forum Choking on Crimson Ash [OxO // mature 18+ // closed]

Started May 16, 2023 by @ElderGod-Carrots

tune

Caeso drummed his fingers on the hilt of his sword from where he stood and a frown etched into his features. This time it wasn’t because of the demons or the blood and death, but once more because of the spirit. Not that that was usual at this point, and he figured it would be a regular occurrence over the course of their time spent together, but the captain had a hunch and the fact that there was something visible to indicate that Nari’s eyes weren’t what they had been before.

Because when the man had been nose to nose with him Nari’s eyes had been brighter, he could see the white streaks laced in that burgundy colour that had him holding his gaze. He had seen the mischievous glitter behind them, but now it seemed dulled. Faded. Glassy, and Caeso knew there was something wrong. It was why the captain took a few steps forward until they were nearly chest to chest in order to get a better look. His neck was going to start killing him with all this craning and looking up but he couldn’t bring himself to care. Not at the moment when he needed to prove his point and that Nari was leaving out information that may be important.

“Your eyes are different,” He said matter of factly, “Why are they different?” Was Nari blind or was it just a trick of the light? Caeso directed the light towards him until it was hovering just next to the spirits face in order to get a better look. Yeah, there was definitely something different about them, and Caeso was tempted to yank the spirit down by his neck so he could look closer and inspect the man as if he were a doctor and Nari was his patient.

They had only just met, sure, but would the other lie to him? He wanted to hope that Nari wouldn’t, but logically he knew that he was probably wrong about that. And they didn’t really have time to argue or wait because time was ticking and anything could come down those stairs. Caeso wasn’t looking for an argument, but he wanted to know the truth.

Nari's head cocked the other way, his confusion not lessening even as Caeso specified what he was focused on. He tracked the other's movement as best as he could, ears pointed at him in intrigue and total attention, and only got more confused but intrigued when the captain stepped into his space and willingly got so close. "My eyes?" he asked. What was so special about them that Caeso felt the need to point them out. Why where they different? The question could mean so many things or have several intentions behind it that Nari didn't know how to interpret it. "I'm not exactly Fae—they're bound to look abnormal. Is it the color?"

This is what Caeso wanted to halt their progression for? To grill Nari about his eyes? The man had even gotten closer as if wanting to inspect them but held off, just standing there right under Nari's nose. What was so special about them that they had to take the time to focus on them, when there were more important things and places to focus on and get to. Caeso already struck Nari as someone who wanted to get things done efficiently, so stopping them for something so trivial seemed out of character for him. Slowly, though, it started to dawn on him that his condition was potentially discovered.

Outwardly, he didn't reveal anything. Just the slightest twitch of his ear in mild annoyance. So this was going to be a thing. He had hoped that it would slide by until a lot later, preferably when the curse wore off once again and he could see again. But if there was a physical change that happened between normally and when blind, then he was screwed. Caeso had picked up on it, so there would be no convincing him otherwise that things were fine. Maybe Nari shouldn't have gotten so close to the man while in the library if this was the consequence. The captain was too observant, which wasn't good for Nari's need to keep things hidden.

Caeso's theory was only proven more right when the spirit didn't even squint when he held up the light right next to Nari's face. He couldn't see it, just felt the lightest touch of magical light on his face which had him automatically leaning to the side just a fraction like that would do anything to hold up his omitted truth.

No squint. Not even a flicker of the spirit's eyes in response to the light that Caeso had moved and the captain's frown very nearly flickered into a triumphant grin as if it proved that he had something on Nari. But the man's response was just something else to add to the growing list of actions and words that Nari had done in such a short time period to annoy him. Why the hell would it be the colour of all things that was the problem? Eyes didn't just change colour unless there was some weird magical shit going on but he figured that he would have seen that if that was the case. No, it was something else.

Which was why Caeso gave in to the urge to yank Nari down to his eye level. He had no plans on keeping him there long, just enough for him to get a good, long look. Caeso hooked an arm around the spirit's neck, having to stand on his toes to do so, and then lowered Nari to his level. Now that he was closer once more, he could properly see the difference, "I can't see the white streaks in them anymore, and they look glassy, like there's something dulling them and making you look as if you're not present." He had a far-off look in them that he hadn't had in the library. Was it just because the situation had changed? But Caeso could tell that Nari wasn't someone who would let something like their current position go without comment or challenge. When they had been nose-to-nose in the library, the spirit had teased had had that glint in those now dull eyes that were no longer there. Something was up.

And when he was certain, he unhooked himself from around Nari and took a small step back - both so he wasn't so close to the man and didn't have to look up at him, but also because there was no need to be anymore. He had proof, well, sort of, that he knew the man was lying. Maybe not lying intentionally, but withholding information. Any changes, anything out of the ordinary or different to what was 'normal' needed to be known. If the roles were reversed Caeso would speak up about it because it may prove useful and important. He didn't know why Nari wouldn't tell him.

For the spirit to have been so set on joining forces and coming with him to defeat Ezekt he wasn't exactly doing a great job when it came to the working together thing. For once he had rushed into a burning building without telling Caeso when the captain most certainly would have helped, and now this. He hoped it wasn't going to be a running theme because he might have to kill the spirit himself.

Nari made a small noise of surprise as he was yanked down unexpectedly, not unlike the one he had made when Caeso headbutted his chest. His eyes were wide and jumped all around as if trying to find out what was going on, which gave ample opportunity for the captain to see just how affected his eyes were. Unbeknownst to the spirit until this very moment, there was almost a sort of glassy shadow that had slid over his eyes, hiding the white streaks and putting a visible haze over his irises. Even the burgundy had dulled, losing what little brightness the dark color could conjure. No spark or glint, just flat colors and pupils that didn't even so much as shift. They, too, almost looked as though they were unfocused and that Nari really wasn't there.

But he was. He was very much aware of the proximity between them and how Caeso had an arm hooked around his neck to keep him there. Nari very nearly made a joke about how it wasn't exactly the time for an impromptu first kiss, but then the captain was describing what was different about his eyes. They were visibly wrong, right down to the specifics. Caeso had remembered how they had looked down to the subtle white streaks from when the spirit had cornered him in the library, and applied it to now. Impressive, if it wasn't aiding in his unsaid accusations.

Once he was released, Nari lifted his head in a slight jerk, as if discouraging Caeso from doing that again. It wasn't so much the action—he hadn't minded that—but rather what it was used for. "Is now really the time for this?" he asked, sighing. This was definitely going to become a thing if Caeso refused to let up about it. "I'm fine, you got your answer already." His initial response had been the truth, and was still the truth. Well, actually, that headache was steadily becoming worse, and from factors that hadn't been there before. For example, a Fae captain grilling him about his eyes.

He didn't want to talk about it because there really wasn't anything to talk about. It wasn't anything new to him or something he couldn't adapt to, and because of that, he wouldn't slow Caeso down at all. He knew that the moment he mentioned being blind, it would become a huge deal, and then shit would start happening that pissed him off more than anything. Too many people had taken pity on him and "helped" him with his temporary disability, dragging him around as if he couldn't navigate on his own, describing things to him like he had never seen it before or like he was a child, going out of their way to shove him off to the side for "protection" because in their minds, he wasn't capable. Nari didn't want to go through that whole spiel and wanted to simply let it be. No issues, no spotlight. It would be gone within a day anyway.

