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

Started May 16, 2023 by @ElderGod-Carrots

tune

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.

Caeso damned near spluttered as he was grabbed by the collar and forced to walk. No. What the fuck did he mean no? Nari couldn't tell him what to do. He was his own person, he knew his limits, and he would be fine. Who was the spirit to say when or when he couldn't rest? It didn't help that they were so high up that Caeso couldn't fight against that grip on him even though he wanted. He wasn't about to risk falling to his death and Nari was keeping him steady as they headed all the way to the top and he was dragged inside. He guessed that was the one good thing about being held onto, as much as he hated it, because he had been wobbly and unsteady on his feet. At least now he would be able to get inside and that was one less worry that he had to focus on.

And Nari was muttering under his breath and even Caeso couldn't understand what he was saying even though they were so close. If the spirit was annoyed, the captain was doubly annoyed. He didn't need to be babied. He didn't need to be taken care of. He didn't need Nari pressing down his neck and telling him to do this that and the other. It was unnecessary and a waste of time and clearly, the spirit didn't want to be doing it, so why was he? The sudden concern for his well-being was probably the strangest part of the entire thing.

By now that heat in his cheeks wasn't due to the face touching, it really was because he was angry and huffy and annoyed. Nari wasn't allowed to be touching his face so gently one second, swiping his fingers under his eyes and across his cheeks to feel the skin and the warmth, and then dragging him away a moment later. Gods, the spirit was going to be the death of him. Nari was going to be the one to end him before Ezekt did at this point, with the teasing and the changing in how he was treated every two seconds. Why couldn't he just stick to one thing, like being an asshole, because it would make his life a whole lot easier? Easier, because it meant that there was absolutely no chance of them forming any sort of attachments and they could part ways with one another after all this bullshit was over and done with. Or, if one of them died, the loss wouldn't be as much of an impact emotionally. But no. It had to be a confusing mess of bullshit within the span of an hour and Caeso was not enjoying himself one bit.

Although the noises coming from inside had Caeso's attention being drawn away from the spirit and to whatever the hell was going on inside. His frown this time was not because of Nari, but from confusion as to what - or who - was causing such a racket. Was it a friend? It had to be if they were able to get inside and through the charms that his new companion had set up. There was no other explanation.

Nari dragged Caeso all the way up the tree until they were shadowed and surrounded by the thicket of branches, leaves, and vines hanging all over them. The trunk extended up just far enough here that there was a door nestled within the bark, camouflaged enough that it wasn't immediately clear what was there on the off-chance it was seen through all the green. When they made it and there was enough around them that he didn't have to worry about Caeso losing his balance and falling to the ground—just into another branch—he let go of his shirt collar and turned to him. The spirit's mouth opened as he raised a hand, then he closed it and let out a long exhale. He was annoyed, and for several reasons. Most were related to the captain before him, but that didn't justify taking it out on him or being an ass about his lack of survival instincts.

Getting close to him once more to force Caeso's undivided attention, Nari held up a finger and started counting off as he talked. "First thing, don't take anything to heart. He's just like me. Don't be afraid to give him the shove off. Second, don't give him anything to use against you, because he will. Make yourself comfortable, but don't drop your guard too much. Don't take anything he says at face value, and don't let him con you into anything. And…" Nari moved like he wanted to touch the other's chin, but ultimately dropped his hand and backed away, shaking his head. "Keep your things close. He's greedy and sly."

He could've not given any warnings about his friend, but Nari felt it necessary. And, it was a bit dickish to throw Caeso to the winged wolf without preparation. Eiya was his friend who he loved dearly, but he was every sense a malevolent spirit. He was selfish and hadn't changed since his past life, had no care to ever change. He could be nice, and he was often sweet on Nari, but strangers who threatened the integrity of his things? The captain would stand no chance against him without preparation or knowledge on what to expect. And Nari would protect him as much as he could while balancing the two of them.

With that, he backed off and opened the door, already heaving a great sigh when there was a bang of pots clattering and a very colorful curse. Nari beckoned for Caeso to follow him down the stairs, then yelled through the door, "I swear on your grave, if you destroy my kitchen because of those fucking wings, I'm plucking them." There was another swear, then a snicker as the clattering stopped and there was a rustle of something dragging against a wooden floor.

