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He doesn't understand Eli Clark.
He really, really doesn't understand Eli Clark.
All of the survivors in this manor are interesting in their own way. There aren't too many of them, and some have resided far longer than others, but it certainly doesn't diminish the crowd's distinctive nature. With their varying backgrounds and skillsets, it's nearly impossible to keep track of everyone, but Naib can.
It's in his job description as a rescuer: whether it was due to someone being chaired or needing help with kiting, Naib has met and talked to them.
Honestly, he didn't like how they all know him because of it.
Don't get him wrong: of course they would pick up on his name and status as a mercenary. That stuff is public knowledge. It's just that, because of his job, everyone wants to know him, and it irks him to no end. It didn't matter if Naib often spent his time alone and didn't speak much, building quite the reputation. The other survivors want to meet the person that saves and shields them.
He keeps it short and simple whenever they try to speak, hearing what they have to say and acting as though he didn't care. Most survivors get the right idea and leave him alone. A good portion of the survivors are decent people, but the idea of building a friendship with them is just... unfavorable in their environment.
Norton Campbell is one notable exception, being close to a friend but not entirely. Their relationship was rocky initially, and Naib remembers the exact reason why. It began in a match - because of course, it did - and the mercenary saved the prospector from the chair, only to be blasted backward by a magnet into the hunter. Sufficed to say, they fought afterward and, while he remembers how exhilarating it was, he also recalls being royally pissed.
Eventually, things mellowed out between them. While they still argue now and then, Naib doesn't mind his company, and they often hang out. They're more similar than he wants to admit: dour in appearance, experienced, and untalkative. It's a mixture of these similarities that caused him to allow a rapport, but the biggest factor has to be how Norton understands.
He understands that Naib isn't built to last and it would be better not to get attached.
He's not sure where or when Norton picked up on it, but he's eternally grateful that the prospector backs off if things get too familiar. Death is an uncertainty in the manor. If a survivor bled out in a match, they would appear in the manor, injured but alive. Naib's sentiment about death hasn't changed, regardless of revival or not.
It's sudden, awful, and he's grown used to it, but he never wants to inflict that pain on someone else.
So, he keeps his distance. Of course, he likes some of the other survivors - he goes out of his way to die for most of them, after all - but he has to pretend that he doesn't; otherwise, things get messy. It's a selfish desire, but better in the long run for everyone involved.
His cold disposition worked. Survivors stay away and they avoid hurting themselves. Naturally, a few attempt more than others, such as Emma and William, but they're eventually forced to leave him alone if they don't want to 'bother' him.
His cold disposition worked until it didn't.
Because guess what?
Guess.
It was their first match together.
He had been kiting last when the final cipher popped. As the sirens sounded, the hunter's eyes glowed of Detention, but Naib wasn't afraid. He knew how to brace for death. He pinged for the others to leave him, to save themselves and head to an exit gate.
His radio gave a low buzz in response, but he hadn't checked it, too occupied with dodging a fog blade that cut off a window he was planning to use. He assumed his teammates were leaving. That had been his first mistake.
His second mistake was being hit on his way to escape. As soon as the claws rend into his back, Naib ran. He ran to the exit gate, despite wanting to collapse on the spot. It was what set him apart from others, an ability that allowed him more time.
But with a fog blade gaining on him, he wasn't going to make it.
Except he did.
An owl swooped in from thin air, soaking the projectile and vanishing. The mercenary stumbled past the exit gate in the nick of time, escaping back to the manor.
He thought that would be the end of it. He had thought all of his teammates were safe. One look at the record showed that wasn't the case. The match ended in with a three-man escape. Their seer hadn't made it and Naib wasn't there to rescue him.
He was astounded, confused, and most of all, guilty that he failed. Naib wasn't sure what compelled him to visit Eli, but he did, finding the injured seer on a bed in their makeshift infirmary.
