to see every sight together… there might be a part of him that's considering what it would look like, what it'd feel like, to have that nebulous someone accompanying him on every journey.

In a distance universe, distant timeline, where he wasn't Operator Elysium. ]

Don't forget. After everything's said and done… you still need to show me the path you'd pave forward, from mentor to mentee. I'm certain it'll be a sight to behold. But I've heard you loud and clear, Miss Ishmael. Loud and clear.