The staircase spiraled down until it reached a roomy opening, with a basic kitchen area connected to a larger space for seating covered in pillows and blankets, which all spilled onto the floor like nests along with rugs. Floating balls of blue and orange lights lit up the area as they bobbed towards the ceiling. Leaning against the wall between the two areas was another spirit. 6'4, with thick shoulder-length black hair that was wavy and neatly styled, tanned and leanly built with muscle beneath the revealing silk clothing. Slim mono-lidded eyes seemingly made of pirate's gold glittered as they stared at them, with sharp and solid black facial markings that ran around his eyes and down the bridge of his nose. Red dusted his hair, and giant black and brown feathered wings were folded at his back, innocent despite the littering of feathers all through the kitchen where things were clearly knocked around.

Caeso would have thanked Nari for the warnings about the friend he was about to meet but ultimately kept his mouth shut for the time being. For one, having to deal with two spirits was already pissing him off, especially if the other was just like Nari, even though he hadn't even met him yet. Typically, but also expected, that the people that Nari surrounded himself with were just like him. Obnoxious and arrogant and stubborn. The captain was in no way going to let his guard down regardless of where they were and who they were with. For one, he wasn't intending on resting, as Nari had said they were going to, which meant he was able to keep an eye on his things and make sure neither of them stole or rifled through them while he was passed out. If Nari wanted him to sleep he was going to have to put a charm on him at this rate. He was just as stubborn, that should be obvious by now, and he wasn't about to let the spirit tell him what to do.

Down the stairs and into that room, Caeso took in the new environment. It was nice, he would admit. Even if a bit cluttered and messy with all those pillows thrown around everywhere and now the feathers that were lining the floor. What really caught his attention were the lights. He couldn't help but be drawn to them, considering his magic was connected to all things related. The glow they emitted had him wanting to reach out and take it in his hands, move the light between his fingers and see how it felt along his skin. But although tempted, shown in how his eyes were drawn to them almost instantly, he didn't. Just watched them bob for a little longer than probably normal before turning his attention away from the lights and to the new spirit.

Of course he had to be tall. Did Nari just have a thing for being friends with people who were tall? Or was he just short? Well, Caeso knew he wasn't short he was average height, Nari was just extremely tall and his friend, although shorter than Nari, was still taller. And those wings. Caeso hadn't seen anything like them before. They were impressive, same with those gold eyes and those markings. He guessed all spirits had markings similar to them considering Nari had his own, too. Interesting. This trip was going to have him learning a lot about spirits and how they worked over the course of their time together, he knew that much already. The captain cleared his throat. He didn't quite know what to say, but he guessed a greeting was where he should start, "Uh- Hello."

Did he comment on the mess that he made? No, he didn't think that was appropriate. Nari had said to make himself comfortable, and so that was what he was going to attempt to do, at least. It was why Caeso moved to one of the bundles of blankets and pillows and sat himself down. Gods his feet hurt. After being on them for most of the day, running around dealing with all the shit going on he felt as if he hadn't had a moment's peace. The only time he had been sat all day had been in the library and that had been less then comfortable. At last here he had a pillow, or five.

Eiya beamed at Caeso, revealing teeth that weren't sharp like Nari's. "Hi," he greeted, then watched curiously as the man moved into the seating area and dropped into one of the piles of blankets and pillows. His attention on him was hawklike and curious, with many questions swirling within his golden irises, but mostly his sharp gaze was assessing. Like he was sizing Caeso up—and looking for anything he might be able to capitalize on. Nari noticed the odd silence within seconds and sighed, batting at the shorter spirit to knock his attention away from Caeso and onto him. It worked, albeit a bit too well. There was a spark of mischief in the man's expression and the shifting of his posture right before he dove for his friend.

Nari tried backing away, but Eiya was quicker. He scooped up Nari into his arms and forced the fox spirit to wrap his legs around his waist to avoid dangling uncomfortably, then moved further into the kitchen with a smug look on his face, eyes up and on Nari. "Eiya," Nari scolded, pushing at the man's chest even if amusement started seeping into the annoyance he tried holding up. Giggles bubbled through as he said sternly, "Put me down."