Caeso couldn't help the huff that left him at the spirit's response, "Alright, you're fine, but that doesn't explain the difference in your eyes so?" He rested his hands on his hips as if he were a father scolding a child. However, in this instance, it wouldn't be very intimidating considering he was a shit ton shorter than the man he was trying to draw an answer from.

Lying. What a great way to start their little adventure together. He supposed that it wasn't exactly lying if Nari was indeed fine, simply omitting the truth. There was something wrong and that much was obvious because he could see it. The evidence was as clear as it could be in the dulled light that the captain had created with his magic, and Nari certainly couldn't see it because well, they were his eyes after all, and Caeso was the one staring directly into them. Perfect first moments with each other. From the teasing in the library to him having a fucking panic attack in the man's arms and now this. He prayed it wouldn't get any worse, but he somehow had a feeling that it would.

But, he could ask questions as they walked. Caeso felt he had made it obvious that he was looking for a truthful answer and wasn't going to relent until he was given one he was satisfied with, so there was no point in standing around. He could walk and talk. Besides, they had to move. Even if he was tempted to pin the man down until he was honest with him, there was certainly no time for that. Their little bubble of 'safety' would soon burst if they pushed their luck for too long. Waiting around in the near darkness for Nari to answer him wasn't going to get them very far when it came to the Ezekt situation, and it only allowed the Death God more time to destroy his city and people if they stood down here.

It was why, after a few moments and a pointed stare that he was unaware Nari couldn't see, he turned around and started walking. The sound of his boots hitting the ground echoed off the walls oft he tunnel and only added to the eeriness that the space created. It would have been silent bar the two of them, and the occasional drip of water from somewhere far off in the distance and even Caeso didn't like it. For a man who wasn't rattled by spaces deemed scary in his day to day life, he was beginning to feel a shiver through his spine.

Nari rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. He had half a mind to shift back, end the conversation there and pretend as though he couldn't communicate as a fox. Maybe then Caeso would let up about the whole thing and forget about it once they got to his place. For just the slightest moment, Nari had sympathized with the captain. Held a concern for him that was unexplainable and sudden, but tender enough that he hadn't made a comment about Caeso's breakdown, where he had hid away in the spirit's chest. Still hadn't, actually, even when grilled about a nonissue that had come out of nowhere. That brief concern was forgotten to the wind, enough of it gone that he wasn't going to give the man a free pass and whatever answer he was looking for on a platter.

He shook his head and ran his tongue over his teeth with a false smile on his lips. This was getting annoying. Luckily, Caeso seemed to have given up on stalling, as his footsteps angrily made their way deeper into the tunnel, where the silent as ever spirit trailed behind. The idea of shifting was still sounding appealing. Caeso wouldn't take silence as an answer, though. It was evident in the way he hadn't taken Nari's first, and wholly truthful, answer as the right one. So, he huffed a breath through his nose and muttered, "I don't—What do you want me to say? I didn't know they did that."

A case could be made that he was lying about the entire situation, but Nari wasn't a liar. He wasn't an honest man, but he wasn't a liar—there's a difference. His carefully crafted truths were just ambiguous and truthful enough that it wasn't false when faced with something he didn't want to talk about. Or, he danced around subjects entirely. One couldn't be called a liar if the words were anything but a lie. It wasn't Nari's fault that Caeso seemed to have a right answer in mind, nor was it his fault that he wasn't taking the spirit's answers and accepting them. It certainly wasn't his fault that the captain chose that moment to grill him, when they had more important matters to deal with and discuss.

Every now and again, Nari's footsteps were heard when he found a particularly damp spot on the floor. His ears, as flattened back as they wanted to be in response to his annoyance, twitched around with every minute sound he picked up on. He didn't like it. It felt too easy for them to be cornered. Too eerie. The eye of a typhoon taunting them with safety from the storm. But he did his best to not think about that to avoid being a token of bad luck and kept most of his attention on the footsteps in front of him.

"Well, haven't you looked in a mirror and caught it? How old are you? I find it hard to believe you wouldn't have noticed at some point in your life and therefore you must know they did that. And if so, found out why? So, talk." Caeso had a feeling that no matter how hard he pushed the subject Nari wasn't going to give him an answer. He could hope, he could ask and bug the man as much as possible but he didn't know if he was going to get anywhere with it. Caeso could only hope, but he doubted. He wasn't the best when it came to interrogation tactics but that wasn't going to stop him from trying. Stubborn didn't even cut it when it came to the captain.

Regardless, he was glad that Nari hadn't shifted into his other form. For one, the conversation was filling the silence of the tunnel and the echo of their - his - feet and he wasn't going to cope well if that stopped. Not when his head was racing a thousand miles an hour and he couldn't focus on anything for more than five minutes.

It was filled with thoughts of Nari and those eyes and what the fuck was up with that, which was currently what was at the forefront of his mind and the topic of conversation. But in the back of it, those deaths still played on him. They would remain on his shoulders for a good, long while at this rate. And the guilt of it all felt like invisible chains shackling him to the ground, pulling him deeper into The Under until he was drowning and there was no way out. It only brought up past feelings, past memories, that he knew he was going to have to face when they got to that damned mirror. Half of him was tempted to take as long as possible to get there, but Caeso knew that wasn't going to happen.

The occasional splash that sounded when Nari hit a puddle wasn't doing wonders for his paranoia. Considering Nari was silent otherwise, Caeso couldn't help how his breathing picked up for a moment before he realised it was just the spirit. There was no one else around, from what he could tell. Just them. At least he hoped.

Nari barked out an airy laugh. Oh, he knew exactly why they did that, and he didn't need to look in a mirror to find out. Not that the mirror would be of any help. Either Caeso wasn't catching onto his blindness, or he was playing dumb to goad the spirit into talking. Either way, he sounded like a child using logic to pin an adult down in a lie, when the logic is superficial with no understanding of the situation. It was kind of cute, in a way. Not cute enough for Nari to give him a straight answer. "I'm vain, sweetheart, but not that vain. And I'm 126, not that it matters."

He hummed and decided to try and make some fun out of the situation. Hopping up, Nari took to the air and hovered over Caeso, keeping pace with him just to face him upside down from above—not unlike how they met in the library. There was a smirk on his face, just a little self-satisfied. "Should I be flattered you're so invested in my appearance? Dare I say, concerned?" It was odd that the captain was so insistent on getting an answer to something so subtle that no one else had noticed. Or, at least, didn't care to tell him that there was a difference. Maybe everyone but Caeso had kept it to themselves.

It didn't matter, though, because he knew that the man was just being stubborn after being denied an answer. Nari snickered, just because he could, and moved back to behind Caeso before he got swatted at. As much as he was annoyed with the grilling, he had to admit that it was better than being in the eerie tunnel without anything else to listen to or focus on. It wasn't total silence, he could hear a lot more than just the quiet, but those little sounds did nothing but make him feel more on edge than he already was. Bugging Caeso, annoying him in return, would have to do until they were out and on their way to his humble abode. Idly, the spirit played with one of his arm bands, spinning it around his arm as he stared blankly at nothing while listening to anything that might be a demon.

The headache was only persisting, but the howls and cries for his help slowly faded as they got away from the largest crowd of Ezekt's monsters. Hopefully, once they left, and it was made clear that Nari wasn't going to join in the slaughter, they would stop asking. He really didn't want to deal with constant headaches and Caeso grilling him about that on top of everything else.

