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

[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."

[sandinmyboots]

"Will you shut it!"

Kefka slams a hand against the wall hard enough to make picture frames shake.

"It's not all your fault! You stupid idiot egotist moralizing overcomplex superego! You keep on nattering about how it's all your fault, then switch around and say you're powerless! Make up your mind! Which one is it?! You're not so great that you can mess everything up just by existing!"

And he's going to attempt to leave again now. Although he's liable to turn back and yell some more in this state.

[unknownrival]

Issei isn't going to stop him, given that he's upset.

"...he has a good point."

[croibhristeoir]

Lancer just stared at the floor without a word. He could barely speak, much less argue.

[sandinmyboots]

Kefka storms out. Issei and Lancer can probably hear him kicking the wall as he saunters down the hall.

[unknownrival]

Sigh. He'd have to deal with that.

"...Diarmuid, it's not your fault."

[croibhristeoir]

"Just...forget it. I'm sorry. I won't say anything."

[unknownrival]

"Talk to me. Please."

[croibhristeoir]

"It's nothing. Please don't worry about it, Master."

[unknownrival]

"Are you going to keep calling me that?"

[croibhristeoir]

"...you would rather I didn't? I'm your Servant, aren't I?"