"C'mon," Eiya whined, shifting his hold so that he held onto Nari's thighs and did not, in fact, put him down. "I just found out that you're not dead in a pile of wood and ash, and I want to show my appreciation that you're alive. Is that such a crime?" His grin was anything but innocent, even verging on salacious. "Loosen up a bit, yeah? You know you want to. Nothing like a bit of stress relief."

Nari cracked. A sly look settled on his face as he rested his forearms on Eiya's shoulders and tilted his face down at him. "You can't handle me." And he couldn't. He had always known that Eiya's 'joking' crush on him existed, and that it was real, but he never encouraged it beyond gentle flirts here and there. Always, though, he made sure it never progressed any further and gave reminders that it wouldn't happen. Eiya didn't know the true extent of what Nari wanted from a relationship—needed, really—and though he insisted that he could handle him, he couldn't. The former pirate was a captain, a leader, who sought out everything he could take in the most obnoxious way possible. Nari loved him as a friend, but would never want anything more from him. It didn't stop Eiya from trying, and he was really amping it up right now with the grip on his legs and the refusal to put him down. Staking his claim, undoubtably. Nari flicked between his eyes and snapped his teeth. "Put me down."

Huffing, Eiya tossed him up, and before Nari could catch himself and get away, he grabbed him again and had him slung over his shoulder. "Nope. I missed you. Let me recharge my fix, and then I'll put you down." With Nari's face not right in front of him, Eiya's gaze flickered over to Caeso in short glances, his curiosity and possessiveness getting the better of him. "Plus, you brought home someone. What's this?"

Nari wiggled enough to prop his elbows on Eiya's shoulder and glared over his own shoulder at the other spirit. "Leave him be."

At least Nari had given him a heads-up on what the other spirit was like. Just as Caeso had predicted, the other spirit was just as obnoxious as he was. Eiya, it seemed, exuded that personality and vibe even from the outside of the home. He didn't want to judge, but that was exactly what he was going. Silently, and he kept his face in a solid neutral and unmoving expression even as his thoughts raced. All those years of sitting in on royal meetings and being unable to comment on the bullshit that went on inside, not being able to give a hint at what he was truly thinking or feeling, was certainly coming in handy. Because from the way the other spirit was looking at him as if he was some kind of competition had Caeso ready to comment but he didn't. As much as having those gold eyes narrowed on him had the captain wanting to return the look, he knew better of it. There was no need for that.

It did however, have him registering what his thoughts on the whole situation actually were. Jealous? No, he wasn't jealous. But the fact that he wanted to make a comment on Eiya's looks and that possessive hold he had over Nari was certainly an indicator that he might have been just a little jealous. Why? Caeso didn't know. Didn't know if he wanted to know, for that matter, considering Nari was an asshole, too, and a majorly annoying one he was going to be stuck with for the near future. Something about that hold and that look that the other spirit was giving him, however, didn't sit well. He wasn't competition. There was no competition because he didn't even like Nari all that much and they had just met. The other man was delusional if he thought anything was going on between them.

But the rising feeling of annoyance - not at Nari this time, for once - was unexplainable. Especially as he watched the two interact. Caeso spun one of his rings over his fingers as if tossing a coin around, a move that allowed him to focus his feelings and attention on something else other than the two spirits in front of him. It wasn't working that well, unfortunately. In fact, it was difficult to turn his attention away from Nari when he was talking about how Eiya couldn't handle him and what that comment might imply. Yeah, he was more than grateful for the ability to mask his feelings in tense situations. Something that the new spirit didn't seem to be able to do considering the look he was being given, and how his grip on Nari only seemed to tighten a little.

"Caeso," The captain said, tilting his head up to meet the spirit's gaze. His look was unwavering, unbothered, and he kept his body language as such as he lounged on the pillows surrounding him, bag comfortably at his feet, "A pleasure." Less than a pleasure but he kept that thought to himself.