Eli offered a soft smile when he walked in. "Hello, Naib! I'm glad you escaped."
"What happened?" They were the first words that came out of his mouth, ignoring the other's pleasantries.
The seer merely tilted his head. "Ah, during the match? I saw that the hunter was chasing you, so I sent my friend." His owl cooed, the bird perched near its owner. "I'm thankful she managed to protect you. I hadn't made it to the exit gate yet and, by the time I arrived, the hunter was waiting there." Eli gave his owl an affectionate pet, a serene smile remaining on his face. "I was caught afterward."
Honestly, out of all the regrets Naib had that day, the worst one was yelling at him.
"What the hell is the matter with you?!"
"Naib--"
He could've stopped there, but he hadn't. "You should've just left me behind! You could've escaped if you prioritized saving that owl for yourself. It's my job to help you out, not the other way around. So why? Why would you do something so… so...?!"
Emily would have killed him for yelling at a patient, but he couldn't understand. He really couldn't understand. But even then, he shouldn't have lost his temper on someone who helped and was hurt because of it. Naib had expected Eli to be upset from his assistance being rebuffed by the receiver. Any reasonable person would be bothered by that.
But no.
None of that.
Eli frowned, but for a completely different reason.
"I know you want to protect everyone," he explained gently. Naib had been too stunned to speak, so the seer continued. "The others mentioned how often you shield hits and rescue, but..." Eli's frown deepened. "I also heard how often you're left behind in a match. You take the fall alone and stay away from everyone." It was true, but the seer wasn't finished. "It's my job to protect survivors, too. You're as deserving of protection as the others, Naib."
And Eli smiled.
He smiled, and Naib couldn't understand why his heart wretched at that moment.
The mercenary apologized for yelling, said his goodbye, and fled the room like a coward, hoping that the strange feeling would leave.
It hadn't left.
And it's still a problem a few weeks later.
Not only that, but Eli goes out of his way to talk to him now, and Naib isn't sure what to do about it anymore.
Naib turned him away at first, to no avail. Eventually, he conceded and allowed Eli to talk to him. During their interactions, he tries being cold, he tries acting disinterested, he tries to push him away, but it doesn't work. Then again, Naib struggles to keep it up at times, because in truth, he enjoys the seer's company. Eli is polite, kind, and thoughtful. He's someone that Naib doesn't want to hurt. This is for Eli's own good. Surely he'll catch on eventually.
It's not like Eli doesn't have other people to converse with. He seems to be growing closer to another new survivor named Aesop Carl, who's extremely cold and timid to everyone else. Not to mention how open he is to Emma and William's attempts at banding the group. Plus, he talks plenty to that companion of his. He could be doing anything else, and yet, the seer insists on spending his time with a mercenary?
Naib seriously can't fathom his existence and it's driving him insane.
So now, they're at an impasse. Eli visits him, Naib tries to keep his distance, and they spend time with each other, but it's not a game that'll go on forever.
Today is the day it ends.
Today is the day where Naib will understand Eli Clark.
Naib finds him lingering inside the manor and decides to take the initiative.
"Hey, Eli." He resists the urge to wave at him, keeping his arms crossed.
"Hello Naib!" the seer responds sweetly. "I hope all is well."
"Oh, uh..." He resists the urge to put his hood on, feeling his face flush. "Yeah, yeah, everything's good." He rubs the back of his head, breaking eye contact. "Can... Can I ask you something?"
"Mhm?"
His smile melts Naib's resolve to address the issue.
He decides to ask something else instead. "Can we go to the garden together?"
It's one of Eli's favorite locations in the manor, alongside the balcony and rooftop. Whenever the seer invites him somewhere and Naib doesn't suggest a place, they would mingle in one of those areas. He's a little surprised that Eli wasn't in one of them already like he usually is. Naib isn't sure why he suggested that they move. The inside of the manor isn't so bad, but Eli would like it more outside, right?
