Caius chewed the inside of his cheek when she talked about missing her chocobo. "Me too" he muttered under his breath. He missed the chocobos back home. He tried not to think about it, but watching what had happened to them all was...

Maybe they got away when their home was razed. He had to tell himself that, whenever he thought about it. The pain of his family's death was already hard enough on him. The thought of the chocobos being cooked too was too much to bear. It was part of why he had repressed those memories for so long. Albeit involuntary.

Renitra said something about a temple knight that made no sense to him, so Caius just nodded to affirm he was definitely not from her world. Eorzea was definitely where Alex and his motley crew was from, which might be trouble. Speaking of trouble, and speaking of Alex, it seemed this one had some trauma to offload, by the sounds of that sniffle. By Lucis, Caius was definitely not equipped for this. But he tried his best to listen nonetheless. At least until she mentioned Alex. Then his brows furrowed.

“That ‘Rising Stones boy’ is as far from an honorable warrior as you can get. Listening to him will do you as much good as taking advice from goblins” Caius remarked as blunt as a hammer. "Zenos doesn't sound like much either. Probably the type to raze a village for fun."

That had actually happened.

“In short? Alex is a prick. And a bully. Who is so desperate for money, and attention, that he hires serial killers for his Stones. And tries to sabotage local health clinics because they're taking attention away from him.”

Sure, Sephiroth’s situation was… Complicated. But he and Cloud still leveled the city without care. While Cloud’s deep trauma had been to blame, Sephiroth had done his part without thinking twice. Besides, Alex had talked a bunch of bunk about the Dragonblades. Maybe he should have a taste of his own medicine?

Amongst everything else he had done, Sorel could rot in hell for what he said to Renitra, too.

Caius had spent most of the last day with Lumina and her family, after having been coaxed into going on this cruise with them. With his power, he had been able to buy Lumina a little time without fear of the scourged parasite spreading to others, giving her a well-needed reprieve after all this time. But this sudden surprise trip came with some ramifications, ones that rang in his head even now.

The intention had been for him to return to Sonora and meet her, waiting with her and keeping tabs on her until Noctis and his retinue had recovered from their escape from Sonora. Once they had, he would find a means to bring her to a secure location for them to meet, and Caius and Noctis would work together to try and drive the parasite out. However, with this trip… Going back to Sonora was likely no longer necessary. Noctis and Prompto had arrived in Provo safely, and would likely be ready to go by the time they returned. Which meant…

The last fight with this parasite was upon them. Caius had little doubt that upon being expunged it would attack, and he and Noctis would both likely be drained, as would Lumina. They had no idea how powerful it would be, and that was if they even succeeded… Alex’s words still tormented him, even if that fool had no idea what was going on. What if it did kill Lumina?

This trip was supposed to be a chance to relieve stress for them all, and for Caius to try and learn to relax, with no responsibilities to be found out here for him to shoulder. But it may also be the last bit of time he would get to spend with Lumina. Either before everything went to -shit- or…

He didn’t like to think about the alternative. Opening pandora’s box was just if they were lucky. Either way, things were about to change. And Caius was quite happy to spend all this time with Lumina and her family before everything goes crazy, even if he was still having a hard time with letting his hair down. Trying to relax seemed almost as exhausting as working, and he had to be reminded to stop stressing about work at every turn. Celes could handle it, he knew. She was far more capable as a leader than he was. But it didn’t keep him from worrying. But at the end of the day, it was agreed that the Dragonblades’ objectives could be left in Celes’ care for the time being. The potential fate of hundreds of lives, should that parasite take Lumina over or get loose… This was Caius’ job. They had two people in command for a reason. She would do her job… It was up to Caius to do his.

With the power of kings, he was one of the few who could.

But as much as he had enjoyed this time with Lumina, there was one thing he understood. While the Farron family had essentially adopted him as their own, at the end of the day, those were her sisters, and he was still just the “prospective boyfriend”, as they called him. And Lumina deserved to have a little quality time with just her sisters on this trip before they returned. He’d already had adequate alone time with her, now it was her siblings’ turn.

So Caius had ensured that would happen by signing up for this activity drawing. Now she didn’t have to worry about him, and could enjoy that much-needed sister bonding time. While he was out doing… Something. That something being... This? Sea-flying, or whatever fancy term they called it. It was basically just flying, right? He’d done this before. Atop a dragon however, not via… Whatever this was. Ok, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Though the thought of their vessel falling stirred some bad memories about the Kraken attack… But, Caius reassured himself, he doubted they would go that far from the ship. It wouldn’t be like last time.

