Chapter 9: Old Warriors

"Quickly, in here!"

The few members of the Church of Favonius' staff currently on call as night fell had their eyes widen at the familiar sight being carried out with different players.

Barbera Pegg lead the charge to one of their rooms dedicated to the healing arts, something that - while always a cause for concern - wasn't one all that unusual. What was unusual was that the injured man, one of decently sizable stature and physique, was being effortlessly carried by a young woman who didn't look as if she could be a day over fifteen at the most.

In their wake trailed the famed Spark Knight with another young woman in tow, an unfamiliar face but who's dress suggested she was an astrologist of some kind while a miniature girl floated alongside them under her own propulsion.

Judging by the rumpled and dirty clothing they sported alongside a few cuts and bruises it was clear to see they had been involved in some kind of battle that had gone wrong.

"This bed, set him down and I'll begin."

Barbara's reassuring words and cute looks would have - in any other circumstance - caused Lumine to start teasing and pushing her buttons, looking for any weak points that she could exploit in her quest for a fun date night...now she was desperately trying to keep her cool and not panic, to remain calm even though one of the few friends she had come to trust implicitly in this world seemed to be on the verge of death as she lowered him to the mattress.

"He's still breathing, no fluid in the lungs, no outward signs of trauma and pupils are responsive to light...how did you say he got injured?"

The woman's words were clinical and contained only a small trace of confusion at the strange accounting of events that had been provided to her.

Running a trembling hand through her mussed and tangled locks Lumine tersely replied, "I don't know how to properly explain it, alright? The best we can tell is that he used some kind of strange mana, anemo or elemental ability that immediately caused him to collapse without a word."

Klee fervently nodded, adding, "He did something that healed my neck and kept me from dying, like magic!"

Barbara sighed, nonetheless rolling up her sleeves and promptly announcing, "Then as a deaconess of the Church of Favonius I can't very well let this man die, now can I? You're welcome to stay but I ask that you refrain from interrupting me while I work."

"Deal."

Without further comment the girl got down to business, an ethereal glow illuminating her figure as shining droplets of liquid formed a glimmering symphony around her and Alec, Lumine distantly noting that the dollops of water vaguely resembled sheet music notes.

"He's suffering from a lack of, well, everything actually. Low mana, low caloric energy, low glandular activity...if you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to grab some things."

Lumine's worry must have shown because a cheerful and inspirational smile adorned Barbara's features, words confident as she explained, "Don't worry, your friend isn't in any immediate danger and will hopefully recover in just a few days with proper rest and recuperation."

"...Right. Thank you."

Offering the Traveler a reassuring smile Barbara departed without a backwards glance, the room fairly quiet aside from Alec's nearly inaudible breathing and Mona's swift manipulation of her Hydro powers that created a calming background noise.

"Working on something?"

Barely so much as glancing Lumine's way the astrologist continued her work, distractedly responding, "Yes, in a manner of speaking. When we first met Daman asked that I perform a general astrological reading of the stars and their relative positions to each other and the light that is Celestia. What I'm attempting now is an expansion on that, something else I saw that time...well, it caught my interest, suffice to say."

"How so?"

The young woman was silent for a few awkward seconds more, Klee and Lumine sharing concerned looks before the much younger lady asked, "Miss Mona? Are you alright?"

"Huh?"

Now the Traveler was getting worried, the astrologist acting strangely and awkwardly as well as noticeably distant.

"Is she in shock, maybe?"

Sure, the woman had handled herself in the heat of battle perfectly fine but if the way she was speaking and reacting now were any indication the end result of things with Klee and Alec had really rattled her.

"You were saying something about an astrological reading?"

At the reminder Mona managed to shake off some of her stupor, replying, "Yes, my apologies. While Celestia typically exerts its influence upon other stars, the emanations and movements of its celestial path causing the others to respond out of necessity, this time something...unusual has occurred."

Klee tilted her head, asking, "Unusual? I don't understand very much about these stars and stuff like that."

Mona yet again didn't really seem like she'd heard what was being asked of her, merely continuing to alter and fiddle with her astrological charts as she half-mumbled, "Today it seems that Celestia was the one who altered its path according to the whims of another. I've never seen such unusual oscillations before. And while I have my suspicions…"

"Umm, Paimon isn't sure what any of this means."

"I don't either, can you maybe explain it using explosions?"

Mona shook her head, hands tracing intricate arcs as she attached shimmering lines one after another to a central orb, promptly discarding each and every one within a heartbeat with increasing frustration.

