Feo watched Lucius carefully, his sharp green eyes assessing him even as the man spoke with the collector. Lucius’s tone, the faint flicker of hesitation, and the way his fingers brushed over the wrap gave away more than Lucius likely intended. Feo said nothing, though, letting Lucius navigate the moment on his own. He placed a steadying hand on Lucius’s back when they turned to leave, guiding him toward the ladder with a quiet, grounding presence.

Feo shot a glance over his shoulder at the collector, his gaze lingering for a moment as if to silently warn the man against any sudden moves. Then, with a practiced efficiency, he helped Lucius up the ladder and out of the shed. Once they were both outside, Feo exhaled a quiet breath, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly.

“Strange guy,” he muttered, his voice low. His eyes flicked to Lucius and then to the folded bow in his companion’s hands. “Are you just going to hold that?” Feo tilted his head, the faintest trace of amusement in his tone. “You’re not exactly inconspicuous carrying it around. I could figure that you’d get some weird looks. Some mental guy walking around with a stick.” He laughed softly.

Feo stepped closer, his movements careful and deliberate. He gently took the bow from Lucius, his touch light and almost reverent, as if handling something fragile. “Here,” he murmured, slipping two fingers into the neck of Lucius’s vest and tucking the bow inside against his chest. The compact design of the weapon made it a snug fit, and Feo adjusted it slightly to ensure it wouldn’t shift around too much. “Is that comfortable?” he asked, his tone quieter now, almost soft.

He stepped back, studying Lucius for a moment to gauge his reaction. “I’d offer to carry it for you,” Feo continued, his voice firm again, “but I’d rather you have it on you. If something happens, you need to be able to grab it quickly.”

Feo glanced around, his eyes scanning their surroundings with practiced vigilance. He didn’t like lingering in one place too long, especially after dealing with someone as... unusual as the collector. “Let’s move,” he said, nodding toward the direction the collector had indicated earlier. “We can grab what we need on Main or Center. Then we’ll figure out how to get back to Hutchinson.”

Feo’s steps were purposeful but not rushed, his hand brushing lightly against Lucius’s shoulder as they walked. It wasn’t just a protective gesture; it was grounding, a subtle reminder that he was there, that Lucius wasn’t alone in this. “We’ll make this work,” he said quietly, his voice carrying an unwavering confidence. “One step at a time.”

Lucius took in a breath of fresh air and let it out again. The air was still now, it was not vibrating with the hum of power and the vibration of curses, blessings and who knew what else.

"He was weird," Lucius admitted, closing the shed door behind him. "I'm so glad you picked up on that. He was... he was so weird. But I don't know where to put it. It won't fit in my pocket and I don't have any secret pockets--"

The winged young man let his words cut off as Feo moved closer to him. The bow was still in his hands--it hadn't vanished. Which Lucius was almost certain it was going to vanish from his hands the moment they touched the ladder. But it hadn't.

His hands lowered slightly, watching Feo slip the weapon between his vest and chest. It ... it wasn't the most comfortable but it wasn't terribly obvious anymore either.

"I mean, I can still feel it and I'm sure if I move wrong, it'll hurt. But it should do for now," Lucius confirmed with a brief nod and a lopsided smile. "Anyways, we should get going. You need clothes, we need a comb, a first aid kit, probably a little sowing supplies too--just so I can fix my pocket to fit the bow. A bag probably couldn't hurt either, just to carry everything--"

Lucius followed after Feo's footsteps, walking alongside him. "One step at a time. That's how this is going to work. But we can both agree, that guy was giving off some seriously funky energy. Which, I mean, maybe he picked up a curse or two more than he thought. But wow. Also, I don't think he has the Cestus. I didn't see anything that looked remotely close to it in any of the cases. I doubt he'd have it in a drawer either."

With the rush of the fresh air, Lucius could finally--actually--think.