However, any thought of this being normal or routine was stunted the second he was seated alongside a man with a single large wing on his back, who had started arguing with the staff over the lifejackets. Caius was dressed in the sole t-shirt and shorts he owned, courtesy of the ship’s gift shop, with no wings to speak of. So he had no problems with getting it attached. But this guy… Well, he supposed at least with wings--er, a wing, there wouldn’t be any trouble if there was an accident? But he couldn’t shake the feeling this creepy-looking guy was familiar somehow. Not wanting the fellow to think he was judging over the wing, however, he had averted his gaze and kept from staring.

Until the man spoke to him. Citing himself as having been involved in that horrible manor incident. Well, that made sense. Hadn’t he seen this guy skulking around there for a hot minute? Why had he been doing that, he had to wonder-

“Actually, I wasn’t sure who made it out alive after I burned the place down, so good for you on surviving. Anyway, I’m Genesis. Charmed, probably.”

That was why.

Caius stared back at him blankly for a moment, blinking a few times as he struggled to process what “Genesis” had just said. And the fact he was sitting beside an arson-happy psychopath while about to be sent high into the air. What… Did he even say to that? How in Lucis’ name was he supposed to respond? An arsonist had just admitted to arson in front of him, he should probably handle this. But here, with innocents right there? Innocents he was already angry with?

No, this was not the time. He had to handle this with care, get through this activity, and ensure he didn’t put the other passengers in danger. He could prioritize his capture later, when innocents were safe, or if he did act, deal with it quickly.

There went any chance of him actually relaxing.

At least if it did come to a fight, the fireworks would alert the Farron sisters right away. Of course, then Lumina wouldn’t let him out of her sight for awhile. Definitely not for the rest of this trip. So if possible, he really should proceed cautiously.

“Caius,” he answered his greeting with his own, keeping a calm composure outwardly despite all that raged on within. “I uh. You have me at a loss, Ser Genesis. Why… Exactly, did you burn the manor? Would have had more time to rescue my comrades if you didn’t.”

And maybe he would have met Lumina all that time ago, and been able to help her back then. But he had prioritized Celes and Faris’ safety over all else in the wake of the fire. He had already apologized profusely to Lumina when he did meet her proper and learned about what they were doing to her down there, and she hadn’t taken offense. Still…

So she had used egi originally. That was actually good. If her primary use of summons was through egi, maybe… Could he head Alex off? Stop this before it starts? But she also didn’t know if it was the same here. If she was utilizing the real Shiva… She did so unknowingly.

“It’s not your fault that you don’t know. I wish I had known of his intentions sooner, I could have warned you long ago. He confided his intentions to me and we almost came to blows. I offered to investigate for him, but he sees me, and all others, as below him. Comes with being his world’s retired “Hero” apparently.”

His disdain for Alex wasn’t hidden whatsoever. The so-called “Warrior Of Light” hadn’t earned any level of respect. Not after what he had done. But he couldn’t tell Yuna about the tempering risk. He still didn’t know Shiva’s abilities in this world or if it had hold over Yuna. It was best to be cautious for now, and not risk Shiva’s ire.

Unsurprisingly, Yuna would ask what was going on in Sonora, since he had made it clear the business with Noctis wasn’t his only business there. He hadn’t wanted to worry Yuna, but… “The King is fine. He should be arriving in Provo shortly, hopefully you might even meet him soon. But the friend that’s in trouble, she’s… I guess you could say she’s special to me.”

That would probably set off some flags, he was sure, considering his last conversation with Yuna. That felt like a lifetime ago, didn’t it?

“A lot’s happened while you and Celes have been busy here. But this woman, she’s in trouble. Serious trouble. Do you… Remember that man you fought in that hospital? The one who spread blight that originated from my world. His… Blight, melded with some kind of parasite. One whose last host was taken over fully, and slaughtered hundreds before the body was destroyed. It’s now within her. And time is running out. I owe it to her, and to her family that took me in as their own without a second thought, to save her.”

Staff would arrive and ask for their orders. Caius found something hastily and ordered then. He took a deep breath, thinking over his words as he turned back to Yuna once she was settled with hers.