Eiya looked Caeso up and down, ignoring how Nari was squirming in his hold to try and get down. "Captain Eiya Hario, and the pleasure is mine." Just like Caeso, he was less than thrilled about meeting the other man. Possessiveness over his things, his people, would always be his downfall. And given how they were meeting, with Nari bringing someone home after not ever doing such—at least, not even Eiya was around—and the current situation was less than ideal. He had gone a while without seeing his best friend, and now that the world was in the state that it was in the Fae lands, it only rubbed salt in the wound. He wanted to keep Nari to himself, keep him in his sight and safe. Caeso wasn't part of that plan, and was therefore a threat.

Nari rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Former captain. You're no longer on the ship. And why do you smell like a typhoon?" Eiya snickered, and he suddenly decided he didn't want to know. "Nevermind. Forget I asked." Tired of being handled and held the way that he was, Nari swiftly twisted around until he slipped free of Eiya's startled grasp and tumbled down to the ground. The impact was minimal, but he still huffed in annoyance at needing to fall in the first place. "This is getting ridiculous. Caeso is staying the night—don't even," he pinned the man with a sharp look, blindness be damned, then got to his feet and rounded on Eiya, "—and he and I are going to leave. I need you to tell Maikota that I'm okay and she doesn't have to worry. I don't know what she's going to see, but just to be on the safe side."

Eiya sniffed indignantly, then leaned against the counter with his arms crossed. "Fine. What are you two even doing? Together?" He didn't like it. That was obvious. Nari could hear it clear as day even without needing to see him. It made a little bit of sense for him to be wary, because spirits were naturally drawn to solitude and especially didn't mingle with people who weren't like them. Nari had never mentioned Caeso, so he was new. What were they doing at a time like this?

Nari crossed his arms, then smirked and decided—why not take advantage of Eiya's affection for him? Nothing harmful, just enough to nip this problem in the bud so that the two men could be civil and he didn't have to deal with the headache of their silent hostility. The fox spirit moved towards Eiya, closer and closer, and the shorter man steadily got more uneasy until he was caged in against the counter with Nari's hands braced on either side of him. Their faces were close, and smugness radiated off of Nari while Eiya shrunk under the proximity and attention. It didn't stop him from grabbing Nari's waist and sliding his hands under his shirt to touch his bare skin. Pointed, even if he didn't look away from the man towering over him.

"Play nice," Nari demanded. His voice was low, and slow as he spelled out what he wanted. Eiya swallowed. "I'm not explaining to you because you won't like it. Just know I'll be fine, and to tell Mai. Okay?" Eiya nodded, and Nari grabbed his wrists to make him let go as he backed away. The other spirit was blushing and staring at Nari with a complicated expression. Like he had just gotten a taste of what he couldn't handle. There was still that rush of spitefulness and the need to insist on an answer, but he also knew that Nari wasn't in the mood to be pushed.

Another captain. Pirate, from the way Nari spoke of ships. Caeso had never had much to do with pirates or any of the kingdoms that boarded the coastal regions of the continent. Indrigos was a good few days travel away from any sort of ocean or inlet and as such he had never had much to do with pirates and their shenanigans. Good thing, too, if he would have had to deal with Eiya, or people like him, had he ever run into them. Made his life easier in the long haul. But it wasn't anything he had to worry about now. For one, Eiya was a spirit and no longer on the ship, so he wasn't a pirate that Caeso would have to deal with in that sense, and he was headed some place where water didn't exactly mix well with fire. No pirates in The Under, at least, only dead ones.

He was almost tempted to make a comment on how Eiya was a former captain, but ultimately kept his mouth shut when it came to that. He had no grounds to stand on there. Caeso could claim he was a captain, too, all he wanted, but with what army? What kingdom? His king had ran so he didn't even have him to protect and he had let his friends, his army die while he, too, had ran from the battle and left them to deal with the mess. He was no better, if not worse, than Eiya in that sense. Only difference was what they had been captains of. Yet another reminder of how he had failed. He now had no home, no king, no army, no friends, fuck, he didn't know if he actual family were alive or not anymore. The only thing keeping him going was the soft glimmer of hope that he might be able to save someone, or at least save what was left of his city in order for someone to start fresh and rebuild. Those thoughts only settled deeper into his mind and his stomach, and he didn't fight them.