Caeso let out a soft noise at Nari's comments and for a second his eyes went wider than they probably should have. He was neither concerned nor invested in Nari's appearance. He didn't care. That was what he kept telling himself, at least. Because he didn't. Not really. It was just because they had been so close to each other in the library that he had noticed the difference when they had been close later on. Surely other people had made that comment before, right? He couldn't be the only one focused on Nari's eyes for one reason or another. If he was over a century old then there must have been at least one person. The fact that he enjoyed looking into the mans eyes was a different story.

Either way, Caeso only frowned harder when the spirit got in his face. Something else, he figured that was going to be a reoccurring trend throughout their time together. He didn't necessarily mind being in the mans space when it was needed, like when he had pulled him down to eye level of hugged him back in his chambers, but hovering in front of him while he walked was just a pain. He couldn't see where he was going when the man was blocking his view and in a tunnel like this he needed to be able to watch his steps. If something jumped out from the shadows and he didn't see or catch it because Nari was in his face then it would most definitely be the spirit's fault. Down here they needed to be as attentive as possible.

As much as he was sure that nothing was going to get in their way or scare the light out of them, Caeso wasn't ready to risk dropping his guard. Not until they were safely out of the city. Even then it probably wouldn't be a good idea to drop his walls too much. They were gong into The Under, after all. The place where adults still feared as much as children did. The one place you definitely did not want to end up after death, especially didn't want to end up there alive and yet that was exactly what they were doing. Marching their way down there to give Ezekt what the God would probably see as a telling off. Not the best situation, and certainly not one anyone would usually choose to be in.

"I'm not concerned about your appearance or your eyes," The captain huffed, turning his head over his shoulder to give the spirit a look when the man moved back behind him, "And I'm definitely not invested in your appearance so you can get that thought out of your thick skull. I just want to know why there was a change all of a sudden. What are you, blind?"

Caeso wasn't exactly making it easy for them to be civil or to get along enough for the entire journey to not be filled with glares and hostile exchanges. Nari found it funny how easy it was to rile the man up, but it would make things difficult if they really did have to be nice to one another or act as though they weren't at odds. A simple joke, which he knew was entirely false, got Caeso all in a huff and defensive, going out of his way to prove it false. Then beat that in with a hammer afterwards. Nari was only having fun with him while trying to take the attention off of his eyes, and it was all harmless. Even him getting into the man's face wasn't that big of a deal, even if he knew that the caption was probably all up in arms about it. Nari could hear everything, the one sense that he relied on the most, even more so than sight when he had it. He couldn't hear anything, and he was on a constant lookout for anything that wasn't a drop of water or the echo of Caeso's footsteps. They were fine.

Nari's step faltered, just for half a second, then he kept going as if nothing was wrong. He cocked his head to the side and let his ears go floppy, employing the puppy eyes as he raced for some way to answer that question without sounding off. Shit. Why did he have to ask that question, out of all of them? Was it rhetorical, or serious? Did the captain get tired of beating around the bush and instead went in for the kill? Nari kept his eyes on Caeso and slowly said, "And why would you think that?"

Not the best response, but it was all he had at the moment. In his defense, it was an odd question to ask when faced with the problem of sudden change in one's eyes. On normal occasions, blindness didn't just happen out of the blue. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't normal, and he really hoped that Caeso didn't pick up on that. But it was starting to look like they were going in the direction that the spirit didn't want them to be going in, and he was losing that battle quite quickly.

He kept walking, trying his best to not act suspicious, but it was hard to focus on following Caeso's footsteps when his mind was racing with all sorts of backdoors to the conversation. Nari cataloged every movement of his eyes, everything that might be considered proof that he couldn't see. Shit. If Caeso decided to test the theory with something that would require sight to know, Nari was fucked. He could bullshit his way through life by hearing and smell and touch, but not everything could be cheated through like that. The spirit's ears twitched, flattening and lifting on repeat in a nervous tic that he didn't realize he did.

Caeso very nearly stopped in his tracks at Nari’s answer, at how slow the man spoke, and as he looked back at him and noted how his ears twitched and flickered, he had a feeling he had managed to - unintentionally - find the answer he was looking for. Because the comment had been nothing more than a passing one with no meaning behind it. A simple expression used every now and then that Caeso had thought everyone was aware of, that it was nothing more than a simple comment. But from the way Nari reacted, Caeso knew that it wasn’t just that when it came to the spirit.

If he was blind, that would explain the difference in his eyes. Why they were dulled and faded, how his ears seemed to twitch and swivel more often as if he was using them to guide his path and not his eyes. The how and the why he was suddenly unable to see was a whole different set of questions he would maybe get to if Nari answered him truthfully. Or, if he passed his upcoming little test to see if he was correct.

“Nari,” Caeso replied, and the annoyance in his voice was replaced by something that was lighter than it had been. Nonchalant, like nothing was wrong, “How many fingers am I holding up?” Came the question. He shifted his arm up, although when he raised his hand as if he was going to show a number, he left his hand in a fist. Nothing, no numbers. If Nari was able to tell he wasn’t holding any up - if he wasn’t blind, he would have no issues. So he figured it was the best way for him to gain the answers he was looking for.

Whether or not the spirit was blind or not didn’t matter to Caeso. Well, not in the way Nari was worrying about. He didn’t know how long he man had been blind for, if this was a recent thing, if it was his whole life, how the hell he was able to see one minute and not the next. But the man had saved a girl from a burning building and if he had done that blind then, well, he could hold his own fine. He wasn’t about to baby him when he could clearly function well enough to go into a collapsing building and save a child.

He didn't see the falter in Caeso's step, but he did hear the slightest hiccup in his pace and heartbeat. Shit. He fucked up. Nari waited for it, the jump—pounce, more like. If the man had even half a mind he would know to jump at the chance that the spirit had unintentionally given him to corner Nari into an answer. Of course this is how it went. If he hadn't thought too hard about the question it wouldn't have been suspicious. Answer, move on, then he wouldn't be anticipating Caeso's response in the silence between them. With the lack of an immediate answer, he knew that the captain was thinking it over and picking apart Nari's words. He wouldn't be this quiet if he wasn't.

What would he do? Caeso was stubborn, matching Nari in bull-headedness to the point where they both locked horns in a standstill until one buckled just enough—like now. He no doubt would want answers as to why Nari was blind, for how long, when it started, how it started. If he said it was Ezekt, he didn't know if that would be enough of an explanation for Caeso, or if he'd have to go into the details about the curse. Nari didn't really care much in terms of discussion, but it was a delicate balance between truth and too much truth. The captain would freak out about Nari being under previous employment to Ezekt, but demand more answers if he kept it vague. And, to top it off, he was already annoyed with Nari. Who was to say that he'd take this chance to scold him for not telling him sooner when it has always been a non-issue. Something about disadvantages and setbacks and so on and such. Already it sounded like even more of a headache.

When Caeso finally spoke, Nari perked up in attention, then immediately settled a flat glare in the captain's direction. "I'm not a child," he huffed, and folded his arms over his chest. Of all things to say, he chose a fucking test? And a childish one at that. He was well aware that his lack of answer was telling enough, and at this point, there was no point in keeping up the ruse.

Nari shook his head and turned his head to the side, lips pulled back in a disbelieving uptilt. Fine. He might as well let Caeso get it out of his system while they had nothing else to do besides walk and keep eyes and ears out for demons. The silence would suffocate at least one of them, and Nari would go crazy from everything else. He didn't enjoy the thought of him being the subject of the day, but it would seem Caeso didn't want to talk about anything else, not even himself. All his friends just died. Cut him some slack. Just a little. Not too much.