"Do you need to grab anything? Did I miss anything in the list? Clothes, bag, first aid, sewing kit, oh--comb--food. Food, that's the other thing. An actual meal that isn't bland coffee and tasteless tea. He really wasn't kidding when he said he couldn't taste. That stuff was horrifically bitter," Lucius crinkled his nose and shook his head. "Absolutely disgusting if you ask me. Some food that tastes good and is actual food would be a blessing."

The town, now that it wasn't early-early in the morning, had a bit more of a hustle and bustle. Most people walked on the street or rode bicycles around. A few drove cars--usually if they had more than they could carry. Gas, though, was expensive. A lot of it now was turning to the rations in Europe and the Pacific.

Lucius didn't dare talk about the unspoken and hidden... thing he had been alluding to. Right now, that didn't exist.

Feo’s hand brushed lightly against the fabric of his own jacket, his fingers itching for something to do as the conversation flowed between them. His gaze kept flicking back to Lucius, to the bow tucked against his chest, to the thoughts churning behind those sapphire eyes. They’d left the strange warehouse, the unsettling air of the collector still lingering in the back of his mind. But now, with the chaos of the street around them and the hum of life moving in all directions, Feo felt a strange kind of calm.

Lucius, of course, was still figuring things out—his thoughts racing as fast as his words. The constant churning of plans, lists, and worries was part of what made Lucius who he was, even if it sometimes led him into trouble. Feo had always admired the way Lucius adapted, even when things felt uncertain, even when fear and doubt threatened to get the best of him. They were a pair of opposites, each offering the other something the other lacked. Feo was the steady, quiet protector, Lucius was the creative, the thinker, always spinning in his head.

Feo turned his head slightly toward him, a soft, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his lips as Lucius rambled on about what they still needed to gather. The list was long, but nothing Feo couldn’t help with. "Clothes, bag, first aid, sewing kit, food." Lucius was ticking off the essentials, his voice bright despite the situation they found themselves in. The weight of the unknown always had a way of lightening Lucius’s mood, even if only momentarily. He had that infectious optimism that Feo sometimes found himself envying.

And then, the part about food.

Feo chuckled softly at Lucius’s frustration over the blandness of the collector’s offerings, the bitterness of coffee and tea that he’d been unable to taste for years. "I don’t think I've heard you talk about food quite like that," Feo teased, his voice laced with amusement. He wasn’t exactly a gourmet himself, but he could appreciate the difference between something that simply sustained you and something that actually filled you with comfort and warmth.

“Something with flavor," Feo mused as they continued walking. "Now that’s a goal worth having." The grin on his face widened slightly, a playful glint in his eyes. "Food first, definitely. After we handle the shopping, we can start planning the next move."

The streets had become more populated as they’d walked, the slow but steady pulse of the town flowing around them. Feo kept his eyes trained on the crowd, glancing at the occasional passerby, but never lingering too long. He didn’t want to appear distracted. Even if this wasn’t a dangerous place, not yet anyway, Feo was never one to be caught off guard. He noticed the faint signs of tension in the air—the slight edge to people’s steps, the way some looked over their shoulders. He didn’t think it was a coincidence that the collector had seemed so strange, and the town felt a little... off. But for now, he’d keep his instincts in check. No reason to overreact.

His thoughts broke off when he caught the scent of something delicious—baked bread, something savory. Feo’s stomach gave a low growl, betraying his hunger. He hadn't eaten anything substantial since they'd arrived—just the sandwich from last night—and the ache in his stomach reminded him just how long it had been since he’d had a proper meal.

As they rounded the corner, a small café came into view, its windows steamy and warm from the inside. The cozy glow from the hanging lights and the low murmur of voices made it seem like a world apart from the chaos of the town. It was exactly the kind of place that could offer them the comfort of warmth and food.

Feo’s gaze flickered to Lucius as they approached. The younger demigod still had that slightly distracted look on his face, the weight of everything they were carrying on his mind. Feo slowed his steps, reaching out to place a hand on Lucius’s shoulder, guiding him toward the door of the café. Really, Feo was starting to think these little touches were more for himself than Lucius. Either way, Feo didn't mind, and he hoped that Lucius didn't.