"I cannot explain what I do not understand, none of the usual suspects are accountable for this unprecedented-"

The dark-haired female froze, one of her many 'suspects' evidently proving to be a match as she halted in her movements, eyes wide and teeth gnawing on her lower lip.

"Of course. Honestly, why should I have expected anything different…"

"Find something?"

Pointing with a trembling finger towards a single, muted dot of light that shone a great deal less brightly than any other Mona grimly commented.

"Celestia diverted from its position among the heavens not more than a few hours ago, roughly around the time we encountered the ambush...and its new path intersected with this star, the Star of Demise."

Lumine raised an eyebrow, archly commenting, "Sounds dramatic. And why is that significant?"

"Because not only has the Star of Demise been defunct and all but silent for many decades - fast approaching a century - but the heavens do not alter course for any other celestial body. They never have and it was believed they never would...and yet that is just what has happened."

Lumine twitched, body acting on instinct as Mona abruptly sent Alec a borderline hostile glare, the Traveler fully prepared to stop any kind of hasty action...and Mona sagged a scant second later onto a nearby chair, hand removing her wide-brimmed hat as the other shakily rubbed her eyes.

"He has something to do with it, I know he does. He asked me to do the initial reading, that strange power he used matches up with the Star of Demise's renewal...the only other explanation is that it's a coincidence of such colossal proportions that one may not even try to assign meaning to anything ever again."

Frowning in thought Lumine missed Paimon once more afford Alec a strange look that was equal parts confusion and equal parts wariness, the blonde instead asking, "What sort of things are usually associated with this Star of Demise? It sounds like a pretty big deal if the boss of the stars or whatever is getting upset about it."

Dragging a gloved hand down her face Mona tiredly explained, "Contrary to its admittedly dire sounding name the Star of Demise is typically associated with a far more natural and accepted facets of life. Seasons passing by, natural disasters coming and going, the sun and moon rising and falling...in short, change."

Lumine raised an eyebrow, asking, "So why is Celestia so worried or interested in the supposedly defunct star?"

"I haven't the foggiest idea."

Accepting that with a nod the Traveler turned her attention back to Alec, mind already formulating conclusions and possibilities.

After all, he'd admitted to being a fallen god...it was quickly becoming clear that the key to that particular mystery was contained within this strange relationship and past he had with the other godly forces upon this world.

"...elling you, I already have a way to ensure his health!"

"I know, you've said that a bunch of times and I keep telling you that it's not going to work. Trust me, I've seen him do this to himself a couple times before."

The playful and irreverent words that Lumine was quickly coming to associate with Venti graced her ears, the door to the church's infirmary swinging open and admitting the bard alongside Barbara to enter its confines.

"So I see that dummy went and got himself all worn out again, huh?"

"You have a way to help him?"

Lumine didn't waste time, instantly jumping to the heart of the matter as Barbatos merely nodded, stating, "Yup. It's kind of private though, so anyone who isn't a god is going to need to leave the room."

"Huh? What's this talk about being a god, he's a patient that needs help, not a-"

The Traveler quickly gathered up her comrades and departed without complaint, telling Barbara, "He's a little crazy but overall Venti can be trusted, let's just leave him to it."

"B-but the treatment-"

She ignored the deaconess's protests, affixing the bard with a serious expression as she asked, "Make sure he's alright, okay?"

"Wouldn't dream of leaving him any other way. Don't worry, in a few hours he's going to be right as rain!"

Venti paused, as if thinking twice about such a statement.

"Well, mostly right as rain. And it's probably going to be more than a few hours."

The observers departed without another comment, the Anemo Archon turning to face his sleeping comrade...and the easygoing affability that seemed to constantly be present vanished, replaced instead by a sort of melancholy resignation.

"You're already one foot in the grave yet here you are, desperately trying to drag the other one in, huh?"

With a small gust of verdant Anemo energy a cylindrical tube artfully decorated with silver veins and designs appeared in Venti's hand, the bard huffing out a sigh as he wordlessly withdrew Alec's knife, eyeing the handle of the weapon with a critical eye.

Namely it's bevy of cracks, fractures and scuffs that had the thing looking as if it could collapse in a strong breeze.

"How your Gnosis is even still intact is beyond me, to be honest. I've seen weather beaten hovels with more structural integrity than this."

Bringing his own Gnosis into contact with Daman's Venti closed his eyes, willing into existence a trace of his strength as the Anemo Archon, purified winds of flawless green gently flowing into his compatriot's shattered and bruised construct-

-and the man's eyes flew wide even as the smallest sparks of life flared deep within the recess of the gemstone.