Nari's thought process wasn't wrong. Caeso didn't want to talk about anything else. Turning his attention towards himself meant addressing the guilt he was ignoring about the whole mess they were in. Thinking about himself meant acknowledging every pent-up feeling he was currently pushing down as deep as he could get them in favour of focusing on the more important and pressing matters. Even if Nari's supposed blindness wasn't exactly a pressing matter, he would much instead focus on that than the fact that he was ready to burst with the amount of negativity he was holding. He had lost everyone. Everyone but Kia, and even then Caeso didn't know whether she had made it out alive or not. But everyone else? Gone. There was no one else. No one left. Just him.

And he didn't exactly want to think about Ezekt right now, either. They were walking into his territory with nothing more than a shitty riddle, a hunch, and a vague direction in which to go in. He didn't know what was going to happen. Caeso hoped they weren't going to die, although a part of him silently wished he would in order to get out of this predicament, but the chances were slim. Very few, if any, walked out of The Under alive and unharmed. And they were going in to cause a stir and some drama that Ezekt wasn't going to be too happy about. No, so the only thing left to think and talk about was Nari.

The insufferable spirit who seemed to be blind. Well, Caeso at this point knew he was blind considering he was avoiding the question. Anyone who could see would have answered straight away, no matter how stupid his little test was. They still would have said something. Avoiding it all together was nothing but a clear indication that his hunch was right. It was why he lowered his hand so he didn't have to keep it raised the whole time in hopes Nari would attempt to answer. But since he was now the one huffing behind him, Caeso knew that wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"How long have you been going blind for?" He asked instead. Because Nari clearly hadn't been blind in the library, so something had brought it on. What, exactly, had caused it was a different question altogether. But for the sake of both of them, he wasn't going to ask too many questions. Just enough to get a feel for how it impacted Nari, if he would need anything from Caeso while they were together.

Nari let out a long-suffering sigh, disappointed that he had been caught so early on. And it was his eyes that had given him away. Of all things, the simplest, most out of control aspect of the stupid curse. He could fool anyone into thinking he was fine with a smile and practice, but of course the captain—who supposedly despised him—had caught the subtle physical shift. Y'know, for a man that wasn't invested in the other's appearance, it sure was odd that he had studied Nari's eyes enough while in the dark library to get a sense of what was different during the other time he had been close enough to study them. Then again, he had no idea if it was so obvious and no one had bothered to tell him before.

Might as well get this over with. "In its totality? Ehh, roughly 64 years? Little over half my life. But as of right now…" Nari shrugged and tipped his head back, closing his eyes as he gave up the ruse but felt an onslaught of questions if he answered in any way that wasn't straightforward—which would be every answer he could give. "Library. Not long before we left. I'll last for 24 hours if I'm lucky, and I'd like to keep it that way, so please refrain from being cute, love. I'd like to see again."

The spirit lifted his head again when he caught a hint of a scent on the wind, eyes opening and staring into the void as he tried placing it. Not a concern, which is why he didn't outwardly react, besides the upped attention. Demons didn't smell that way, and it was vaguely familiar. Nari sniffed the air, then rolled his eyes when it finally registered. Sea salt and rum. Of course. He only hoped that the demons caught onto it as well and followed so that he and Caeso didn't have to worry about running into an entire group of them. And, if they were extra lucky, Nari could pass along a message before he left to make sure his whereabouts would be known. He didn't need his friends breathing down his neck if he got back alive, and would much rather they stay in the loop than grill him on going MIA.

"Yes, I could see you when I had you against the wall in the library," he said, smoothly falling back into the conversation and losing interest in the subtle scent. A cheeky smirk settled over his lips as he picked just the right way to piss Caeso off and distract him from that moment of distraction. "In case you were worried."

Sixty-four years. Damn, impressive. Caeso couldn't fault that. He knew that he would go crazy if his sight went in and out. Not exactly the best position to be in when you had to command an army and had hundreds relying on your every order and move. One couldn't exactly fight in a war if they couldn't see the enemy. But then again, Nari was living proof that you could. He supposed it was slightly different, considering he was a fox spirit. His senses were stronger, more heightened than his own, and it allowed him that advantage and one that Caeso didn't have. He couldn't rely on smell or sound beyond that of the basics because he wasn't able to utilise them as well as Nari. The captain couldn't fault that it was impressive.

He couldn't help but wonder why or what Nari had done to be burdened by such a thing. If it was only half his life he would have been able to see before, and if so, what had he done? He wanted to ask, but then again, he felt like he had pushed his luck a little regarding answers. It had taken a mistaken comment to be able to get him this far. At least he was aware. Not that Nari would be getting any change in how he acted because the man could clearly hold his own. They were both over a century old and Nari had dealt with the blindness for nearly half of it. He would be fine.

And regardless of that Caeso's mind was directed towards other things because Nari had essentially called him cute and that was the main thing that was registering. It was why the captain's mouth dropped open and even in the dark tunnel it was clear he was going beat red. Luckily, he didn't have to worry about Nari seeing that which he was more than relieved about, but he was sure that the spirit could tell, "What- what does being cute have to do with anything?" He tried not to let his words sound too flustered but knew that he was failing. Damned fucking spirit, "I'm not- that's not- what the fuck does that even mean?" Because how did the two correlate in the first place?

He was more than aware that Nari was deliberately choosing his words to fluster and rile him up. Get his head taken off the doom and gloom that they had just left behind. And he hadn't been worried about it because he had figured the spirit could see him in the first place. Brilliant, just brilliant. Not fair, entirely not fair.

He might've lost a secret and temporarily lost the high ground in the span of their conversation, but it quickly became clear that Nari was now the one with the advantage and in charge. The spirit's grin was slow but smug, and he trotted on up to Caeso to throw an arm around the man's shoulders and tuck him into his side. Easy for Caeso to push him away, but Nari wanted the satisfaction of getting a reaction out of the man.

Of course, that was going against his own words and wishes. The more he played with Caeso, the more likely it was that the blindness would extend beyond its minimum. It would take quite a bit for it to extend a significant amount, but it wasn't exactly a sound science either. Ever after so long of dealing with the curse, he hadn't quite nailed down the logistics behind the correlating factors. Minor enjoyments could only extend it an hour tops, whereas more major ones would have a more significant impact, but that's all he had in terms of specifics. He could toy around with Caeso all day and not make it past 24 hours of blindness, or he could extend it unknowingly. That's unfortunately what happened when dealing in the matters of the heart, and Nari had never been one to really understand his own.

"It means what it means," he said, snickering. "You'll have to be more specific if you want a different answer." So what if he thought that Caeso was cute? It didn't necessarily mean anything or have any bearing on the topic at hand. Caeso wanted to know the why and how, Nari knew it. Everyone did. At least this round, he wouldn't have to worry about cloying expressions of sympathy and pity. Caeso didn't know him enough or care about him enough to really care, not to that point. Which is what Nari wanted—no syrupy and fake coos about poor Nari. So, as it stood, he didn't care about telling Caeso as much as he could without sounding cagey. Now that the biggest cat was out of the bag, he could bring out the kittens to satisfy curiosity.

Nari turned so that he could drop his face down closer to Caeso so that he could talk deliberately low and slow for him. "So, what is it you want to ask, love? Use your words."