But then he was watching the two spirits and Nari was trapping Eiya to that counter and the smaller spirit was touching him in a way that Caeso did not like. It was stupid, really, this little rivalry the two strangers had formed within seconds of meeting even though there was no competition and no reason for them to have done so. Caeso wasn't interested in Nari. Not in that way, not in the way Eiya seemed to be from the way he blushed and touched at the other. And yet he was still finding it infuriating to watch. His mind flashed back to the library. When Nari had backed him up against the end of the book shelf and towered over him with that stupid grin that he was likely giving Eiya now. That was when he caught his own thoughts and frowned, internally scolding himself for the fact that he was getting mad at someone else touching Nari when he didn't really like the dude and he had absolutely no reason to be feeling that way. Maybe he was more tired than he wanted to believe. That had to be it.

Luckily, Nari was backing, and Caeso felt as if he could breathe again. Thank the Gods Nari wasn't about to see him, and thank fuck he was able to remain collected on the outside to not give anything away, "If you two are done flirting then I'd say either we patch up and rest as you so terribly insisted on doing outside, Nari, or we stop wasting time and go." Because it had been the spirit who had been so pushy on the subject of resting and recouping and yet he wasn't doing anything of the sort. They may as well be on their way down to The Under instead of faffing around here.

"Patience is a virtue, love," Nari said without missing a beat, "One that you don't have." He didn't bother with debunking the flirting accusation because the technicalities were too muddy to sort through, and he really didn't care either way what Caeso thought of him and Eiya. Well, maybe he cared a little, but he chalked it up to not wanting to be thought of as shacking up with his best friend. Eiya inched away, wings fluttering nervously as he tried to regroup from having Nari's attention on him in that way. That was new—sort of. Maybe it was his jealousy making him more susceptible to Nari's playful flirts, but he had never been pinned that way before.

Before he could hide away to recoup, Nari snagged Eiya's sleeve and jerked him to a stop. "Can you go find something to eat, please?" With eyes in the sky, the winged spirit would be able to spot anything to either hunt or snag from a shop. Nari could keep them busy with getting washed and patched up while he went and did that, then rest for a while to lose all the tension they both held from the sudden attack from Ezekt's demons. Eiya nodded and ruffled Nari's hair and ears as a playful goodbye, then disappeared up the stairs. Caeso and Nari were once again alone together.

The spirit's ears twisted around, listening to Eiya leave and also focusing on Caeso, who had plopped on one of his nests and hadn't moved since. Then he drummed his nails on one of the counters before pushing off and going over to the man. "We aren't going," he said, stated like a fact because he really didn't want to have a fight with Caeso about something so simple. "There's a bathroom right through there," his head jerked in the direction of the door between the two areas, which took up the rest of the hollowed out trunk, "and bedrooms are downstairs." Another set of stairs that went underground was tucked into the corner of the seating area, out of the way of everything. "Your pick on what you want to do first, but I recommend getting clean first."

And Nari had to deal with the wound that had clotted at some point, but was still open and needed to be cleaned and stitched up. He'd be in his room for that to give Caeso the space to do what he wanted first—either change in the guest room or wash up. Nari crouched in front of Caeso with a soft sigh and rested his arms on his knees, ears going just a little bit floppy as he abandoned his focus on that sense. "I know you want to get going right now. But you need food and washed at the bare minimum before we go anywhere. You reek of demon, and anyone would be able to pick up on it with a good enough nose. And hunger and exhaustion will only slow you down in the long run. It's either stop now and get all the necessities over with, or keep going and end up right back in this situation but with a lot less chance of safe shelter."

Caeso wanted to laugh but the most he could conjure was a dry huff of a chuckle in response. Even though he didn't know that spirits needed less care than Fae did from the way that Nari had instructed Eiya to go find some food, presumably for all of them, he could tell that Nari wasn't exactly well versed in the art of self-care, either. Not if he didn't have anything to eat in the home that was even somewhat suitable for them, "I don't need to be told how to care for myself," He replied, and he met the spirits gaze even if the other wasn't able to see him, "You're the one sporting an open wound. You need to clean up more than I do."

