Chapter Text
Caspian groaned into his pillow, lifting up his bandana off of his eyes to glare at the little candle on the table. Even his blindfolded eyes and buried face couldn’t allow him to ignore the flickering of the flame, just the mere knowledge of its presence was keeping him from slumber.
“Are you sure we can’t blow it out? Ansel must be asleep by now.” Caspian whined from his floor mattress – the inn could only provide so many bed frames.
Pyeiaytbyie looked up from his book, his eyes drifting from the candle to the tired Genasi. “Well I’m still reading.” He made up an excuse for Ansel’s sake.
“You’ll be reading all night, AND you have darkvision!” Caspian rebutted.
The Drow Elf closed his book, shushing him. “Keep your voice down.”
“Just give me solace and blow out the candleuhhhh.” He drawled, burying his face back into his pillow.
He heard Pyeiaytbyie sigh and lean over his chair, feeling himself physically relax at the sound of the candle being blown out. That peace didn’t last long though, as a mere 5 seconds later Ansel shot up from his bed, practically flinging Mr. Binsgly off the bed as he summoned a ball of light.
“For Lock’s sake.” Caspian muttered under his breath, turning to watch Ansel scurry out of bed and fiddle with the matches.
“Sorry Ansel.” Pyeiaytbyie whispered guiltily, leaning back into his chair.
“Wuh huppuh-” Kairon asked groggily from his bed, his hair sticking to his face.
“ANSELLUHHHH” Caspian winged. “How did you even notice!?”
“I don’t like the dark.” Ansel huffed as if it was common knowledge, shaking the match away after he lit the small candle.
“You’re a grown adult, Ansel. This should have been fixed when you were 5.” Billie said grumpily from her mattress in the far corner.
“What’s wrong with just a little candle? Please guys, I get really nervous.” Ansel pleaded.
“Honestly, what did we expect? A Rah disciple scared of the dark is like a cat scared of water.” Kairon said, rubbing his eyes.
“How about,” Pyeiaytbyie stood up from his chair, letting his nest of blankets fall to the floor. “We just try to help you get over it? That way you get over your fear and everyone can get some sleep.”
Ansel didn’t agree to it, but he didn’t object to it either. He just stood there unsure.
Caspian sat up, eager to do anything to be able to blow out that little annoying candle. “Good idea. We can start with exposure therapy!”
“What’s that?” Ansel asked.
“When I do this.” Caspian took the candle and blew it out, eliciting a yelp from Ansel.
He frowned when the paladin lit his nightshirt aglow.
“Or, we talk about it.” Pyeiaytbyie said, patting Ansel’s shoulder. “What is it you’re actually scared of? Do you think there’s something in the dark?” He asked.
“No, that’s just silly.” Ansel said, fishing for another match.
“Well it can’t be because you can’t see, you have darkvision… right?” Kairon said, throwing his hoofs over the side of his bed.
“I do.” Ansel answered yet didn’t spare a glance his way.
“Then what is it??” Caspian asked with exasperation.
Ansel snatched the candle back and lit it up again, carefully setting it down on the table. “I just don’t like it.”
Caspian rolled his eyes, falling back into his pillow. “You’ll have to come up with a better reason.”
Vi-Be beeped from his spot next to Caspians pillow, yet with Peter asleep he had no hope of knowing what the little box was trying to say.
“You heard Vi-Be, argue your case or I’ll throw that candle in the toilet.”
Ansel tensed at that, looking down at the box with betrayal. “I uh…” He muttered.
“Myesss?”
“I don’t know, I guess I just…” Ansel stumbled over his words.
“Is this gonna take a while?” Billie piped up.
“You guys are horrible friends. Let the man sort through his internal conflict in his own time.” Pyeiaytbyie scolded them.
“I’m not- I don’t have internal conflict! I just don’t like the idea of not having light upon me.” Ansel argued back.
“Ah, so that’s what it is.” Pyeiaytbyie hummed.
“What?” Ansel looked over to him.
Pyeiaytbyie led the glowing human back to his bed where Bingsly was trying to settle back into. “You just can’t fathom parting ways with good ol’ Rah. It’s pretty obvious when it’s coming from you.”
“No, that’s ridiculous. Rah’s light doesn’t come from a measly candle, Rah is the sun , the keeper of the sun, thee who graces our world with the spectre of colours.” Ansel started rambling.
“Yes yes we know that, you know that, but it doesn’t mean your subconscious doesn’t. It’s just a little nervous at the idea that no light means no Rah. ”
Ansel huffs. “I think that’s a stretch.”
“I don’t know, you’re pretty dumb by that.” Kairon picked at his nose.
“Well whatever it is. Can you tell his subconscious to let me sleep in sweet darkness!?” Caspian asked before clawing himself up Ansel and clutching his head. “LET ME SLEEP!!!” He screamed in his ear.
He was promptly thrown back on his mattress.
“That’s not how you help these things.” Pyeiaytbyie tutted, sitting Ansel back down on his bed before turning to stand next to the candle again. “Ansel, you just need to hammer it into your head that just because there isn’t a light around doesn’t mean Rah isn’t gone.”
Ansel seemed to flinch as Pyeiaybtyie raised his hand towards the candle, to which Pyeiaytbyie frowned and looked out at the window behind the large man.
“I don’t think you’d… appreciate me saying this, but it may help.” He pointed out at the moon shining its brilliance down on the countryside. “Just because Rah’s dipped past the horizon doesn’t mean their light isn’t still shining down. Some astrologists believe that the moon’s light is just the suns reflecting down onto the land to provide some sense of sight during the dark nights.”
Ansel followed Pyeiaybtyie’s gaze, staring out at the moon. Caspian didn’t have too strong of feelings at that idea of Lock’s moonlight simply being Rah’s reflection, but he knew Ansel had some nasty opinions about it. But that wasn’t the point tonight.
Caspian felt himself rejoice at the sight of Ansel relaxing at the thought.
“Can we blow the candle out now?” The Genasi asked.
“Already did.” Pyeiaytbyie smirked as he held up the dim candle, letting the smoke trickle up to the ceiling.
Ansel whipped his head back when he heard that, but he thankfully didn’t jump up again. He sighed and grabbed his blanket.
“Alright, sorry.” He said, laying back down.
Caspian was just about to say ‘you should be’ , but he was interrupted by Kairon.
“You should be.” The Teifling flopped back onto his own pillow, bundled in blankets.
Pyeiaybtyie sat back in his chair, bringing his book back to his face. “No problem. Just means you’ll have to help me fix Caspian’s claustrophobia next.”
“I do NOT have clotofosbia.” Caspian glared.
“Mhm, sure.” Pyeiaytbyie snickered from behind his book.
“You definitely do.” Billie stated.
Caspian furrowed his brow. He doesn’t even know what that is, but it sounds gross.