If Caeso's eyes hadn't been wide before they certainly were now. No one had spoken to him that way before. At least not so easily, quickly and publicly. Maybe it was because he spent all his time working and the people he worked with were under him in rank and so no one dared to talk to him in a way that was any less than professional in most settings. Sure, there was the occasional difference when they were slacking off and having fun, but the way Nari spoke to him, slow and low and right in his ear, with those stupid fucking pet names? His heart couldn't help but leap, whether that was from nerves or whatever else he didn't know or care because he couldn't focus.

The captain went even redder and was quick to push Nari away from his side, "Fuck off." To distract himself from the fact that the touch was nice and reminded him of how they had been in his chambers, he did not need to be teased and taunted by a spirit who seemed to enjoy having fun with him. Just because he was easy to rile up if one knew the right words and phrases to use - which Nari seemed to have found far too quickly for his liking - did not mean that he had to. Because now he was flustered and didn't know what to say in response. Use your words. Yeah, sure, he couldn't totally do that when the asshole spirit was talking right in his ear that way as if they had known each other for years and this was normal and okay.

And on top of that there was still the issue of Nari calling him cute. He he mean it? Was it done deliberately to piss him off or was he being honest about it? Gods, he wanted to groan in frustration but all he could do was straighten his shirt to give his hands something to do. Punching Nari sounded very appealing, but he knew that wasn't going to do any good. Hitting a blind man also probably wasn't a good look even if it was just them. Physical violence was out of the question then, and Caeso resorted in a hard glare - probably more of a pout - as much as he was aware that Nari couldn't see it.

"You know what I want," He said, trying to keep his voice as level as he possibly could, "How does- how does me apparently being cute have anything to do with you being blind?"

Caeso had reacted just how Nari expected, so he had braced himself just in time to be pushed away. Laughing, the spirit pranced away from the captain and that glint in his eye returned for just a flicker of a moment. Not quite as bright as it had been in the library, but there nonetheless. Caeso was too easy to fluster, and Nari was finding all the little things that made the stoic and haughty captain persona fall apart. If he told the truth about what Caeso's reactions did, he had no doubt in his mind that the man would only regret asking. Which is why Nari was more than happy to supply an answer.

His grin didn't let up. He was more than smug about the whole thing, and it was only brightening his mood as Caeso reacted even better than Nari could ever predict. Oh, and if he had been able to see him? In his mind's eye, he pictured Caeso bright red and foundering, avoiding eye contact, and squirming under the attention of the spirit. It wasn't the real thing, but he had a feeling that it wasn't far off from what was actually happening next to him. So, fortunately for Caeso, Nari held off on getting close to the captain even as the spirit grinned over at him.

"I enjoy the finer things in life. Piss the wrong people off, and you get this." He gestured to his eyes. "Punishment. I find something I enjoy, it gets taken away. Doesn't stop me, though." Most of the time, anyway. Caeso didn't need to know that part—the days it really got to him, sent him spiraling into a depressive episode where he really questioned if it was worth constantly fighting the curse, always risking being plunged into darkness the moment he found something he liked just a little too much. Sometimes he wondered if he should just… stop. Go the route some spirits took and bury himself into a tomb for an eternal rest from the world. Can't fight temptation if there's none to fight. But then he remembered his friends, the feeling of sunlight on his chilled skin and the scent of wildflowers blooming in the fields. Laughter. The ache in his chest when he could no longer breathe after laughing so much. Finding the little things that harmlessly messed with the mind of others.

"So there's your answer." The smile he shot Caeso was toothy and cheeky. "Connect the dots, love. Think about the timing." If the sputtering man really wanted to know about the cute comment, then he could figure it out himself easily enough.

Caeso was glad Nari couldn't see him because he was practically pouting by this point. Nowhere on this plain of existence did he ever imagine that he would be being teased by a man he had only just met as they prepared to walk into The Under. The captain hadn't imagined he would be in his position with anyone, to be frank with himself, but that wasn't the point. It was distracting him from the pain behind them and the people he loved dying, and he supposed he should be thankful for that as much as he didn't want to be. Either way, Nari's stupid cheeky grin only made things worse. He never knew someone could be so insufferable in such a short period of time. But Nari was proof that that was possible.

And when he was practically told to connect the dots, Caeso thought about it more. So, whenever Nari found or experienced joy, something he liked, his vision was taken away. He didn't want to think about how hard that must be for him, what he may have missed out on throughout his years because he was unable to see every time he found something that he liked and enjoyed. What kind of a life was that? Caeso didn't know, but what he did know and realise then was that, if his sight had been taken after the spirit's little stunt in the library, then he clearly enjoyed it. But that was obvious, considering Nari had been grinning from ear to ear and had that stupid glimmer in his eye that indicated he liked toying with him. That wasn't a reason as to call him cute, though, unless he genuinely thought that. Because if Nari had just liked the reactions that he had drawn from him, how he had been flustered and all too annoyed, then he could have just said that instead. But he had to make a comment about him being cute - or to not do anything cute so he could see again.

It was all too complicated for him. Caeso only groaned and put a little more space between them. It didn't change the fact that he was still beat red across his cheeks, or that he was still struggling to find words. In his mind, he hadn't done anything to warrant being 'cute' but he guessed that was all personal interpretation. This was going to be one hell of a trip if he was going to have to deal with this bullshit the entire time, "Whatever. Too bad your blindness doesn't stop you from being an ass."

But the tunnel was coming to an end. It came out in the side of a small hill, hidden away under the foliage and in amongst tall, lush green trees. The city used to look similar, with the amount of green and flowers that bordered the streets. Now it was nothing but blackened ash and crimson flames and a ghost of its former self.

Nari was a trickster and charmer, a malevolent spirit who had taken up the task of inconveniencing anyone he could possibly get to. Caeso wasn't the first person he had fun playing around with, but he was by far the easiest to get the best reactions out of. And the most entertaining out of the bunch. Nari didn't even need to see him to predict Caeso's physical reactions to the things he was saying or doing, he could already figure that out for himself. The captain was so receptive to the spirit's playful advances and teases, it so hard to just leave him alone. And, there were worse things for him to let the man think about. Like the dead bodies littered all throughout the palace, or the missing king doing nothing to defend his own people. What would the people think if they knew their king hid away while a foreigner and a soldier did all the work.

As Caeso huffed and pouted over to the side, Nari only grinned and snickered while keeping that respectful distance to himself. Cute. It was cute how the man reacted to everything. That's what he had really enjoyed about teasing Caeso. He got all shy and speechless whenever Nari said or did just the right thing, then reacted in the only way he could possibly think to react—with hostility. And it was adorable. Nari had no doubt in his mind that Caeso could do so much more damage if he wanted to, but he felt like he was dealing with a tiny and ruffled dog nipping at his heels whenever he lashed out at the spirit for teasing him. Harmless. Just a little kitten learning to use his teeth. "Cute," he said under his breath, though made no effort to hide the word from Caeso.

The sounds and scents of nature graced him when they stepped towards the end of the tunnel. Nari tipped his head back and up to the sky like he was looking for something. "No it does not," he agreed absently, with a smirk on his lips, "It makes it worse."

Sightless eyes scanned the sky above, but it took his ears and nose no time in locating what he was looking for. Up above the burning and ashen city was a bird circling and swooping over the wreckage, seemingly looking for something. Even from where they stood, the scattered red plumage mixed within the white could be seen as it soared and swooped. A bearded vulture. The giant bird let out a loud call when it glided in their general direction, and Nari's ears twitched. What Caeso couldn't pick up on was the strong scent of salt and rum coming from it. "My place is further in the trees, more on the outskirts of the city to be left alone."

