Flint seems to stay in Theo’s orbit, now and then- brushes past him with a pat to the arm, or lingers nearby without touching at all, like a cat keeping company. It’s no secret that Flint’s allies have tired of him; with Silver gone, there’s no disguising that he is now tolerated for his utility, and nothing more. It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that he’s driven to seek Theo’s company this evening, and settles a little closer than usual. “You don’t seem concerned by the tension in this place.”

He has grown accustomed to Flint’s presence – having sought it out himself, Theodore can only presume the man found some sort of solace in the closeness now that he registered it as permissible. It was interesting to note though, that as the crew seemed to distance itself all the more from the captain, the man himself seemed drawn closer still. It was difficult to tell if he had always been comfortable this close, or if it was simply more notable, now that everyone else was so keen on being as far away as possible. 

The remark, when it came, draws Theodore’s gaze from the book in his hand, and he is thoughtful a moment before pointing out simply, “The world is full of tension. You can either freeze up, or continue to move freely through it – personally, I have never been a fan of stiffness in day to day matters, so I prefer to simply behave normally whether those around me are capable of doing the same or not.”

Closing his book, Theodore leaned back, smiling a little as he confessed, “When it becomes a problem for me, I will address it – but for now, these concerns and frustrations are not something that really involve me. What purpose does it serve to allow my own humors to be set out of alignment over something that won’t shift my position either way?”