“You doing alright?” Feo asked, his voice soft but steady, his hand lingering for just a moment longer than necessary, as usual now. He felt the tension in Lucius, and for a moment, Feo just stood there, grounding him in the present, in this moment, before they went into the café. "Food's coming soon. Take a breath, yeah?" Feo’s eyes were warm, the concern for Lucius obvious in the quiet way he spoke.

Feo gave him a reassuring smile and opened the door to the café, the warm scent of freshly baked bread greeting them. He stepped inside, his eyes scanning the room, already looking for a seat in a quiet corner. His hand stayed gently on Lucius’s back as they moved forward.

"Let’s grab a seat and relax for a bit," Feo said, his tone lighter now. "You’ve done well today, Lucius. We’ve made progress, and you’re doing great. A little food will help, and we can go from there."

He settled into a seat by the window, the soft clink of plates and murmurs of conversation in the background. Feo looked out at the busy street for a moment, before his gaze shifted to Lucius, waiting for him to settle in, to take in the calm of the moment before they moved on to whatever came next.

"Food first. Then we’ll take it from there," Feo repeated, his voice quieter now.

Lucius let out a short noise. Food was important and when it was vastly screwed up like the coffee and tea that the hotel had offered and then the collector--Lucius had things to say about it. How did one screw up the easiest things to make? It wasn't like it was that hard either--taste or not!

While Feo didn't want to seem distracted, Lucius... had no qualms about getting distracted. His eyes swiveled from person to person, a warmer smile on his face. Some returned it just as bright, others did not. Which was fine. There was a little bit of tension in the air but well, Lucius figured it was just from the threat of war hanging over their heads. That made sense in his head, the ... the thoughts that something else could be looming around the corner was foreign and not exactly a thought he actually had at the moment.

If he wasn't looking at the crowd, he was admiring the buildings and the street. The way the whole street just looked so neat and tidy, everyone fit into their own world and Lucius was more than happy to try and fit in with them now. But that would come after they got everything. Everything--well, they wouldn't stick around much either. Where were they going to go after this? What... what place would be beckoning to them next? It wasn't exactly a real solid "choice" to come to Kansas. But at the same time, he wasn't sure he could really pick another location. Somewhere warm? What if it was too warm? He didn't do well in the cold, he knew that much--

His thoughts all but shattered when Feo set his hand on his own shoulder. Sapphire eyes swiveled over to meet Feo's dual-colored gaze. "I'm--yeah, just kind of thinking."

But he didn't--he didn't have to think about it. Instead, stepping inside the café, his eyes swiveled around for a moment, following along to the table in the corner and settled into the seat.

He opened his mouth to keep taking but the repeated words from Feo had his mouth sliding closed again. Food first then more. Then... then more.

Even if he wanted nothing more than to just keep talking.

Okay well, talking about places they wanted to see wasn't that bad.

"Food first," Lucius agreed, resting his elbows on the table briefly before he leaned back. That was not comfortable, the edge of the bow dug into his ribs just a touch and he was not prepared for that feeling.

"What kind of place sounds like a fun place to go?" Lucius finally asked, tipping his head. "Like, we could go to New York or maybe Miami... or out to California--learn how to surf...?"

Feo leaned back in his chair, his hand still resting casually on the table as he listened to Lucius's musings about potential places to go. He watched Lucius carefully, noting the way the younger man’s eyes danced with the excitement of possibility, even if the weight of their journey still lingered in the air. Feo wasn't one for big cities or loud, bustling places. He liked the idea of small, quiet towns where life moved at a slower pace, where there was room to breathe and feel a bit more at ease. Somewhere smaller would also be better for Lucius, and Feo's anxiety for him. Less people typically equalled less danger. But, like always, he kept that thought to himself.

Instead, he gave Lucius the space to talk. “I’m not sure. Where all would you like to go?” Feo asked, his voice quiet but open, allowing Lucius to fill the space with his thoughts. He wasn’t one to dominate the conversation—Lucius was always full of ideas, full of plans. Feo would listen, and when the time came, he’d provide his thoughts. But for now, it was Lucius’s turn to dream, to imagine where their next destination might be.