Caeso breathed a sigh of relief the moment that they were out of the trees. It had begun to feel far too claustrophobic in there and it didn't help that Nari was being an ass the whole time. At least it had been a distraction. But now that they were out he could turn his attention to the more important matters at hand rather than the annoying spirit at his side. The captain adjusted his sword and tried to regain his composure. He hated that he was so receptive to teasing. He always had been, it wasn't just a Nari thing, it was everyone. Even as a child, his siblings had teased him relentlessly, and then the prince and it never ended up well with any of them. It didn't help that all three of them had made it their mission to get him to crack from the stoic outer layer that had on most of the time. Usually, it worked, because Caeso was easy to fluster and they all knew it.

But they weren't here anymore, and it was just Nari. Nari, who was staring at the sky as if he could see the world around them and tracking a vulture. Caeso could tell that the spirit knew what or who it was from the way he tracked it. And it was clear that the bird was aware of them, too, and was headed their way. A friend, perhaps. That was the only likely explanation that he could come up with. It didn't matter, they weren't going to be spending long around here, anyway, they needed to get to The Under.

"Let's not waste any more time then." The captain said as he headed off in the direction in which Nari seemed to be most inclined. Caeso didn't know where they were going, but he hoped that the spirit hadn't set up camp too far away. But if he was on the outskirts he figured it wouldn't be too long of a walk. They were pretty far out from the centre of the city. The tunnel had led directly out and just past the city walls. Well, the trees that acted as walls, at least, because they didn't have any physical building to indicate the borders. Not that many other than Fae ended up there so it didn't matter. A short walk and they would be there.

But as they walked Caeso turned his mind to the next important matter. Getting into The Under. It wasn't exactly a place that had a massive sign with an arrow indicating where to go, or a place one just walked into. But if there was a spot where the demons were coming from, maybe they could use that. A portal or a door, a hidden charm like the one in the book Nari had uncovered that they would be able to manipulate.

Once Nari was sure that the vulture had spotted them, he paid it no mind and ducked into the trees to head back home. Or, well, the latest home he's had. As much as he felt for Caeso, the spirit moved around so often and created so many temporary shelters that he wasn't particularly upset that he wouldn't see it for a while. The only thing that mattered as his friends knowing where he's gone, and he'd miss them for sure while they were in The Under. But, he had at least Eiya to tell. And speaking of the menace, the giant vulture came up behind them at record speed, then swooped down to grapple at Nari's ears in a playful move before he disappeared into the trees. Nari batted at the air and snapped his teeth in a snarl, hands holding his ears flat down like he could protect them now. Fucker. Hidden in the trees, Eiya screeched his amusement.

Though he couldn't see the path, Nari moved through the foliage fluidly and without any sort of hesitation. He even knew when to duck under branches that were just a little to low for his stature. Dark feathers littered the nonexistent path they were walking on. Just out of habit and old paranoia, Nari never wanted his home to have any sort of footpath to it in the case of someone unpleasant finding it, no matter where he set down his loose roots. And, because of situations like this, he always made himself familiar with the area around so he could navigate unscathed.

Caeso was being oddly quiet, but Nari didn't bother him about it. He knew he had pushed his limits with how far he could fluster and tease the captain, so he kept quiet and focused on getting to his place so they could set off as soon as possible. Of course, if it was getting too late (he couldn't tell if it was night or day) then they might want to rest first before leaving. He'd bring that up to Caeso when they made it to his place. And, as promised, it wasn't too far from them as they sorted through the foliage.

The spirit sidled up to a particular tree and ran his palm over the old and broken bark until he found a flat section of it peeled off. Then he ran a knuckle down the center, and kept walking as if he had done nothing. But, just in the distance, A particularly massive tree shimmered in the sunlight just enough to be abnormal. Its limbs were giant and heavy, some laying on the ground for support, and leaf-covered vibes cascaded down all around the tree like a natural misshapen curtain. Rocks were scattered around the tree seemingly haphazardly, but they made an enclosed shape around it—the anchors of the charm he tripped, revealing Nari's home.

Indrigos had been Caeso's home his entire life. The Fae Captain had never lived anywhere else, at least not longer than a few weeks stay when it came to his duties. Now that they were properly away from the city it was beginning to set in that he might not return. Even if he did it wouldn't be the same because half the city was nothing but ash and a collapsed wreckage, the fact that the palace was still standing was impressive. To be fair, it had been beginning to crumble when they had left, Caeso would be surprised if there was even a palace still standing if they returned.

He wasn't like Nari. He didn't travel around and move from home to home and make a new place wherever he landed. His home was behind them, burning and suffering. Caeso couldn't stop himself from looking back over his shoulder on the occasion to see the smoke billowing into the air. One wouldn't be able to tell that it was midday because the sky was blackened and the sun had disappeared behind the clouds of ash. His friends and family were gone and there wasn't much left for him but a glimmer of hope that they make stop Ezekt and make it out alive. There were so many worries, so many things could go wrong. It was why he was so quiet. Caeso's mind was trying so hard to focus on ways into The Under but the back of it was troubled. He was glad that Nari had stopped teasing and pushing him because there was only so much he was able to take in good conscious without truly biting and snapping at the spirit.

The Captain knew that Nari was only teasing and trying to help take his mind off of the impending doom that they had left and were going to end up in once more. Man, he really couldn't figure out the spirit. But whatever feelings and emotions that he was feeling could come second. They weren't important. Nothing else was important but the mission at hand. A soldier. That was who he was and who he had to be now and he wasn't about to let an asshole spirit get into his mind and take it away from his goals.

But his mind was taken away from itself when he watched Nari run his hand over that tree and tripped the charm. Spirit magic was something Caeso was sure he would familiarise himself with over his time with Nari but for the time being, it still confused him. His own magic was nothing like that of his companion and he had no idea how any of it worked or if he was even capable of doing magic along the same lines. Maybe he could get Nari to teach him as a distraction at some point. The captain glanced up at him, "How'd you find this place?" The tree was beautiful, even from a distance, and even more impressive when they got closer.

Nari led them through the disjointed circle of rocks and towards the tree that steadily loomed over them. Behind them, the timer for the charm ran out and reclosed the protective shield, hiding them and the tree from outside view. He startled and glanced over at Caeso when he was spoken to, having expected it to be silent up until necessary. The captain was obviously lost in thought as they walked, so he hadn't wanted to intrude on that even more than he already had. Nari wasn't so much of an ass that he couldn't recognize that something horrific was happening, and he could only imagine what it was like to brutally lose your home that you've had for your entire life, and he had witnessed the impact of all the deaths on the man firsthand. The silent treatment wasn't all that surprising. Caeso asking something about his place, though, especially something not really important, hadn't been on his list of expectations.

Even still, he shook it off and hopped up onto one of the branches next to him that was laying on the ground and gestured for Caeso to follow. His steps were steady and balanced as he backed up and the branch started its incline up to the top of the tree, and the bark beneath his feet was smooth and speckled with white within the light brown. Nothing like a normal tree. "Practice," he answered. His ears were turned towards Caeso to make sure he wasn't going to fall off. "Spirits are nomads for the most part, so we leave traces of where we've been, or even cultivate places specifically for shelter. This was grown on purpose to be a home, as you'll see inside."

