Chapter Text
“So, Caelus, what do you think of Dan Heng?”
“Dan Heng?” Caelus’ ears perked up, raising a brow. Phainon nodded, digging into his breakfast and waiting patiently for his answer.
Caelus hummed, sipping his tea. “Well for starters he’s a dependable person,” he said wistfully, and Phainon had to stifle the urge to snicker. “He won’t hesitate to be at your side when you call him, no matter the situation. Oh, and he’s strong. Like, seriously strong. He managed to take down four automatons all by himself without breaking a sweat.”
Automatons? Were they some weird mechanical life form? Never mind, he’d ask about that later. “Oh?” he smirked, leaning forward. “Sounds like someone’s been observant.”
“Kinda hard not to,” Caelus shrugged, chewing on his pancakes and gulping. “Oh man these pancakes are so good. I think I know where I’ll be going every day for breakfast and lunch. Thanks for the food, Phai.”
Phainon chuckled, blushing slightly at the nickname. “It’s no trouble,” he replied, quickly gobbling up his breakfast and waiting for the man to finish before pulling out a sack of coins and setting them on the table. They both thanked Kyros and headed towards the baths where the Trailblazer’s room was in this newly built world. “You helped us save Amphoreus and even rebuilt it with memoria. The least I can do is help you assimilate into new Okhema.”
“You didn’t have to do that though, ya know. But thanks a lot." Caelus smiled and elbowed him playfully on the ribs. “Also, a country bumpkin becoming a tour guide? Not to mention my tour guide? You seem to know more than them.”
“Oh hush you,” Phainon ruffled his silver hair, laughing at the tiny giggles escaping from Caelus’ lips. “Aren’t you quite the charmer? I bet you manage to attract quite the attention with that smooth tongue of yours.”
The trailblazer snorted. “As if you don’t. Don’t think I don’t see the way the ladies swoon behind your back as you stroll through the market, or how you convince shop owners to lower their prices by half. You’re worse than me. Is it because of your status as the Deliverer?”
“I think I’ll have to sue you for defamation,” he shot back mock seriously, placing a hand on his hip. “Not to mention you’re also the Deliverer too. In that case you’d have to sue yourself!”
“I’m not the first one among the Chrysos Heirs to do so, and Aglaea wouldn’t do a thing either. Therefore, your point is moot and your threats are empty. Oh, and I can’t sue myself, so there’s that.”
“Fuck you,” Phainon muttered.
Caelus smirked. “Love you too, you big doofus. Anyways, this was fun and all, but I think I’m gonna rest for a bit. We've been hopping from planet to planet before getting here and I’m still feeling the effects of whopping the Dreamjolt Troupe back in their places. I’ve swung my bat so many times in the past few hours I can barely feel em right now.”
Phainon patted his shoulder sympathetically. “Gotta live up to your reputation as the Galactic Baseballer, am I right? But take as much rest as you need, ok? After that we can take a walk around the Garden of Life, and you, Dan Heng and March can come over to Mydei’s house for dinner.
Caelus gave him a tired smile and promptly let out a wide yawn. “That does sound nice. I know for a fact the Chimera’s missed me dearly. So I shall see you later then?
He nodded his head and shot him a lazy salute. “Sure. See you later.”
“De. Mydeiiiii! I need your help with something please.”
“No.”
“But you haven’t even heard what I had to say!”
“And I already know it’s going to be ridiculous,” Mydei replied, not bothering to even spare a glance at him as he read through that boring military book. How rude!
Phainon huffed, kicking at the blankets and stared up at the ceiling. “Well for starters,” he said, ignoring Mydei’s earlier warning, if it could be called that, “it’s about Caelus and Dan Heng. I need your help with them.”
Now that got Mydei’s attention. Phainon snickered as the prince’s head swivelled to face him, a brow raised. He always knew how to grab his attention. “The trailblazers? Did something happen to them?”
Phainon. “No, they’re fine. It’s more about…ahh, their…uhmmm…their relationship status.” There, the secret was finally out. Anyone in his position would feel embarrassed to publicly admit they wanted to stalk their two friends to see if they were merely close friends or something more, but (un)fortunately he wasn’t one of those kinds of people. Call him shameless if you want to, but right now he was a man on a mission! Mnestia would thank him for his hard work once this was all over if they weren’t dead.