Oh, he was ready for an argument alright. He didn't need to have Nari on his ass about how to take care of himself. He didn't need to be told to rest and eat and clean up because he was more than aware of what he could and couldn't handle. Sure, he was neglecting his own needs for multiple reasons but that wasn't going to stop him from arguing that he was fine and okay. Caeso knew, deep down, that he wasn't. He had never really been fine, not after the death of his prince, but he had pretended to be for the sake of everyone around him. It had only become worse with Ezekt and now he cared little for himself and his own well-being when so many others had died because he was incapable of helping them. This was the least he could do for them. The least he could do to make up for everything that he had failed on previously.

Regardless, surely smelling of demon would be a blessing when it came to being in The Under? By smelling like them there was less chance of being detected by any of the demons that would be lurking around, those that hadn't decided to join the fight on Caeso's lands. It wasn't pleasant by ay means. The blood and goo and gunk of it all was horrible and as much as he had been tuning out the smell for the time being now that he was sitting and focused on it, Caeso knew he did need a wash. That he wouldn't argue about. But resting and staying? No way was he going to let it go that easily. The more time they wasted here the less time they had at saving the rest of his people. He didn't know when they would have a chance at resting somewhere safe again but to him that wasn't important. If Nari wanted to stay and rest here then he could, but there was no chance that Caeso was staying. Nari wasn't the boss of him. He could leave whenever he wanted to, the spirit had been the one to decide to tag along. Caeso hadn't invited him and so it stood that the captain could leave whenever he wished.

"Washing up, fine, but staying and resting? No way. You can stay but I'm going, then." Caeso leaned forwards from where he had been sat back in the nest of pillows. The longer he sat the more inclined he would be to stay since it was far too comfortable. Nari had done a good job when it came to making a nice living space.

Nari wasn't moved. His stare was unimpressed as he said, "And I'll be doing that. I'm not the one denying what I need." Even if Caeso thought he was by the lack of food in his house, he wasn't arguing about it. He knew that he needed to take care of the wound because it was a constant pain in his side, no matter how much he ignored it. But Caeso was as stubborn as they came, and Nari wasn't about to back down from his insistence that he get some much-needed rest. He knew that the man would crash and burn the second the trauma and exhaustion set in, and who knew how long he would need to recover from that. It was better for them both if they just took their breather now to get their wits about them, figure out what they were even doing, and be refreshed in the morning for a long day of travel.

When he heard Caeso shift, Nari moved without really thinking about it. He shifted to kneel, consequently getting closer to the man, and reached out. His fingers ghosted over Caeso's neck, then slid up to his jaw until he could get a hold of his chin and keep him in place. It didn't matter that they were already closer from both of them leaning in—Nari tilted Caeso's face and brought it closer to drive his point home and guarantee all of the man's attention. It was a smooth motion, only stuttered by his blind seeking, but it narrowed his own attention down until it was like tunnel vision. Right in that moment, it was just the two of them and nothing else, like a little bubble only they were in. If he spoke too loud or moved too much, it might pop. The spell might break, and Caeso might elect to ignore him with even more excuse to leave without the spirit. That couldn't happen. Not when Nari could help him and they had the same goal. Not when he might find Caeso's body along the way if he truly left without him.

"I can't let you do that," Nari murmured. His hazy eyes were unwavering from where they were directed at Caeso's face, like he could see right through him and was seeing everything he was feeling. He couldn't, but there was a good enough guess. "If you leave, you will push yourself to the end. You will be weak, mentally and physically, and you will fail. Not because of any shortcomings, but because you will not survive yourself." A gentle nudge, just to keep Caeso's attention on him, and he swiped a thumb over the line of his jaw. "Don't stay because I'm asking you to. If you get yourself clean and fed and still want to leave, fine. We'll deal with that then. But stay long enough to make sure you don't make yourself suffer for nothing. Think about your people, and how good you would be to them in decent health, versus running on nothing but fumes."

If he could just get Caeso to stay long enough to wash up, change, and eat, then maybe Nari could convince him to sleep as well. If not, he had a way to make him sleep that he wouldn't be able to argue against. In the morning, he'd most definitely bitch at the spirit for pulling the stunt, but the damage would be done, and he wouldn't be able to change it or take it back. Nari would call it a win regardless of how he achieved it.