33.5; meddling with timelines; magic is duct tape;

[sandinmyboots]

Kefka arrives at Issei's temple in his usual way, tumbling through a magic door that takes him to whatever room Issei and Lancer are in. He dusts himself off, then salutes. He looks tired but ready for all of this.

"Let's get rid of that contract! Is everyone ready?"

[links with context will go here]

Comments

[croibhristeoir]

"-?!"

Goddammit, that hurt. Not that he expected otherwise, really--it made sense it wasn't exactly comfortable. Forcibly breaking the connection that held him in the living world was of course going to be uncomfortable. But what he didn't expect was for it to feel like he was trampled by a stampeding herd of wild horses.

[sandinmyboots]

Issei's magic is warm and solid. A warm pudding, almost, though Lancer's would be more savory, smells more savory, and Issei's is all flowers and dust. Lancer would be delicious delicious delicious a meal of magic that would fill him up fill him and fill him and focus.

He pulls off a strand of Issei's magic and threads it into Lancer's. Issei's magic is a deep blue like the ocean and gold and winds into Lancer's magic, growing roots and feeding new energy into his shell.

He keeps his focus until he's sure the connection is stable, then shudders and falls on his face on Lancer's shins.

"That should do it. Oof, I'll never get used to that. You can let go, Issssei."

[unknownrival]

Slowly, Issei lets go of Kefka's hand.

"How... how do you feel, Diarmuid?

[croibhristeoir]

"...somewhat like Rider just ran me over with his chariot. Kefka, could you please get off of me?"

He was hardly going to lie, after all.

"But...I'm alright. I'll live."

[sandinmyboots]

Kefka shoves himself off Lancer's legs and sprawls over on the bed.

"Good. It worked. Oooof. It may take a while for you to acclimate to Issei's magic, so I suggest taking it easy for a few days...Issei, do you have extra beds around here."

[unknownrival]

"There are guest rooms that I can lead you to as soon as I'm done taking care of my lover- Servant."

No, he was never going to get used to saying that.

"Do you want pain medicine, or some tea, or...?"

[croibhristeoir]

"Please don't concern yourself with me, Master."

Old habits die hard.

"I think I should be back to normal soon, given a little rest."

[sandinmyboots]

"A bed and some tea. I'll just."

Roll off the bed and fall on his face with all the grace he can muster.

"....ow." He sits up, rubbing his head and pulling the box back into his lap. "Get out of your ways as you go kiss and make out and whatever. Tea would be nice."

[unknownrival]

"Ask one of the monks near the kitchen," Issei told him as an aside, before turning to Diarmuid. "Am I suddenly supposed to be less concerned with you than I was five minutes ago?"

[croibhristeoir]

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

[sandinmyboots]

"You just had your magic all meddled with. However, if you would like to lend me your Issei for a few minutes, I would be totally fine with that."

[unknownrival]

"Kefka, I'm in the middle of being concerned about this new idea that I don't need to be concerned about him just because I'm his Master. Later."

[croibhristeoir]

"When did I say that?"

[sandinmyboots]

"Fine. It's not like I need help anyway, having flung myself into magic to save Lancer's life and went and stopped Retasu and ran around for two days looking for Sola-ai, rescued her and brought her back. All by myself. Nooooo. I'll just go and make myself at home. By myself!"

Kefka's going to try and storm away with as much dignity as possible. With the box.

[unknownrival]

Oh. Maybe that was bad.

"I'm sorry, I don't know anything about how stressful magic is... do you really need help?"

[croibhristeoir]

"Kefka, stop." He sighed, feeling the vague beginning of a headache coming on. "I'm sorry. We both owe you a great deal, so please don't be upset."

[sandinmyboots]

"It's not like I've been working myself to the bone or anything! You have no idea what "

Yep, he's going to storm out and fall on his face again. And this time, the box breaks, revealing a severed arm. The severed arm of a woman. With greyed out command seals on it.

Kefka rolls into a sitting position and drops his face into his hands.

"For example. That had been chopped off before I found Sola-ai, so I had to make her a new arm. This time, it wasn't my fault!"

[unknownrival]

Issei clapped his hand over his mouth to muffle his gasp.

He didn't say anything, but it was obvious by the expression on his face. That... was really disgusting.

[croibhristeoir]

"..."

Lancer was one of the few people that knew exactly what it was like to have one's heart stop and yet was still technically alive. And what do you know? It felt a lot like that. Every last bit of color drained from his face, because Sola had been hurt, lost her hand, and possibly even worse and it was all his fault because he couldn't protect her.

Kayneth was right, he was right all along, he was a worthless little puppet--his mind was running through everything in a matter of seconds, and the utter shock of it all was so much that he couldn't do anything but stare.

[sandinmyboots]

Kefka picks the arm up and gently places it back in the box, smoothing down the knuckles before scouring where it fell with fire.

"I'll give this a proper burial later. Yes, before you ask, she's fine. I healed her; she and Kayneth should be on a plane out of Japan by now. Her captor may be fast, but he can't match my speed of flight."

And the look Kefka is giving them both shows just how confused he is by their shock. It's just an arm.

[unknownrival]

"It's a severed arm, Kefka Palozzo. Belonging to someone he knows."

Issei gave him an annoyed look before touching Lancer's arm lightly. "You heard him. She's all right. It's all right."

[croibhristeoir]

"It's...it's not...it's my fault. I could have stopped this. She wouldn't have been hurt at all if I had just..."

[sandinmyboots]

"It's just an arm. Maybe if this was her head...." He frowns, snapping the box shut. "What were you supposed to do? Her captor didn't use magical methods, which is why we couldn't track him. Perhaps if you were an oracle, you could have prevented it. You were not given the information needed to prepare."

He stands, looking coldly at them both. He'll be tired again soon, but this fear. It's invigorating.

"When you're done with him, I'd like your help burying this. While I wait, I'll loop the magic out of it and back to the source."

[unknownrival]

"...Understood."

Issei leaned in and rested his head against Diarmuid's shoulder.

"You don't even know what happened. You probably just would have died."

[croibhristeoir]

"...it's still my fault."