As he turned to face the giant trunk, which was nearly as wide as it was tall, he kept his attention towards Caeso to keep an ear out for him. "It's more of an instinct thing than a knowing where you're going thing. I happened to find this while looking for a place to sleep." Which he had promptly dropped his things and slept for a week straight once he did, but he didn't tell Caeso that.

Nari turned back towards the captain and continued to slowly climb backwards, needing to duck when the smaller branches and vines started to get denser and they got higher up. "There's a door in the thicket, right at the top, which leads to a staircase down to the main area. Some of this place is underground, but it's surprising roomy considering what it's made of." And the tree itself was alive and well despite being so hollow. Nari didn't know how, but he had a feeling some sort of forest or earth-based spirit had built it to counteract the loss of the trunk's functionality. "There's also extra room, just in case. I don't know what time it is, but if it's late enough that we'll have to stop soon anyway, then…" He gestured to his home and shrugged. It was up to Caeso on what he wanted to do.

Caeso wasn't much of a climber so he wouldn't lie to himself when he felt a little unsteady on his feet climbing the tree. As much as the roots and the branches were thick enough to hold probably triple his weight he still wasn't an experienced climber like Nari was, he didn't have the need to be. He preferred staying on the ground where his feet met dirt and he could feel the solid safety net under him. Up here there was none of that, so he was more than careful as he followed the spirit up the tree. He wondered how many other homes Nari had had over his lifetime, where else he had ventured and explored, made his place. It was a beautiful tree, he had no doubt that the inside was just as exquisite in its own right. nothing like the palace and the city that he had grown up in, but just as wonderful.

Spirits weren't exactly common when it came to the Fae parts. In fact, any magical creature that wasn't Fae tended to stay away from the city. Not because they were unwelcomed or would be shunned for stepping foot inside the massive walls of trees, but simply because the place was located deliberately in a place where it wouldn't be found unless someone was looking for it. A brilliant tactic when it came to warding off unwanted guests of the living kind. The forests surrounding the city were long and dense and if one wasn't used to the area - or like Nari and had gone out of their way to scout the place, it was easy to get lost in the thick undergrowth. Wonderful for Caeso because it meant that when it came to looking out for the royal family, to the people he swore to protect, it was an easy job since there weren't many who found the place or threats that were able to get close. Any defending that he had had to do had been further on the outskirts, where the tree lines met rolling fields of green and you could see the sky as easily as looking down at your left hand.

When Nari spoke of the extra room, the Captain was tempted to say that they should rest here while it was safe for the time being. He didn't know when they would be anywhere close to nice or comfortable or safe again and the opportunity was almost too good to pass up. Almost. Because Caeso knew that even if he attempted to rest he wouldn't be able to. Not when his mind wouldn't stop for even a moment of peace. There was no point. They were better continuing on until they felt ready to rest. Of course, he was unware of the lack of sleep that spirits needed and so it would mainly be just him when it came to that front, but he wasn't thinking about that or even knew of it. In his mind, they would both stop somewhere to sleep later on.

"It's not late," Because it wasn't. It felt later than it was due to the lacl of the sun and sky, however, "We should get moving as quickly as we can, unless you wanted to stop for a while but I'm okay to keep going." Exhaustion would catch up on him eventually, but Caeso cared little about himself and more about the sake of what was left of his city and his people to give a fuck whether he got rest now or in ten hours.

Nari stopped when he heard the captain step unsteadily once again. He was unbalanced and more unsteady than Nari was comfortable with, so the spirit stopped to hold out a hand, even though they were nearly at the top of the tree. He could argue that Caeso would need the help the most at this portion, because they were higher up and the slope was steeper. The man could just as easily make it himself as he could freak out and fall to the ground at a dangerous height. Probably best to risk being bitched at than let the captain die from a fall before he even made it to the deadly part of their journey.

He also paused, not just because of the man's impending doom, but also because Caeso said no to Nari's unspoken offer. Though he had been initially giving it to Caeso to make up his mind, he had mostly expected it to be a straightforward and obvious yes. The spirit only really needed sleep when he needed to recharge—not that he wasn't always down for an excuse to nap—and food and water weren't really all that important to him, but he was suddenly struck with the reminder that Fae definitely needed to top up on their needs a lot more often than he did. Free will had been an option, but now it didn't seem like such a good idea to listen to Caeso when Nari wasn't entirely sure he could trust the man to be honest about what he needed.

If there was at least one thing that the spirit was an expert on, it was the need for rest right before a long and grueling trip. And taking off directly after something like that just happened and they had to navigate, wasn't really what he'd considered adequate rest. Nari pinned his ears back and settled a flat and disbelieving look onto Caeso. "Sure. And when's the last time you got some rest? Or even food? Have you eaten yet at a decent time?"

So many surprises, so little time. Yet again, babying Caeso hadn't been on the to-do list, and yet here Nari was, grilling the man about taking care of himself and basically implying that they would be staying. Someone needed to take care of the man before he neglected himself to death before they got to Ezekt. Gods, it was like he had taken in a stray animal and decided to keep it as a pet, until he realized just how much he had to put in to take care of it. Caeso was that pet, and if the spirit was already hovering and deciding they needed to stop to give Caeso the time to rest and recuperate, then it would be a very long trip filled with even more instances of that. Around them, as if agreeing with the spirit's sentiment—or even reacting to his sudden stress over the Fae's wellfare—the vines and leaves sighed from a gentle breeze that ruffled their hair and dislodged some strands to fall in front of his eyes. He didn't so much as twitch.

Caeso's frown returned when they stopped. As much as he was aware that Nari was unable to see the look he was giving him, it did make him feel better just a little to be able to do so. It didn't make it better when the spirit held out a hand for him to take to keep himself steady. He didn't need babying. He was a grown man and capable of taking care of himself and making it up a stupid tree without a helping hand. Instead of taking Nari's hand the captain batted it away instead and didn't comment on that. What he did do, which was probably a bad idea considering his lack of balance, was cross his arms over his chest with a soft huff.

It didn't matter that he was terrible at taking care of himself. That wasn't the point. To be fair he couldn't remember the last time he slept, it was probably over a day ago if he could work things out correctly because Ezekt had rained fire down on him, literally, within a matter of moments and then there was no time for sleep. Not when he had been tasked by his King to fix this with little indication as to what to do or where to go. It was how he had ended up in the library instead of joining in the fight. Not that he would have been much help at the end of all things since so many people had already died, would have still died with his help. But maybe he could have saved someone instead of just watching them be torn apart by the demons that had crawled out from The Under and made his city their own. No, sleep wasn't an option. And as for food? He couldn't actually answer that question, either. Something else to add to the list of needs that he was neglecting in favour of everyone and everything else. Caeso wasn't even hungry to begin with. In fact, he felt more sick than anything. After watching so many of his friends die the thought of stomaching a meal was too much.

Maybe a part of it was also a silent punishment for leaving them. Sure, he should probably eat and rest otherwise later on down the line he'd probably collapse from exhaustion, but he didn't care. Why should he rest when so many others couldn't? Why should he allow himself the luxury of a rest stop when he hadn't even attempted to help those back at the castle? But Caeso didn't understand the extent of what those thoughts meant. He had never had to deal with them before, not really, not until his prince had died but they had only doubled with the state of the world right now. But Caeso was going to continue ignoring them because to him, it wasn't important.

