Headaches are so frequent now that Sutekh forgot what it's like to not have them. It's bewildering to watch from the outside in and yet, for him, he was content.

Weirdly, eerily content.

Some days he can't bring himself to move but most days? Most days he's so lively, moving so much that he couldn't think to do more than what his hands are already capable of.

The main person it worried was the one who always noticed the little things. And it was what provoked them to appear within the lab with only a mild heads-up.

Light had knocked a few times, and gave a wane smile and hello to Liam when he had answered. Liam had returned it, and only asked that Light brought something to eat for him downstairs. The angel obliged, though if they knew anything they knew that they needed to talk first.

They sighed as they knocked on the wall to the lab, waiting a few breaths before opening the panel and calling out softly, "Sutekh? It's Light, are you conscious?"

Sutekh's head snapped around, and he practically pounced on the bottom of the stairs, three eyes wide and grin broad as ever. He looked thrilled, on the surface. But much to Light's horror, he also looked… filled with despair. The demon's aura was wildly shifting, and they had to stop and squint for a moment before focusing on Sutekh's face. "Light! Hey! When did you get up there? I thought you weren't coming till next week, I heard about your wings? Are you okay?"

"Yeah — yeah, a uh… weird Asher helped heal it up a bit. The bones set but they still hurt, magick won't kick on for another two weeks so they'll stay as they are for now," Light gave him a solid hug when at the bottom, and while he didn't smell as dreadful as expected, they could feel that he hadn't bathed in… A Long Time. But it felt nice to be hugged in return, and even so, Sutekh seemed… stiff about the contact.

But he returned it all the same, and it was nice. Pleasantly cold and comforting all the same, he had tilted his head as Light pulled back, unable to read the blue enby's mismatched eyes, "It feels like it's been an eternity since I last saw you. My memory's been fuzzy here and there but you seem intact! Which is excellent, I could make a healing salve for you though if those are an issue. Or even one to just numb the pain?"

"No, it's fine — Sutekh," Light grimaced ever so slightly as they lifted a hand, cautiously brushing fingers over one of the demon's scarred, tear-stained cheeks. He flinched for a moment in confusion, but let Light rest their hand there with brows furrowed, "Sutekh, what happened to you? I know every demon thinks they don't need to eat or sleep but—"

Sutekh reared back, pulling an arm straight so he could hold his sleeve and rub furiously at his cheeks, shaking his head. "It's fine! I'm alright, there's just… things missing in my head. Like a clipped-together film, things are just kinda. Hitchy, it's okay, it's fine, I'm okay, I—"

"No, you're not, look at me." The hard edge to Light's voice had him actually stop and listen, eyes wide with surprise. He even paused mid-rub, which prodded them to step forward and gently but firmly coax his arm down. Light continued, looking determined and worried, but his voice carried a firmness that was unfamiliar at best, "You used to take such good care of yourself. When was the last time you ate? Showered? Did any of your usual beauty routines? When was the last time you went out and saw the sun, Sutekh, you look *cold.* You look like death and… nobody really remembers you much. Liam is worried up there, you're… scaring him,"

Sutekh takes in a slight, sharp breath at that, casting a despairing look upward toward the lab's ceiling, toward the main floor of the home. He blinked once, twice, and just like that, tears were pricking the edges of his vision. His hands shook even as he looks back to Light, swallowing hard. It takes a full breath before he can speak, "I… Liam… does he – does anyone know what's going on with me? Did I lock someone - /important/ like he was - away again? Who's missing, why does it hurt, why do I feel like I lost someone an' like I'm, never gettin' 'em back,"

Sutekh had choked there, and Light pulls him into a comforting embrace. They don't resist when his legs have him cave, they only soften the blow so it's a gentle collapse to the floor. "No. You… did lose someone. I erased them, willingly. It fell out of control a bit and bled out to everyone, nobody remembers them. And then things happened and Nyx filled in the blanks for me, told me about a stunt Ákardos pulled and… just… know it's better this way. Things couldn't change for the better without it happening. They don't exist here and I'm… so sorry that it's hit you as it has. But you have other people too," Light had soothed rhythmic and careful circles into Sutekh's back, who felt… Eerily Cold to touch, "And it'll be okay. You can talk to anyone. But I beg of you to not try and think about them. It'll only cause more pain."

Light bit his lip, sighed, and leaned back a bit so they could look this somewhat shaking demon in the eye, "When I… when I get my magic back I can fix it, fill in the blanks for you with something else so it isn't just emptiness. Can you hold over for two more weeks?"

Sutekh nodded slightly, sniffling and wiping his face once again, "Yeah – yeah, I can hold out. And… thank - thank you, for that. I uh. I… can guess whatever Nyx told you can't be spoken about. It's the… not knowing that hurts, y'know?" He sounded watery, like a mess, and he even bubbled a laugh as he sniffed a bit ungracefully, "Gods, I feel kinda relieved, I… guess that explains everyone's reaction to my appearance. Am I That Gross,"

"Yeah, you are. Let's get you bathed and fed and in a proper bed, okay?" Light gave a reassuring smile, and shifted so they had their weight on the balls of their feet, a hand on Sutekh's shoulder for both balance and an offer of comfort.

When Sutekh nodded, Light helped him stand and get up the stairs.

It was a start for repairing what cracks a wild stunt left behind, but the finish line was certainly a long distance away. Reparations will be made, and guardians will be created.

So goes the cycle of order balancing chaos.

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