𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 [𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫]
a/n: *sighs* I should be studying but here we are. This is meant to be a little self-indulgent piece bc everything I hear about the current quest is nothing short of soul-crushing. unlike shaoji, I'm not lying when I say that this as a light-hearted story so please enjoy (；∀；) p.s. dividers by @bbyg4rlhelps
taglist: @naenaex0xx, @silvermah, @chokifandom, @digitalspool, @winteryreads. Anyone who wants to be added, just let me know :D
synopsis — you didn't think you were treated any differently by phainon. But as you were preparing to leave amphoreus, you were told that apparently the fancy souvenirs he gave you might indicate something else entirely. (TL;DR an AU where everything gets magically resolved and you go home)
word count — 1.9k
“Hey, guys. I'm recording our… um, last hours here in Amphoreus before we board the Express again." Caelus adjusts the phone in his hand, brows scrunched up in concentration, before he continues, "we've said our goodbyes to everyone, but honestly, I don't think the waterworks were necessary. It's not like we'd never stop by again.”
“Dan Heng's getting our luggage ready for when the crew comes down here to pick us up. Here, this is our… stuff,” he angles the camera to capture a pile of bags stacked in an orderly fashion, “we went here with little baggage and came home with a lot. The citizens gave us more than we anticipated, but then again, I guess that shouldn't be all too surprising for us considering what we did. And honestly? I'm not complaining. I'm not one to turn down free stuff. But, um… just letting you in on this. One of us here… got more than the rest.”
The camera whips towards you, shifting the focus to your face adorned in a faint pink hue.
“So… [name], mind telling us what gifts you got from a certain Chrysos Heir?”
Your shoulders raise in alarm and a near imperceptible trace of embarrassment. “H-Hey… don't make a fuss. It's not like you and Dan Heng weren't given anything by him.”
A snicker is heard from behind the camera. “That's because we didn't. At least, nothing as significant as yours. I definitely don't remember receiving anything of personal value.”
You turn your body away as you rub your neck.
“C'mon! Tell the Crew what you got! Yo, guys, one of us got special treatment!”
The camera goes dark, echoing rustles and some muffled voices.
“Okay, okay… give us the tea, [name]. Tell us what you got.” The camera lens zones in on Caelus as he nudges your side. “What did the Phainon of Aedes Elysiae get you?”
Despite his question, he aims decisively at the camera at the long golden plate covered in breathable cloth used mainly for edible goods during transport.
“Um… Phainon got me fish from his hometown. A thoughtful souvenir, in my opinion.”
Caelus draws his face closer to the camera as if to whisper something to the viewers. “Souvenir, my ass. It's a courting gift.” He removes himself from view and opts to put all the focus on you. “[name], I know you're not telling us the full story. Come on! Stop being so secretive! Tell us more!”
You rolled your eyes. “You're so nosy. Are you sure this isn't just you being jealous?”
“Damn right I'm jealous. You got this much delicious food that could last you an entire week!”
“The other Chrysos Heirs gave you something too! Stop acting like you weren't given anything!”
“Stop deflecting!” The camera shows Caelus’ hand pointing at you in an accusatory manner. “Now, hurry up and spill! Tell us more about this gift.”
It's obvious to Caelus by the indignant frown on your face that you prefer to be anywhere else than here, bothered non-stop by his persistent probing. A beat passes in charged silence, and Caelus is ready to bolt if you decide to retaliate physically. Until finally, you give in with a huff.
“Okay, okay… Phainon brought me to his hometown the other day and told me all about the place. He gave me a brief tour around the village, showed me where he lived and even where his parents work—”
“Oh~ introducing you to your future in-laws. How sly of him.”
“Don't interrupt me!” You shoot a weak glare at the smirking Nameless behind the camera. “A-And afterwards, he brought me to the lake where he talked about the fish there. Said it was the best in Amphoreus.”
“So, he caught a big one for you?”
“You should've seen him. He immediately jumped into the water before I could even say anything.” You burst into a fit of laughter, blissfully unaware of Caelus' intrigued look at the subtext of what his hasty actions implied. “When he got out, he brought the fish home and we waited for his clothes to dry on a hill. And then, when we got back, he told me I could walk around for a bit while he cooked the fish. And… yeah! That's about it.”
You're greeted by an awkward pause, and the camera is whipped around to capture Caelus’ comically bewildered expression.
“Yo… [name], he's courting you.”
“What? Seriously? Caelus, don't joke around—”
“N-N-No, I'm being serious. I don't think he was just being a hospitable tour guide.”
A breeze flies between the two of you; the silence remains unbroken. The serious way he relays that information makes your stomach churn with something fluttery yet uncomfortable.
“Oh…” You glanced down, fidgeting.
“What else did he give you?” Caelus walks closer to the smaller heaps of items placed adjacent to the cooked fish.
“Just some antique stuff.” You kneel down and carefully lift another object swathed in fine fabric. Once the wrapping comes undone, Caelus switches to his front camera to record his slack jaw.
“[name]...” He starts slowly, the teasing glint completely gone from his face. “This looks expensive.”
“Phainon didn't say where it's from specifically. Just that it's a treasured possession he managed to bargain from one of the stores in Marmoreal Market.”
The camera switches perspective and locks in on you.
“[name]... I want you to hold my hand while I say this.” You take his outstretched hand in spite of your bemusement. “I've helped him detect fake treasures before, and he imparted quite a lot of things about the items he encountered in his years of doing treasure appraisal. This—" He emphasizes his point by carrying the dolium and nearly shoving it in your face. "—is an extremely rare artifact. A highly sought out piece of earthenware.”