"I'm a grown man, I don't need to be told when to sleep or eat," Technically no, but someone really should, "I'm fine. I don't need to rest. We just need to get your things and go." That breeze sent a shiver down his spine. For how warm it was it was cooler than he had expected, but at this height, he should have figured it would be. Running a hand through is hair to get it out his face, Caeso knew he was going to have to tie it back soon, if he could find a tie in his bag in order to do so.

He should've known that he'd get this sort of pushback about basic self-care, and yet he was frustrated all the same. Nari couldn't see the look he was being given by Caeso, but he could make a good guess as to what it looked like based on the silence that stretched between them before the captain spoke. The spirit crossed his arms, and he was much less likely to fall off from the move than the other man was. Was he seriously going to have to babysit Caeso to make sure he actually took care of himself during their trip and didn't drop dead? Nari didn't need all of this and shouldn't have to worry about it, but the captain seemed hellbent on pushing himself to the end for no necessary reason. They would have to stop anyway and get food for him, so they might as well do it now while they were safe and comfortable.

Nari didn't know why Caeso thought that he shouldn't rest, that it was because of the dead in the palace. But if he did, he would tell him that they were resting. Some may not be completely at peace, but they were no longer dying, no longer being ripped apart by those demons. Their mortal suffering had ended. And, if Caeso let himself fall below rock bottom and become nothing more than a husk, he would be no good to the people who he let haunt him. There would be no locking Ezekt away or rehabilitating the city once they were done, because he'd be gone with them.

Instead, Nari rolled his eyes and silently stalked back to Caeso and took his chin in his hand before the man had even a chance to blink, let alone protest. With his grip, he swiped a slow thumb underneath Caeso's eye. Feeling. The pads of his fingers and his palm were softer than the rest of his skin, and slightly thicker, but that didn't hinder his ability to see through the captain's lies. "You have eyebags," Nari said, his voice low and stern, even if gentle, "and I bet you I'd be able to hear your stomach from a mile away if it made even a single noise."

His grip forced Caeso to tilt his head up even more, and the spirit cocked his head as if studying him. That thumb did another swipe, confirming the depth of the bags underneath his eyes, and just the slightest tilt of Caeso's head had his racing heartbeat within perfect hearing range. "The adrenaline will wear off, and then what?" Will he just keep going like nothing was wrong? No. That would slow them down, and who knows how bitchy the captain would get when his energy stores were running low. Beneath his hand, he could feel the grime and sweat on Caeso's skin from the smoke and ashes and demon goo. "And you need to clean up. Both of us do, actually." He could still taste the lingering bits of blood on his tongue and teeth. Plus, Nari was still sporting an open wound. "We're stopping, then we're heading out in the morning."

Caeso didn't like how quiet Nari was between when he finished speaking and when the spirit started to move. He wanted to swallow but kept firm in his stance and his opinion. He didn't need babying. He didn't need to be taken care of. He had survived long enough on his shitty-ass self-care routine that he didn't need a stranger telling him when or how to care for himself in a time that was so conflicting and out of the ordinary like they were in now. He was fine. Even if he was practically gaslighting himself into being fine, he was fine. He would be fine. He was always fine. No matter how little or how much sleep he got, whether he had three meals or no proper meals a day, he was fine. And this would be no different.

It didn't matter if his head was just as much of a war zone as the city behind them was. It didn't matter if he needed a wash, a good sleep and a warm meal considering he couldn't remember the last time he had either of those things. None of it mattered. They- Caeso, at least - had a mission and he would be damned if he lost even a few hours to some shitty sleep. And he was ready to protest even further and fight Nari on it even if it wasn't a good idea considering where they were and what they were standing on, but then the spirit was moving towards him. He was moving and Caeso couldn't move backwards otherwise he would fall and there was nowhere else to go. Besides, the spirit moved too quickly for him to react and then Nari's hand was on his face and he was forcing him to look up at him.

Fucking hell. Of course, he could feel the bags. He had them constantly, it didn't matter whether or not he slept because they always persisted and had seen he was a teenager. Only they became worse depending on lack of sleep and stress, and they were certainly prominent now. But it didn't help that Nari was using some stupid tone that had Caeso swallowing, and his heart beating a tad faster that certainly wasn't because of the adrenaline and his cheeks warming for reasons other than the fires they had left behind. Shit, no. None of that. He was having none of that with the asshole in front of him. The forced eye contact, the handling of his face, that tone… too much, not fair, and Nari wasn't even intentionally trying to fluster him. But Caeso couldn't move or look away or physically back up because there was nowhere to go.

"I'm. Fine." The captain ground out, making a point to ignore every conflicting feeling and beat of his heart, "We clean up. We get your things. We go." Caeso knew that he would push and push and push himself until he collapsed. Right now he felt fine enough to keep going. Exhaustion and adrenaline would catch up on him eventually but whether he slept now or later he wouldn't matter. What mattered was action and doing something and waiting until morning wasn't going to get them anywhere.

The spirit's head cocked in curiosity when he felt the steadily growing heat of Caeso's skin, curious and confused, and slowly curled his fingers more purposefully over the man's cheeks to feel it. Was that what he thought it was? Nari wasn't trying anything; in fact, he was doing the opposite of lighthearted teasing. The man was being frustrating, not listening to any sort of reason, and it felt more like arguing for integrity's sake than really believing that he was fine. And, in consequence, Nari was getting frustrated and refusing to let him get away with it. There was no way that something he did had flustered the captain, surely. He wanted to ask, to grill him about it, and get an answer as to why he was blushing. But, without being able to see, he couldn't truly gauge how Caeso was feeling in the moment; which meant he couldn't be sure if it was a true blush or if it was the heat of anger warming his face. He was certainly pissed off about being babied, which was fair, so Nari left it be as an unsolved mystery and jerked his chin up in a curt dismissal.

"No." He had enough of the bickering already. At this rate, they would be going at it well into the night, or until Caeso lost his balance that he was miraculously holding while they argued. The captain wasn't alone on this particular mission, and Nari was the one who had to deal with him and any setbacks that might drag him down as they traveled. He refused to let Caeso slowly kill himself while he was right there and could prevent it with enough bullying and stubbornness. He might be an asshole and not a very friendly spirit, but he wasn't too keen on letting someone do this to themselves. Caeso, unfortunately for the both of them, was not an exception to this moral rule.

Without any preamble or warning, or even really a care for what Caeso's stance was on the argument, Nari slipped his grasp from the man's face with an elegant flick, then hooked his fingers through his shirt collar and proceeded to drag him up the branch. He made sure that Caeso stayed balanced and on the path of the widening branch, but if he really needed to, he'd carry the man himself if it meant getting his ass inside his house and settled down to take a fucking break. He had been at it for who knows how long, already there in the library before Nari had gotten there, had gone through a building full of the screams and pleas of his soldiers, his friends and family, got suddenly plunged into a war that a Death God had started, and still insisted on moving forward. No. That wasn't going to happen, not until the morning. If Nari had to tie him down to keep him here and force him to eat, then he would.

The spirit muttered under his breath, too soft for Caeso to hear even when he had him nearly plastered against his body to keep him upright. Insane. He truly was taking in a stray. And, on top of that, the closer he got to the entrance of his home, the more he could hear a noise. A ruckus, more like. Eiya was already making himself at home, it seemed, and it only made Nari grumpier. Make that two strays, because there was no doubt that Eiya would instantly make himself conveniently unable to care for himself once he saw Nari babying Caeso. Not to mention the headache that would ensue from the two meeting.