As he received Ben's hug, Erik simply stroke the top of his head and smiled. It didn't feel much different than his own son's hugs... it was a sincere and innocent act, one full of happiness. "Happy birthday, young man!" he spoke softly, before the boy went off.
"I think we had better catch up to them, Dr. Corvin,"
Erik smirked at Doreen's chaff, but thinking for a second about her remark, he replied "The day's just starting... we'd better save our energy for when we really need to run after them." - he snickered while beginning to move towards a hallway - "Besides, the ship's small enough so they can't go far." He took of his jacket, folded it nicely and placed it on the backrest of a chair before motioning for Doreen to follow him.
The ship had just started to stir as it was taking off. Before long, they were cruising out of New Thessalonica's sight. and into a blue yonder. They eventually came onto a balcony-like deck, with a whole wall made of glass, which enabled them to see outside the ship. The view was already magnificent. This side of the ocean was quite calm, the tropical winds barely birthing any waves. In the distance, a lush, yet small, island was becoming visible...
"The islands look so pristine from afar... It's a pity the flora chokes pretty much anything we'd try to build on them." Erik noted, as he was leaning on the glass wall and gazing away.