He let the question hang in the air for a moment, glancing around the café as they waited for their server. The soft murmur of conversation and the clinking of dishes were calming, a stark contrast to the more chaotic moments they had just experienced. Feo relaxed slightly, his gaze shifting back to Lucius, who seemed lost in thought again.

If he were to choose, Feo’s mind drifted toward a small town, somewhere quiet and tucked away from the world's chaos. Florida, perhaps, somewhere near the Gulf of Mexico. A little coastal town where the sand was soft, the water was warm, and the air smelled of salt and the promise of lazy afternoons. He imagined a small cottage near the shore, the sound of the waves lapping against the beach a constant, soothing backdrop. The town would be small—nothing too crowded, no throngs of tourists or skyscrapers in sight. Just a few locals, friendly faces, the kind of place where people looked out for each other, where Lucius could breathe a little easier.

In that kind of place, there’d be room for both of them to just… exist. Lucius wouldn’t have to constantly worry about the weight of expectations or the pressure of big cities. He could walk along the beach, not worry about crowds, and just feel the warmth of the sun without the chaos of the world crashing in around him. Feo could see it clearly—biking along the shore with Lucius beside him, stopping at a small café for some fresh seafood, maybe even learning to fish. There would be quiet nights with the sky full of stars, no worries about what came next.

But he kept all of that to himself, instead letting Lucius take the lead. Feo would follow wherever Lucius wanted to go, even if it meant stepping outside of his comfort zone. There was something comforting about seeing Lucius’s excitement, even if it was tinged with the uncertainty of their situation. Feo would support him through it all. They would figure it out together.

“So, what do you think?” Feo continued softly, giving Lucius a chance to explore the idea further. “Big cities or small towns? There’s a lot out there, but we can go anywhere.” Feo's voice was steady, his eyes warm with the familiar, reassuring calm he always tried to offer. "You’ve got the whole world to choose from.”

Lucius took in a deep breath again, looking toward Feo. Where all would he like to go? The young man tilted his head for a moment. Well, they had time--they had all the time in the world now. A vast amount of land to really explore and discover. Now what he wanted was different than what Feo could potentially want. But at the same time they also had to pass off the whole thing to Heimdall. Which meant that they'd have to intermix different cities, different locations and the likes.

Lucius set one hand on the table, setting his chin in his other palm as he glanced between Feo and the window to really piece out his thoughts.

"Well, to be honest, I think we should do a mix of both," Lucius answered his last question with a warm note to his own voice. "If we're going to be able to really 'pass' this off to Heimdall, we're going to have to do a mix of both. We're learning how mortals live, after all, which is a rather vague phrase. Mortals live in suburbs, in rising cities, in little tiny towns, up north, to the south, in the east and west--everywhere. So we have a lot of places to go and explore, honestly. We can do both--but I feel like we'll probably be able to get more out of how they really live if we stick to smaller cities. That's where you'll find people who are willing to teach you and willing to really help you take a step into learning how to live the way they do. Unfortunately, we're relatively locked here in the American continent. It's... it's just not really safe to travel outside of America--unless you wanted to try and head all the way up to Alaska, in which... you're nuts. Maybe we can do so briefly but I seriously doubt we're going to want to stay there for long."

He tilted his head to the side. "Well really, we can go anywhere. It is bringing on winter though, the last of fall is kind of fading. So, that begs the question of if we want to stick to exploring the southern part of the country just to stay where it's relatively warm? Then, if we're still doing so come spring or summer, we can venture up toward the northern areas and see what it's like--or take a brief trip up where it snows."

He wasn't terribly fond of snow. It was pretty and gorgeous but it made his fingers ache, the cold seeped into his very being and the fibers that made him. Then, of course, it refused to come back out for ages.

"Not to mention, we can always ask around for places to visit from other people too," Lucius added as an afterthought. "They might have places we wouldn't have thought of."

His eyes flicked up as the server paused beside their table. "Are you ready to order?" She asked.

