Your demeanor should be all cheer, gentlemen.

[goingtobeunwell]

Who: Crozier and OTA
What: Various top levels for the month of August
Where: Milton-proper, the wilderness outside of Milton
When: Fishing Weir is late July, the rest are set in August
Warnings: The usual Terror-related warnings (Violence, self-harm, illness, gore, rhymes with shamannibalism)

Comments

[lieutenantsteward]

Thomas nods. "Of course."

He's a little quieter for a moment. "I met your - friend," he says, with some significance behind the word.

[goingtobeunwell]

Friend.

He keeps the smile from his face despite the warmth in his chest at the mere mention.

"You met Raju," he says, using his formal name and not his first. "He's a good man."

[lieutenantsteward]

"I did. He pulled me out of a hole," he says, though he holds his hands up. "I'm quite alright." Before the worry starts.

[goingtobeunwell]

That’s not enough reassurance for Crozier, who can’t help but be alarmed that Jopson wound up in a hole to begin with.

“Why were you in a hole in the first place?” he gripes, stalking back to the shore. “Involuntarily, I take it. Still, you know better than that, Thomas.”

[lieutenantsteward]

Thomas nearly smiles at the predictability of the man. "The quakes. I slipped and found myself nearly buried," he assures him. "I had been scouting out my old tracking trails."

[goingtobeunwell]

Yes, he is very predictable, especially when it comes to his concern for one Thomas Jopson. He huffs, unsatisfied by the answer, but lets it go. It clearly wasn’t his fault an earthquake happened to hit.

“I’m glad he happened along and got you out. It could have been disastrous for you. Why are you traveling alone in the first place?”

[lieutenantsteward]

"I wasn't. I was with the Doctor on the way from Lakeside back to Milton. But he did not need to accompany me here," he explains.

[goingtobeunwell]

“Which Doctor?” Crozier asks, not quite understanding. “Are you spending more time with Harry?”

[lieutenantsteward]

"No, no. He calls himself the Doctor. It's the moniker he's chosen for himself. Tall man. Wears a tie around his neck."

He glances behind him. "Rather odd fellow. He's some sort of traveler."

[goingtobeunwell]

His first instinct is to think said moniker pretentious, especially if the man doesn’t have any medical expertise, but he keeps himself from saying anything. He’d need to examine where that kneejerk reaction to a stranger’s nickname came from, and there isn’t the time now.

“I think I’ve seen him about,” he says, brow furrowed. “Are you headed back to Lakeside with him then once all your business in Milton’s complete?”

[lieutenantsteward]

"Yes, I believe so," he says, though it's an absolute certainty. After their talk, he doesn't think he's going anywhere without the Doctor for a while.

"But there's plenty to do here, and it is almost like going on holiday."

[goingtobeunwell]

He lets out a soft laugh through his nose. “Seems like it should be the opposite, with those little cottages by the lake out that way.”

There is a little ring of suspicion in his head, but nothing in a bad or malicious way. Jopson’s found a male friend to be close to - he’s pleased for him.

[lieutenantsteward]

"Any place is a holiday if you haven't been in a while," he reminds him. "And I live in one of those cottages. I thought it might fit my promotion better." And Thomas smiles at him as they walk.

[goingtobeunwell]

He laughs quietly. "It does indeed, your own piece of property. I hope it's not causing too much trouble to maintain."

He finally gets close enough to Jopson to talk to him without having to raise his voice. "And the rest of it? All's going well?"

[lieutenantsteward]

"It isn't. It is - comforting, having a home to maintain at all. Wynonna is an easy help."

He considers the second question with a shrug. "What's the rest of it?"

[goingtobeunwell]

'The rest of it' was deliberately vague, of course. Crozier smiles a little and shakes his head. His newspaper man was always so reticent to speak about himself until it was on his own terms.

"Food," he says, "supplies. Warmth. Strife. All's going well, I hope?" Surviving, is surviving going well?

[lieutenantsteward]

"Ah, yes. I have my traps and rabbit is plenty. I've managed to fish, but the lake is a little too dangerous for my tastes sometimes. I was hoping to bring back some of what you have here," he points out.

"I have tried to do some gardening, but it doesn't work as well. I thought perhaps I might check the hot springs for any signs of mushrooms that might spore in the darkness."

[goingtobeunwell]

Mushrooms! Now there’s a clever idea, what with the damp and darkness. He smiles, impressed, and turns to gather one of the baskets.

“You can have all you need and then some, Thomas. For you and Ms. Earp and the Doctor.” Which is incredibly odd to say.

[lieutenantsteward]

"I do try. He - made bread for me," he says gently, feeling strange about the subject. Feeling strange opening up even this much, but - he had wanted this at one point. To be friends. True friends.

[goingtobeunwell]

Crozier looks genuinely pleased at the prospect of somebody else baking bread for Thomas Jopson. Somebody just putting in the effort for him - it spoke a great deal about how much they cared for him. As they should.

"Was it any good?" he presses, grinning a little more widely.

[lieutenantsteward]

"It was odd," he laughs, because he can't quite describe it. "He made it with acorn flour. It was like nothing I've had before, but it was undeniably bread." And after Thomas had told him, in a moment of weakness, that it was the first thing he wanted to eat.

[goingtobeunwell]

He’s thinking of that very same conversation, and wonders briefly if Thomas was too when he was indulging in something that just seems so decadent.

“Undeniably bread is likely the closest we’ll come to bread out here,” he says with a gentle laugh. “Good. Good. He sounds like a fine friend. Someone to keep around.”

[lieutenantsteward]

"He is," he finally agrees. "You - should meet him. Properly."

It only seems right.

[goingtobeunwell]

He should?

Crozier’s smile brightens, lights up his entire face and makes him stand just a little straighter. He’s delighted by the idea - it seems so important. Thomas wants him to meet this friend; it’s as though he’s asking for approval, or there’s some great gap being united.

“I would very much enjoy that. Tell me when and where, I’ll trek out to meet you two.”

[lieutenantsteward]

Thomas smiles. "You would come to Lakeside for that? Of course, I have room for you." He raises up a little, taking a breath. "You and your friend both."