#obsession warning

"Knight!! You're finally back from that drab castle! 'Bout time!" The sparkling energy of Fire Spirit was something that Knight could never get used to. That, and the fact that he never let the blonde be alone when he could. "If I didn't burn you upon contact, I'd be smotherin' you right about now!" The spirit's comments garnered a sigh and a half-true smile. There was something about this type of affection that didn't sit well with Knight.

Though there wasn't anything physical, there were always words praising Knight and his actions. They weren't even close, yet these words just kept spilling on and on as if it was a flood. When upon his horse, there were always comments on how he looked so valiant, so brave, and so on. It was a bit grating hearing of how he looked, especially since there was a portion of him that was mildly paranoid about appearances. "That horse wouldn't look half as good without you on it! You're a natural when it comes to horseback!" This... Wasn't the type of attention that Knight exactly wanted. Even when showing a mild distaste, a lack of a smile or a glower, there was... Still praise thrown his way. Fire Spirit only found his seriousness to be another point to throw more and more positive words in the defender's direction. It was almost as if he was being treated as a deity, and... That wasn't what he wanted at all.

He was just a simple knight, with simple wishes, and being praised for every little thing wasn't what he desired.

"Hey, Spire..." Knight's tone conveyed hesitance, which wasn't exactly seen properly by the spirit that followed above him as he cautiously took his ride around the valley. It was normally just treated as a time for him to rescue anyone who had gotten themselves into trouble within, but this time... It was a bit of a rescue for himself, in a way- Perhaps for Fire Spirit as well. "You know how you always give me kind words? Constantly?"

"Mhm!" Ah, so this specter of flames did recognize what he was doing? "It's just like Pitaya, y'know? Keep sayin' good things, and you're bound to get rewarded for it." That made the blonde slow his steed down, allowing him to properly look up at the spirit, who was still grinning down at him. "Ah..." It took the blonde a moment to buffer what he was supposed to say. So he was being treated like a deity for... Reward? "What kind of 'reward' do you want from me, then?" It's not as if they had anything grand to hand over.

The flame spirit laughed nervously, twirling with his staff and attempting to try not to sound awkward whilst keeping that grin upon his face. The smile wavered, words blurted out, "Because I want to get your love, duh!" It was dumb to add 'duh', wasn't it? At least it wasn't to scale with how dumb(founded) Knight was upon hearing those words. He stopped his horse, a gentle blush upon his face. "Really? That's what all this is about?" A nod and somewhat anxious 'mhm' came from Fire Spirit, though it was unluckily met with a mild look of irritation. "I don't know what Pitaya had taught you, but sweet talking won't win everyone over, particularly me."

Oh, how much fun it was to see the child chase after them! Walnut would never catch them, the phantom thief knew so, yet giving small glimpses of hope were always something to relish in. It gives the detective motivation to continue, Roguefort reasoned with themself, and our little game can continue like always! Ah, the never-ending game of cat and mouse!

Running themself right into an alleyway with walls they knew how to scale, they turned back to face the detective, who had lost her investigative hat sometime along the way. Odd. She typically never left anything behind, even if it was as small as a hat or a notepad. Ah, but now is the time to toy, not to question! With a bow that they knew was far too theatrical, Roguefort gave the little nut a wide smile. Yet all they recieved was a look of scorn.

"Spare me your act, Phantom Bleu!" Walnut snarled, pointing her cracked magnifying glass at the turquoise miscreant. Her tone was full of malice the phantom thief was unfamiliar with, enough to get them to give an expression of confusion. "Don't try and play dumb with me! I know you're plotting to escape again, but I assure you, it's not working this time!"

Roguefort could hear propellers begin to spin overhead. As nervewracking as it was, they could... They could find a way out of that, surely. What was more concerning to them, however, was the stance Walnut held herself in, her state of being was simply... Wild. Chaotic. Destructively determined. "Oh, dear detective, do tell me you have been caring for yourself? Certainly, you couldn't dare catch me if you-"

"Shut it!! Shut up!!" The investigator snapped, accentuating her words with a stomp to the darkened, cracked cement beneath her. "That doesn't matter! What matters is that I catch you! That's it!" There was a slight grimace from the thief, yet that didn't stop Walnut's infuriated words. "You- You! All I care for is you and your capture! I've been so close every single time, yet I couldn't catch you! So screw anything and everything!" Shoulders tensed, hair untamed, clothes in tatters from running the whole way here... Walnut appeared as if she was rabid to the other.

An unhealthy obsession, Roguefort knew that line of thinking far too well, and yet... They had no clue as to help this detective. They'd never seen her so disheveled, so distressed. Those eyes, wide with the desire of reckless abandon... Roguefort couldn't meet them for longer than a moment. "Giving up on me, Bleu?" They looked back up, not meeting the gaze of the wild detective, yet still having their attention. They remained wordless. What could they say to a child who had developed such an obsession?

"Good. Give it up."

Rogue blinked, the shock of such malice-infused words paralyzing them like venom into their viens. How far has this child gone down the rabbit hole of extreme impulse? Just for their sake?

"Try as you might, dear detective," Roguefort spoke carefully, knowing they were playing with an unstable flame, "I will not give in, no matter if your obsession with me grows. However, do take time for yourself... It would be a shame for you to fall into the same hole I once had."

The blazing spark of rabid nature Walnut had was stifled for nothing more than a moment for confusion. She tried to parse through those words, yet one blink and-... There her target goes. Gone with the wind and disappearing under the veil of moonlight.

asking if I liked the version where they forgot to drop the chandelier.