Foliage rustled, branches broke. And Leroy came through into a small shrubland clearing. His eyes focused in and out as his tears continued to flow. His teeth grit as he tightened his fist. He couldn't think straight! His mind was a blur, all he could think about was his crew!
Kirk!
Jeanne!
Kale!
Noir!
Dezzi!
Raven!
Calliope!
Eddie!
Leroy went deeper and deeper into the Forest. He didn't care where he was going. But in his mind, as shaken and screwed up as it was right now. He was on his path to finding them. Like how a child would look around for a pet they just lost.
Or how someone who had just lost every person he had ever cared about would enter into a room expecting to see them there. Walking around a corner to expect to see a familiar face. Breathing the familiar scent only for it to be the lingering sensation. The way their bodies displaced the air and could be felt against the skin. The way the sound of the small idiosyncrasies would echo.
Their Breath, rustling of the clothes, sniffs and sniffles, their bodies against the environment, their footsteps against the floor, creaks and vibrations of their bodies.
All of it-
Gone.
The forest got dark and shadowed the deeper he went. But he felt as if he was not alone. Was it his mind playing tricks on him? He felt as if their was eyes on him the entire way…Then there was the…Shadows.
"Kirk?" He said as he looked forward to see a lithe figure walk into a clearing! Leroys eyes widened as he ran forward! Ground thrumming hard as he broke across the branches! "Kirk! Anyone?!" He said Eyes searching around frantically.
But nothing was there! But another shadow caught his eyes again! He could've sworn it was Eddie! Or one of the taller members of the Crew! "Hey! Wait! Please!"
"Please don't go! I stil-" His eyes blurred while he swiped his hands through the air to break the branches! Yet still his eyes found nothing! His pulse was rising, and his breath hitched again, he could feel that his throat was drying while his lips cracked. His eyes felt so raw that anymore he felt they'd bleed.
"Need you…" He continued his broken words "I still want to be with you all…There still so much we have to do…That I want to do…!" The Captains teeth sunk into his lip. Feet guiding him forward in harsh undetermined strides while shadows continued to play across his eyes
The Deeper he went the more he saw them. Just out of reach. Mere feet away only for the moment he was close enough to even see a proper definition of the shadows, they were gone
His body couldn't take it. But he kept going
No matter how much his legs roared and protested . He just kept walking. Kept wandering. Eventually however his mind began to wander while he was in such a depressive haze
He remembered the first nights on that boat with Kirk after their first meeting on Shells Town. It was such an awkward tension. But eventually he was able to break through…He told such a stupid joke. Kirk couldn't help but nearly cry by laughing so hard! Leroy didn't even remember. But he guaranteed that Kirk probably did. It felt so much easier after that. Like they could…really be with each other.
There was such a connection between Leroy and the Man he Adored. A Captain is nothing without a Navigator. One to stir the ship and guide the way. He missed it now. How Kirk would yell at him, chastise him. And yet spend so much time laughing with him. It was as if they were inseparable
He remembered Jeanne. The food she used to make. It was so simple. Wasn't the best in terms of skill. But it did the job in taste and nutrition in the short time before one particular Chef joined. The time that they smoked together. Got high as a kite. The time that one of her Inventions exploded in her face. Covered her in smoke and dust. She got hurt, bled a bit. But they both couldn't help but laugh afterwards…
Then there was Kale. His brother. His first mate. They got along so easily. So quickly. He was such a stoic. Never taking things to seriously unless he was in battle. He was the same as Leroy in that way. But in that he tended to be rather quite than brash like Leroy. One wouldn't imagine it, but they played plenty games together. Would spend hours on the deck just talking to each other. Kale was quite the writer. Kale always passed his prose to Leroy to see how it was. They'd talk about the books they'd read. Their experiences.
Noir…Oh Noir. A Chef's importance to a Captain. To a crew. In a world like this where the captain is not only the leader, but often tended to be as they should on the front lines meant that they were often in the kitchen to refuel the most often. A Chef is one of the Captains closest confidants. Even now he could smell the cooking. The taste on his tongue. The testament to the passion of the man that it. He remembered the late nights. How Noir used to stay awake late enough to see Leroy wander into Kitchen. The times that Noir would hear, or be woken up by Leroy for a snack or meal
He remembered how he told him about how he used to be so against smokers. But eventually didn't really care as long as they didn't overdo it. He even tried one of his cigarettes once but as much as he enjoyed the action and the smoke. He couldn't stand the coughing. They just laughed and laughed. Had calm moments where it was just the two of them. Talking. About anything that Ailed the mans mind…
A small smile tucked at the corners of Leroys mouth as he just…Continued to Remember.