A sense of vague normalcy? Lucius wasn't going to lie, that idea was fairly alluring. Something to do, something to be but not too much to be. But then again, the small twinge in his ribs reminded him of the overshadowing threat of mythical beast and being that could come toward them at any point in time.

Oh he was definitely going to be making a deeper pocket. Lucius wasn't entirely certain but he was fairly sure that he had bruised himself off of the corner of the folded bow tucked in his vest. But at the same time, Lucius could see how much more relaxed Feo was now. He still had that slightly guarded look, the swiveling and studying gaze of watching people for any sign of danger. But it wasn't as intense as before. It was partially why he suggested sticking to smaller towns. The demigod seemed more relaxed in these sort of environments rather than the hustle and bustle of a bigger city. While Lucius didn't really care either way, he could blend in with either one, he was somewhat partial to making sure that Feo was a little more relaxed than he usually was.

Which Lucius was more than happy to see. It was a lovely change from the flighty panic that he had shown at first. This was far more grounded, far more solid and aware than before and it was something that Lucius enjoyed seeing from the older demigod. Not that he was older by too much.

But he gladly grabbed one of the menus to take a brief glance over it. Realistically, he wasn't aiming to eat too much--especially not with his hands. The chicken salad... it didn't sound too bad and it was only 45 cents. That and a touch of cool water was all he ordered. Something that would taste good, provide a sense of a full meal but didn't cost too much. He wasn't really used to spending a whole lot at all.

The young woman, no more than sixteen at most, walked back toward the kitchen with their order written down.

Lucius let out a loose sigh, content to settle down. "Hey, if you don't want to, I'm not making you. Honestly, you'd have to pay me to go out that far north," he grinned back at Feo. "If I don't have to, I'm not going to. But learning about what they do for fun, little things like that. You learn so much."

Not to mention the dance halls that adorned almost every town and a lot of street corners. Lucius didn't often go... he couldn't really handle the smell of alcohol in the air. He pushed that thought aside, continuing from the previous thread of thoughts.

"Places to visit, things to see, people to help even. Maybe if we help them, we'll figure out a little bit more about how they live," Lucius prompted with a loose shrug.

Lucius bobbed his head lightly, tossing his hair up and down again. "That's the idea," he confirmed with a loose smile. Partially to get a feel for how normal people actually lived and partially to convince Heimdall that they really were just doing normal demigod stuff. Okay, not normal demigod stuff, but getting to learn more about mortals.

And to hopefully keep Loki on his toes. He couldn't target them if he couldn't keep track of them. That was another one of Lucius and his inner thoughts that would remain inside thoughts.

His sapphire eyes focused on Feo as he spoke again, mostly catching the nickname. That got his full attention, everything else was slightly tuned out. Learning about people was something Lucius had done a lot of, but learning about people... like this? That was new. His stubborn nature wanted to hide behind masks, keep the heavy and dangerous personality behind walls. Show people what they want to see, be the person they wanted to see, keep the actual emotions behind walls, behind closed doors. But not with Feo. No, he had pried his walls apart, sifted through the cracks and now was piecing through the parts of him he had tried to hide for so long.

Not that he had gotten all the way through, but it... it was already more than he had let anyone else see. Lucius was certain there was more to Feo too but they didn't have to just go tromping through their emotions, pasts and the likes. They could go slow, build trust and safe spaces for each other.

His thoughts were interrupted when the waitress brought the glass of water. Lucius gave her a brighter smile, his eyes bright. He chirped out a quick "thank you," as she walked away and sipped lightly on the glass as they continued to speak together.

"I ... yeah, I've heard they're weird but nice. But it's too far north, I don't even want to think about that," Lucius shook his head with his nose crinkled. His expression shifted, thinking about potential locations to go. A beach town? Farming community? Stick around--no. He... he just couldn't make himself stick around Kansas any longer. As nice as it was, as calm and quiet, Lucius was going to lose his mind. There was absolutely nothing for miles upon miles. Plus, it was Kansas.

"Well, maybe if we start at a beach town, we can then see where the wind takes us," Lucius answered with a loose shrug. "Maybe they have suggestions about what to do or see."