The seer clasps his hands together, nodding vigorously. What's got him so excited? "Of course, lead the way." Thus, they walk together, but Eli is in a considerably pleasant mood today - more than usual.
He finds out the reason for his delight as soon as they arrive in the garden. "You usually don't invite me," Eli comments as they settle down in one of their usual spots. His owl nestles in an incredibly dense patch of grass.
Naib's gaze is elsewhere, glued to a patch of flowers nearby. "Hm?"
"Oh, didn't realize?" The mercenary shakes his head. Eli lets out a little laugh, and Naib suppresses a smile. He likes his laugh: it's bright and full of life. "Yes, it's just something I noticed."
Eli picks up the conversation like he usually does, talking about things ranging from Emma's new projects to what his owl brought back the other day. Naib follows along diligently, but his mind is occupied elsewhere.
When he listens to Eli, he feels... safe, secure, peaceful. He can't describe it that well; it's not a sensation he experiences often. He just knows it's soothing, lulling beyond words, and Naib wants to experience it more.
But as the sun begins to dip and the sky morphs into an orange hue, he realizes that he can't and shouldn't.
There's a reason why he keeps his distance, but every time he's with Eli, he loses sight of that goal. The mercenary tries - he really, really tries - and Naib knows exactly what the problem is. He wants to talk to Eli more, to share a smile whenever he laughs, to build a bond with the blindfolded man. Naib wished to bring it up before, but... Eli just seems so thrilled to be around him, and he really shouldn't be.
Naib is a mercenary, and mercenaries don't last. It'll only bring pain and regret to those who grow close.
His thoughts must've reached his expression because Eli pauses, frowning slightly. "Is something the matter?" he asks softly.
Instinctively, Naib wants to say no. He wouldn't want to burden Eli with his troubles, but he has to address this. "Yeah, there is something," he mumbles. "Why do you do this?"
"Hm?"
"Why do you talk and seek me out?"
There he goes again with that smile of his. "I enjoy your company," Eli says like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"Well, you shouldn't," Naib snaps but immediately regrets it. "Look, stop wanting to spend time with me. It'd be better if you did something else - anything else." As he glances at Eli, he hates how unreadable the seer's expression has become. He can't tell if the seer understands or not. "I've turned you away so many times before, and only recently, I've been allowing you to stay because I just don't get it. So please. Eli, explain: why do you insist on spending time with me?"
And for a moment, Eli is silent.
Then, he speaks softly and methodically.
"Remember when back at the infirmary, all those days ago, I told you that I heard from the other survivors about how you usually get left behind?" Naib nods, recalling that incident far too often. "I also heard how often you push them away, that despite your hard effort to shield others and protect them, you stay away and keep your distance outside of matches. You claim that it's just your job, but you want to help us. You never want anything in return."
And in an unforeseeable act, Eli reaches over and holds his hand.
Naib doesn't understand. He doesn't understand why, but he lets him.
"You don't have to be alone anymore, Naib." His grip tightens. "It's okay. Let us help you as much as you've helped us."
Yet again, they're at an impasse.
Eli wishes to grow closer, Naib wishes the opposite, and now they're both here, in the garden together.
In the end, though, Naib concedes.
"Alright," he huffs. "Fine, but only for a little bit."
And watching Eli brighten makes the whole ordeal worth it.
They remained in the garden until night arrived to force them inside.
"Sleep well, Naib."
"Goodnight." He pauses. "Uhm, Eli?"
"Hm?"
"Thank you."
Naib finds him lingering in the garden the next day, and again, he takes the initiative.
"Er, may I join?"
Eli doesn't even hesitate. "Of course."
As Naib sits next to him, he reflects on yesterday. Honestly, he still doesn't understand Eli Clark, but it's okay.
Maybe if they spend more time together, he will.
So when Eli begins their usual chat, Naib smiles.
Hopefully, the seer will be available tomorrow, too.