Mydei eyed him suspiciously. “Phainon,” he said slowly, as if he were talking to a child and not a 25 year old man who refused to take his choker off even in bed. “I’m pretty sure it’s common sense to not interfere in other people's personal relationships. Especially theirs. They’re the reason why Amphoreus is now a real planet and the reason why that Aeon didn’t snatch you the moment Iron Tomb fell. The least we can do is give them some basic privacy.”
And he knows that. Knows that very well. But like he mentioned earlier, he was a man with a mission, and they were his friends! Not strangers. Besides, he felt like it was doing them a favor after all they’ve done. He’s the Deliverer for crying out loud! He vowed he’d deliver anything!
…Ok maybe not everything but the point was clear enough.
“I know that,” he said, grabbing Mydei’s book and flinging it halfway across the room. The man didn’t move to grab it and merely raised a brow. “But don’t tell me you haven’t been the least curious ever since those two first stepped on Amphoreus’ digital soil. Hell, Castorice and Miss Hysilens told me about the smitten look on Dan Heng’s face when he pulled Cae from the sea of memoria.”
Truth was, Phainon had always been suspicious about their relationship the moment he saw them hold hands. And call him stupid if you want to, but mere friends didn’t hold hands tightly or look at each other for more than ten seconds with that look in their eyes, right? That’s what Castorice told him.
Mydei sighed, leaning against the headboard. “Even if I were, snooping around isn’t a good idea. And what if you’re wrong and they are good friends? What if what you do brings more bad than good? What would you do then?”
Now that…was something he admittedly didn’t think about. Phainon opened his mouth, then closed it and opened it once again, and closed it once again. His wings, which had been folded across his lap, were now raised to shield his body partially as he rocked back and forth, thinking. But at the same time he had a feeling he was onto something! Their body language was completely off for them to be friends. In a sense they reminded him of him and Mydei when they first started out.
He reached for Cyrene’s journal–the one she had left for him before she set out to close Amphoreus’ causality–and flipped through it languidly. This book was something he held onto dearly, always keeping it somewhere visible. It was the only piece of his sister he had left, until she could return to the present day. The last page was a written promise that they would reunite under the pale dawn–a promise Phainon knew with all his heart she would uphold. She was Cyrene after all. His older sister always had her quirks.
Towards the end of the book Phainon noticed there was a small section dedicated to the Trailblazers that he hadn’t noticed before. Upon inspecting through the pages more carefully, he gasped softly and grinned–it seems to be he hadn’t been the only one with suspicions after all. “Mydei,” he called out to the prince, who responded with a grunt. “Look at this.”
“Look at what?” Mydei leaned forward and read through the pages, all written in loopy cursive that was Cyrene’s handwriting. His eyes widened a small fraction at her observation and sighed. Phainon snapped the book shut and shot him a smug smile. Mydei rolled his eyes. “So Cyrene as Mem also had her doubts, so what? It still doesn’t mean we can just interfere.”
“But Cyrene had a history of being right,” Phainon shot back. “Don’t forget she was a Priestess of Oronyx and a fortune teller using her oracle cards. Plus, did you forget how many people had to intervene when it came to us? Castorice and Hyacine especially?”
“That’s different,” Mydei protested weakly.
“But is it?” Phainon asked.
Mydei glared at him but didn’t say a word. Phainon cheered mentally. “This still doesn’t feel right,” he murmured, crossing his arms. “Those two are close, yes, but I don’t want to be responsible if we end up doing something that makes them drift apart.”
Phainon’s smile softened and he bumped their shoulders together. “They won’t know it’s us, and I do want to help them. You don’t have to actively help me, but I’d appreciate your assistance. And what I end up being correct and help them realize their feelings? Judging from Cyrene’s notes they really do care about each other a lot. And who knows? Maybe they had some history prior to their arrival, if Cas’ words were anything to go by.”
A small voice told him to call March and ask about those two, but she was currently busy putting together her own past and even if he wanted to, he doesn’t think he had her number. Yes Phainon could always get it from Hyacine, but that would be too easy now, wouldn’t it?
Mydei sighed once again and pulled him into a side hug. Phainon’s wings instinctively wrapped itself around them both, the edges resting on Mydei’s shoulder. He gently ran a finger through the feathers. “I suppose there’s no stopping you. But I do have to ask, just exactly how are you planning to get those two together?”
Now that was a question Phainon had the perfect answer for. “Come along and watch my dear apprentice. For I, Phainon/Khaslana of Aedes Elysiae have the most perfect plans to get our two dear friends to love each other!”
“...Did you just say the slash out loud?”
“That’s irrelevant!”