"Well you're not exactly the face I was hoping to wake up to but there are worse ones I can think of."

"You overdid it again."

"If by 'overdid it' you mean did anything at all, then, yes. Did I perhaps have too much to drink?"

Barbatos sat on the edge of Alec's bed, handing the taller male back his Gnosis and attached blade, remarking, "Not funny. Your Gnosis looks like it's already halfway falling apart, why are you pushing it even further? You know what will happen if it breaks, right? Your case is different than ours, there's no coming back afterwards."

Alec snorted, sheathing the weapon as he wryly commented, "Better than any of the rest of you ever could. I have been rather attached to it for quite the number of millennia you know."

"Given how you're treating it I don't know if I believe you."

"Believe what you want, at the end of the day it's my choice whether or not to push things...besides, it's been breaking down for centuries. Who says it's going to quit on me now?"

"The fact that it's quite literally one harsh sneeze away from collapse? And why risk it if that is the case, are you trying to destroy yourself?"

Alec idly waved a hand, dismissively responding, "My time on this plane is coming to a close, Barbatos. And why not spend those last years doing something worthwhile, something worth it? Saving a young girl with her whole life ahead of her in exchange for accelerating my already swiftly approaching end would have been cheap at twice the price."

Frustration colored the Archon's expression, words angry as he asked, "So that's it, then? You're finished? What about your fight against Celestia, are you just giving up on that? After everything you've done and everything you've fought against you're just going to roll over and die?"

The taller male's expression turned stormy, voice a low growl as he said, "I haven't given up on anything, Barbatos. Celestia is and always will be my most personal and hated enemy."

The anger dissipated as quickly as it came, tone far more morbidly amused than it was frustrated as he continued with, "I had my shot at taking them down and while I came close...in the end I lost and anything I try to do now against them would fall far short of the mark, considering how weak I've become. And besides!"

He raised a finger, informing Venti, "It sounds as if Tsaritsa and her merry band have already formulated a plan of action, even going so far as to leverage their influence against the other Archons."

"And I thought you said they didn't have much of a chance, that Celestia and the Sustainer were going to stop them at the first chance they got."

Alec shrugged, replying, "I did. And then I changed my mind after I started learning more about current affairs. Whatever damage I inflicted upon Celestia must have been worse than I thought because near as I can tell they haven't been able to exert their influence upon Teyvat to the extent they used to. We were ambushed by a bunch of Abyss, Barbatos. Sure, they were gunning for myself and Lumine but when has Celestia ever tolerated the Abyss so openly exerting themselves across their recruiting ground unless by intentional design?"

Huffing out a sigh Barbatos acquitted the point, Alec rolling his neck before regaining his feet while asking, "How's the search for the Tears going?"

Electing not to comment on the blatant changing of subjects the bard instead replied, "Well things slowed down once the various groups got your message about the ambush but retrieval went smoothly, no crazy sneak attacks to be found aside from some Hilichurl camps. We're going to need a lot of Tears though, the ones we have aren't going to be enough to restore the lyre's power."

Nodding in acceptance of the answer Venti watched the man painfully stretch out his body, asking, "Not even going to rest, huh?"

"Plenty of time to relax in a future I won't be around to see. And I've been asleep for the past few decades after my last charge against Celestia, no need to begin the process all over again."

Venti was silent, Alec wondering what had consumed the Archon's attention...and sighed upon seeing the faraway and despondent expression he sported.

"Barbatos."

The bard startled as Alec's hand dropped down, affectionately rubbing his head in a motion he hadn't used in a long time, or at least not as a joke.

"All things come to an end, even us. And my time is approaching one way or another...don't worry, little brother. I know a thing or two about the afterlife and I'm sure we'll find each other wandering about, whenever or however that ends up coming to pass."

Barbatos snorted, eyes distantly amused as he responded, "Been a long time since you've called me that, huh? Getting all sentimental on me?"

"Only because you were about to start crying like the little baby you are."

"Ugh, and to think I was worried about you."

The duo shared mutual smirks, Barbatos shaking his head after a moment.

"Since when are you the workaholic of the group? During the Archon wars you mostly kept to yourself and stayed out of trouble."

"Difference is everyone knew there was a war going down back then, it was for the better that someone was taking it easy and just trying to look after people instead of vy for supremacy. And come now, you think Celestia would have let me sit on one of their glorified prison chairs?"

"No, but it would have been hilarious to see."

Leaving the infirmary they entered the church's main room at an easy pace, Lumine and the rest instantly noticing their approach and rising to their feet.

