X: Guts

Combined with a distinct lack of brains, they let people say and do the stupidest things. Officers have told me with pride that a soldier has “got guts” after they've done something heinously reckless. Usually that officer is standing by a cot in a medical wing, looking down at his underling's mangled flesh. I have never understood why that sight could ever induce such a response. Why risking himself and whoever had to drag his broken body back from the scene, why taking up more of my time and resources, why putting himself out of action for however long it takes him to heal is counted as having guts. All I can guess is it's down to the way that when I usually meet these idiotic glory-seekers their bowels are hanging out in plain view.

Sitting on my barrel while the gulls mobbed my pie crust, I imagined Wrathwrought with his small intestine sprawled out over my surgical table until the captain called me to board. In my mind, it was a simple snip. Somehow I doubted it would be so easy to shut him up outside of my own mental operating theatre.

Then again, I needed something to amuse me during the voyage.