You both stare at each other like a pair of birds whose gaze reflects absolutely zero thoughts behind them.
“Oh my gosh… didn't Phainon mention that he doesn't get lucky often? His purchases turns out unlucky more often than not.” You slap a hand over your mouth as the gradual revelation pieces itself together. “You don't think he… gave me one of the rare good ones from his collection, do you?”
“I was about to call him a simp, but I think he deserves more than that title.” Caelus steals a glance at the camera, his voice dropped to a hushed murmur. “He's probably way past that point.”
“Do you think this garment is also of high quality?”
Your distraught comment prompts him to arch a brow.
“He gave you clothes… on top of the fish and dolium?”
When you respond with a wordless nod, he has to smother the crackle of jealousy that burns inside him. Seeing you receive all these luxurious gifts makes him feel as though he is witnessing a friend win the lottery.
By the time he's done stirring in envy, his jaw nearly crashes to the floor at the sight of the garment in your hands.
“[name], what the hell!? That's one of the expensive ones in Aglaea’s catalogue.”
“What!?” You both pull a face in sync.
“The ones for sale are limited in stock! And by that, I mean there's less than a hundred of them. How did he get this!?”
“Oh, man! Now I feel bad! But I can't return these! That'll hurt his feelings!”
You fold the piece of attire with utmost care and calculation, setting it back inside the finely crafted box tailored to match the garment and offer it protection without sacrificing an ounce of the aesthetic value.
"Don't tell me he gave you more!"
Caelus is all but having a meltdown right now. Sure, the two of you plus Dan Heng had been more than just heroes of Amphoreus. You all put your life on the line for a planet that you've set foot on for less than a quarter of your lifetime, and helped avert any and all forms of catastrophe from coming to fruition. He shouldn't be surprised if the gratitude of the people here in Amphoreus were conveyed through plentiful gifts and endless praise, but something tells him that the way Phainon is gifting you all these things conceal something more than just gratitude and a sense of camaraderie.
He would know, after all neither he nor Dan Heng received anything as excessive or as personal as you.
“He's bleeding himself dry for you!”
“Don't say that!” You lightly slap his shoulder. “M-Maybe… it was something that Aglaea gave him. I mean, they're pretty much family to each other, I'm assuming. Is it so surprising that the revered Deliverer got something expensive and intricately handcrafted by the Goldweaver herself?”
Caelus picks up on the nervousness that lies beneath your forced optimism. “You're not buying your own lie.”
“Please! I can't bear the thought of him draining his bank account for me!” You're so deep in your own distress that you fail to catch Caelus’ longing stare at the collection of high value souvenirs you got.
“I wish someone would splurge this much on me…”
Before you can reprimand him for his words, you both sense a familiar presence approaching. In an almost comically synced fashion, you both swerve your heads to the sight of the aforementioned guy walking up with his signature charming smile.
“Hey, you two! Is everything alright over there?”
Caelus raises a questioning brow at Phainon’s smile seemingly widening as he draws closer to you instead. His camera is still recording everything, and he's nothing if not nosy and bothersome with no intentions of letting this opportunity slip by.
He subtly aims the camera at you both, zooming in on Phainon's face enough to capture the minuscule twitches and crinkles every time you respond to him.
“Do you two need help carrying these?” Phainon gestures at piled up luggage.
“We should be fine. I don't want to trouble you anymore than we alrea—”
“Hey, what's with the reluctance?” He inclines his head towards you ever so slightly, mindful of the space between you while also indulging in his desire for a speck of proximity. “I'm more than happy to help.”
“I know I've probably said this a lot of times, but thank you.” You don't think it's physically possible, but Phainon's face grows radiant. “Truly. For the gifts. Especially the gifts. You've been an amazing host and companion to us."
“I'm glad it's to your liking. I want to make sure that you leave Amphoreus with nothing but the absolute best piece of it.” He flashes you his trademark grin, the one he shares with children and elders, the one he sports when he greets the vendors in Marmoreal Market. Maybe it's a trick of the light, but even his regular smile feels more blinding than usual.
It almost takes your mind off the fact that this man is burning through his own life savings just to buy you parting gifts.
Somewhere not too far away, Caelus stands unmoving, positioning his camera at you and Phainon like a paparazzi whose rent is due.
“Look at them, guys.” He makes gagging noises. “Can you believe they're that dense? Aeons, you can just see his tail wagging non-stop. How does one resemble an excited puppy so much?”
From within the screen of his phone, your silhouette huddles close to Phainon's. One would argue that it's actually the opposite. But seeing him outstretch his hand towards like you like a freezing man would towards a fire, seeking comfort yet afraid of touching; and the way he seizes your hand with nimble force whenever you so much as touch one of your carry-on as if to prevent you from doing a task he deems is reserved solely for him, Caelus has a not-so-arbitrary inkling that Phainon would probably spend even more on you if he could.
He decides to end the recording when he sees something sticking out of the warrior's pocket.
He ends up keeping the camera rolling, zooming, zeroing in on the object when the man himself extricates it from his pants and presents it to you.
The image in his screen sharpens from its previously blurry state.
A bracelet—brown strings, white beads with a few blue ones. Something glints at the center. By the time Caelus recognizes the sun shape, he's jamming his thumb at the ‘stop’ button with a frustrated yell.
“Oh, c'mon! Yeah, right! ‘Not courting’, my ass!”
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