"Whoah, Paimon thought the bard was going to take way longer than he said he would but you look back to normal!"

"Yeah, are you feeling alright? No aches or pains? No missing memories?"

"I fell unconscious, Lumine. I didn't get smacked in the head."

"Never hurts to ask."

Sharing mutual grins of relief he turned back to the group in general, Klee quickly running up and offering a friendly salute, seemingly in good spirits as she said, "Thank you for saving me, mister Alec. I thought for sure I was a goner!"

Kneeling down onto one knee despite the pain it caused his body he smiled, affectionately rubbing her hair as he remarked, "It was my pleasure, Klee. You seem to be taking this pretty well, if you don't mind me saying so."

"Oh, I've experimented with some bombs before that made me take a nap when they blew up, miss Barbara always tells me to be more careful!"

Said girl glowered from where she stood nearby, poking the smaller girl's cheek as she admonished her with, "And one of these days I hope you'll take that advice to heart! Honestly, if it's not you showing up concussed and dazed it's the people you travel with…"

The rest of the group shared awkward glances at the reveal that the tiny lady knocking herself into next week was a common occurrence, eventually deciding to just let things be as Alec rose to his feet, remarking, "Alright then unless anyone has other things that need taking care of I think it's high time we get back to searching out the Tears-"

"Oh absolutely not!"

Blinking as Lumine got right in his face - or at least as best she could given their height differences - the Traveler poked him in the chest none too gently, her eyes boring into his own as she decisively stated, "You are going to stay here and rest, not go galivinating about the wilderness when you just barely escaped shuffling your mortal coil. Is that clear? I'll go and complete the mission while you take it easy."

Blinking at the intractable words Alec glanced around the room in search of backup and was left disappointed.

Klee just looked happy that they were going to be back out in the field soon, Barbara was satisfied that her patient wasn't going to further exacerbate his assumed injuries while of course Venti wasn't going to complain about that.

Raising his hands in mock surrender the man huffed out a breath, grumbling, "Fine, fine. I'll take it easy for a couple days, if it'll make all of you feel better."

"It will."

Planting her hands on her hips in satisfaction Lumine further added, "And with that settled it's time for me to get back to work, no time for rest when there's a Dragon in need of saving, right?"

Alec favored the Traveler with a dull glare, wryly commenting, "So it's fine for you to go about running on little rest but not me?"

"I'm pretty tough, I can take it."

Rolling his eyes Lumine waved as she gave Klee an affectionate pat on the head, chirping, "C'mon, you adorable little demolitions enthusiast. I'm going to introduce you to an eccentric friend of mine who I think you're really going to like."

Now extremely irritated as he was going to miss the initial meeting between Fischl and Klee - which was no doubt going to be hilarious to watch - Alec instead turned to Venti, the bard chuckling as he strolled away, stating, "Enjoy your time off, Alec~! I'll be out having an adventure while you laze around!"

Resisting the urge to chuck something solid and blunt the Archon's way he instead turned towards Barbara, glowering all the while as she met his glare with an unimpressed crossing of arms and puffed cheek.

"So what am I allowed to-"

"You're free to wander Mondstadt and do as you will but no strenuous activity for a minimum of three days. I have friends in Mondstadt and they'll be sure to tell me if you act out of line!"

Resigned to his fate unless he wanted to both worry and piss off a lot of people Daman sighed, nodding as he replied, "Got it. Thanks for the treatment, by the way."

Expression softening slightly at his words Barbara smiled a bit, commenting, "It was both my duty and my pleasure. Take care and enjoy our fine city in the meantime."

Bracing himself to be a side line player for the next few days - a new paradigm that he was likely going to have to get used to, considering his wrecked and wasting body - the man turned to leave...and blinked, surprised to find none other than Paimon waiting for him outside the church, meeting his raised eyebrow with a sheepish wave.

"Didn't expect to find you far from Lumine's side, what's up?"

"Well, Paimon wanted to talk to you alone since she figured that you would want to keep this secret, so she pretended to get lost when on the hunt for a honey roast vendor."

His lips quirked, the male amusedly remarking, "That sounds like a perfectly valid and believable reason for you to go missing. Nice job, Paimon."

The tiny sprite scowled, commenting, "Paimon knows you're making fun of her, Paimon really wanted to grab that honey roast you know!"

Calming the irate woman down with a consoling gesture he responded, "Okay, okay. So what exactly did you want with me? Just so you know I'm short on money so I can't help you there."

Narrowed eyes as well as a ferocious pout were directed his way.

