orchid

Oh, screw it.

I'm hurting all over, and the a/c's useless. How am I supposed to get any sleep like this?

Painkillers, painkillers...

Ugh, I'm out.

Guess I need to go to the clinic.

I hate summer.

I hate that heat that engulfs my body.

And I hate how I ache when a humid breeze blows past.

The pain is almost unbearable on those wet, humid nights.

I didn't have to pass by the deck on my way to the clinic.

But I came anyway.

I wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because my body knew it wasn't painkillers that I really wanted.

There's someone on the deck, holding a bottle in his hand.

He's not wearing his signature smile, only calmness with a hint of melancholy.

...Orchid?

He tries to hide the bottle, but there is nowhere on the deck to hide it. He ends up abashedly stashing it behind his back.

I-I was just catching some fresh air—

...Are you hurting?

Yes.

Then stay put.

I'm not here to scold you.

Pour me one.

Do you drink too?

I'm not proud of it, but I do.

I hate the feeling of being drunk.

Hah, I had customers like that.

No fans of the nightlife scene, but they were forced to come by their bosses or friends.

How did you deal with them?

Get them drunk so that they'd pay you?

People who are actually drunk didn't pay all that much.

The ones who actually loosened their purse strings were the types who kept themselves bottled up, until they decideed to pour out a little bit of their true selves to a stranger under the influence.

Are you saying I'm your favorite kind of customer?

They were my friends. Best friends.

Honeyed words.

Spot can testify. I showed him some photos of me with my friends.

Am I right, Spot?

Spot?!

Just so it's clear, I was here first, then Midnight showed up second. Now you make three.

Does Oripathy give everyone a desire for fresh air at night?

Reading comics in a place like this... you'll ruin your eyes.

My vision is excellent, thank you very much.

But frankly, I like you more right now than I usually like you, Captain.

That's a brand new compliment...

Do you get together here often?

Sometimes. Spot's not exactly my type.

Total coincidence, alright? Plenty of people show up here at night, but we happen to be the only ones today—

Oh.

Miss Orchid! You're really here!

Catapult! Popukar! What are you two—

I couldn't sleep because my eye was hurting. I was looking for you but I didn't know where you were.

So I asked Catapult, and she found you, just like that?

Catapult...

(Whisper) Uh, it's not like that, Captain.

(Whisper) I was gonna take her some place I was familiar with, give her some candy, and put her to bed.

(Whisper) I had no idea all of you were here.

(Whisper) Do people really come here so often? I was just making that up!

...Now this is more like it.

What's everyone doing here?

Does your eye still hurt, Popukar?

Yeah.

But I feel better now that you're all here!

What about the rest of you?

Come now, this is not a debriefing.

I can tell you, I'm hurting like hell.

I doubt Popukar could have woken me up if I wasn't hurting.

I wouldn't be reading comics if I wasn't hurting.

I already told you.

Did anyone bring painkillers?

I brought some when I left my room. There should be enough for all of us.

You got any more drinks up your sleeves, Midnight?

Spot was actually right when he said people like to get some fresh air on deck.

That's why I've got various drinks stowed up here, just in case.

'Just in case.' Is that a synonym for 'everything'?

Everything.

Let's have a drink, then.

Here? Now?

What? Did you think I was just going to dismiss you?

Or say something that would make me want to jump off this deck, like you did earlier today.

Too tired for that.

I think I like you better when you're tired.

Then you don't know me well enough. This is how I usually am.

I only do all that stuff because I'm your captain. Can you imagine how pissed I was when you didn't respond to it?

Well, I just didn't like it.

Alright, sorry.

What?

Nothing. Just that I guess we really didn't know each other well enough.

What would you like to drink, Popukar?

Apple juice! Mr. Midnight!

Here you go.

I want gin!

Sure.

Brandy! Mr. Midnight!

You've got hands, use them.

Jerk.

I once read in a magazine—

True friendship is not about knowing what your friends like. It's about knowing what they don't like.

I have a suggestion.

Why don't we talk about our disinterests?

I'll start. I hate anything that keeps people from smiling. Illness, war, hatred, lies, cheating...

Wait a minute, the list's getting weird.