“In a cruel twist of fate, my power seems to be the only thing that can push it back, even if only just temporarily. Yet, it’s not strong enough to push it out entirely…” he admitted softly, chewing the inside of his cheek. “… -I’m- not strong enough.”

How many times now had he blamed himself and his inadequacies for where Lumina was now? He didn’t know. But he had been holding it in for some time. It wasn’t something he could just say to Noctis, after all. It would just make him feel worse. But Yuna… Yuna was always understanding, he knew.

Caius stared down at his hands a moment, a long frown forming as though he were cursing them. Cursing himself. “For everything that I’ve been through, all that I’ve done to get better. It’s not enough. If I’d been born in the Lucian line and had access to their nigh-infinite wells of power within the Ring, been trained almost since birth in their use, maybe… Maybe she would be alright. But I’m not. I’m not enough to get the job done, or to protect one of the people I cherish most. But perhaps Noctis will be.”

He let out a small, bitter laugh at the irony. For the first time in a long while, he let his deepest, bitterest thoughts show. Unrestrained, a side he didn’t like to show.

“Once more, I find myself stuck, holding the enemy at bay… Waiting for the Chosen King to come to my rescue — to do what I could not.”

At the very least, Yuna was aware of Sephiroth, and what Cloud had said. That was good. At least she knew the threat they may face. And was willing to take backup if she could. “I’ll see what one of us can do. Sephiroth apparently has no memory of his atrocities… But he didn’t exactly hesitate to cause the damage he did in Provo, either. We may end up at war with the Stones, as much as I would like to avoid that outcome. Be ready for anything.”

"I'll try" Caius promised softly. It was sweet of Yuna to worry for him, and he supposed he wasn't all that surprised that she would. Still, he was more worried for her than himself. She just wanted to run her clinic and help people. She didn't deserve to be hunted like this. He wished he had never let Alex find out... Though it was likely Alex would discover it eventually. She didn't exactly make a secret of utilizing Shiva on the battlefield. She had done that long before joining the guild. Unfortunately, that didn't make him feel any better.

She didn't know what an egi was? Oh. Caius made a face as he tried to consider a definition... How did he become the one giving language lessons? That was usually Yuna’s job with him. “An egi is like… An apparition. It looks like them, it acts like them. Fights like them. But it is a conjuration instead of the real thing.” That wasn't good. Made it all the more likely they were dealing with the real thing. It would be a bitter pill to swallow if Alex was right that Shiva was an actual threat. But he didn't know enough to know that for sure.

As for Yuna? She decided she was going to meet with him. Because of course she was. How had he thought this was going to go any differently? This was Yuna they were talking about. She had always been like this, and while they had been apart for some time, it wasn't like she was the type to change so drastically.

“I was worried you would say that" Caius admitted with a long, exasperated sigh. He had forgotten about the menu in that moment, as he tried to think of anything, literally anything he could do to amend this situation. Something to dissuade her. But there was nothing. She would meet with him, whether Caius liked it or not. All he could really help with, was the how. “He doesn’t give a damn about this world,” Caius did first correct one thing, at least based off the impression the so-called "Hero" had given. “Alexander Sorel is for himself, and his own whims and wants. He’s made that very clear to me. The Eikons, in his view, threaten his interests. I don’t think trying to appeal to his morals or concern for others is going to do anything.”

His palm wiped his face. He could at least warn Yuna of what to expect. And the best precautions to take. Because...

“I already tried. Even if it’s possible I didn’t try hard enough, I highly doubt that someone who would flaunt in my face that they could save my friend but won’t because they don’t want to, purely out of spite -- has any real morals or strength of character.”

For a moment, his eyes flickered with a hint of genuine anger. He had done his best to be calm as he could be, not wanting to lose himself around Yuna. But Alex's mockery of what he was going through, what the person he cherished most was going through, was...

Unforgivable. Alex was scum, in his eyes. No matter who he claimed to have once been, or his motives for doing what he did now, Caius lacked any respect for the man. Or belief that he was rational in the slightest. “I cannot stop you. But do not go alone, if you can help it. It’s possible he is overconfident enough to try to take you out himself, but I wouldn’t count on it. In his employ is Sephiroth, and likely other disreputables that wouldn't hesitate to level the city. Don't underestimate them. Make sure you’re where you will have backup if need be. I won't be leaving for Sonora again right away, so if things go bad -- I'll come running."