"Paimon wants to have some of her suspicions confirmed…"

"Ah. The suspicions of a Celestia watchdog, huh? Guess I couldn't escape your watch forever."

The sprite did a double take, stammering, "W-what? How did you know Paimon was a-"

"C'mon, girl. Sure, you're a lot smaller and less graceful than they typically are but I'd know a watcher if I saw one. Well? Why break the little stalemate we had going on now of all times?"

Swallowing nervously Paimon awkwardly shifted her eyes, remarking, "It was after Paimon saw you use your powers to heal Klee that she knew who you were."

The levitating girl shrank in on herself slightly, as if to hide from his stare.

"The Scourge, Lunar Witness, Old Wolf, Outsider, Prophet...the enemy of Celestia that brought it to the brink of ruin, the enemy everyone thought had died."

Alec idly gazed at Paimon, gaze inscrutable just long enough that the sprite began to seriously worry her life was in danger...and he snorted, musing, "Prophet? I forgot I had that one a few millennia back. Perform a few basic astrology readings as a god and suddenly you're the divine oracle who knows all. Never could understand how Morax put up with all of that…"

Gradually realizing she wasn't in danger of being snuffed out on the spot Paimon regained some of her usual confidence, Alec wryly saying, "Although 'brink of ruin' seems a little grand, considering the heavens seem to be moving along just fine."

"Paimon can't say anything about that since she doesn't know about any of it...but what Paimon really wants to know is this."

She met Alec's impassive gaze with an unflinching level of assurance.

"Are you a danger to Lumine?"

Raising an eyebrow at that the male inquired, "Why do you seem worried that I might be? Last I checked the watchdogs of Celestia weren't particularly concerned about that kind of stuff."

"Paimon...was kicked out of Celestia and stripped of her powers and responsibilities."

That caught Alec's interest.

"Really now? I didn't know they did that. And what did you do that got you evicted in the first place?"

Unleashing a tiny sigh and lacing her arms behind her back the sprite replied, "Paimon got attached to the people of this world, wanted to explore and wander, tasting all the different foods and seeing all the different sights. Paimon resented her responsibilities and the actions she had to undertake in Celestia's name."

A distant expression appeared on the female's features.

"One day Paimon was ordered to investigate and then report on some people who were trying to reach into realms outside of this one, to call down Celestia's wrath if they were 'committing heresy'. Paimon came to like the people involved in the project and didn't say anything since they were also really nice to her...and when all was said and done they were discovered anyway despite Paimon's attempts at deception and she was reduced to what you see now."

Alec slowly nodded, commenting, "I can see that...most watcher's I've seen were pretty eye-catching and had tits like this."

"H-hey, Paimon will have you know she used to be really pretty and busty!"

The moment of levity vanished as quickly as it came, the sprite releasing another tiny sigh as she grumbled, "Paimon's body shrank, her memory became pretty bad and she also lost most of her powers."

Remaining silent Alec stared down the diminutive watcher, mulling over everything she'd told him...and hummed in quiet contemplation.

"Funny, I think this might be the first time I've encountered anything originating from Celestia I've remotely enjoyed or respected. To answer your earlier question you have my word that I won't drag Lumine into my baggage unless she herself gets involved."

His lips quirked in a fond smile.

"She seems like the kind of girl to throw herself headfirst into anything remotely intriguing."

"Yeah, Paimon can't really argue with that...and thank you."

Feeling an odd bit of kinship with the floating sprite Alec merely nodded, commenting, "It feels weird to speak to a former resident of Celestia like it's the most natural thing in the world...I guess time really has passed, hmm?"

"Paimon would say so! And even then you're probably way older than Paimon is, since you've been around even before the Archon war. Time must pass really strangely for you!"

Shrugging noncommittally Alec replied, "That's one way of putting it. And if you don't mind me asking what happened to Mona? She disappeared from the church before we'd even had a chance to figure out what our next course of action was."

"Paimon isn't sure, she didn't look too happy and she kinda just wandered off into Monstadt without a word to anyone."

"Great...pretty sure I know what's bothering her."

Resigning himself to fixing problems on a much smaller scale than he was used to - a prospect that he was going to have to get acclimated with - the male offered Paimon a friendly poke, commenting, "Keep an eye on Lumine, will you? She's a tough one but that penchant for getting involved in other people's business when she still has her brother to worry about is probably still weighing on her."

"Paimon promises to do just that! Bye bye, Prophet!"

Grimacing at the sprite's parting shot the man quietly huffed out a breath, letting the breeze of the city wash over him.

"Alright...now if I was an upset and overly serious astrologer where would I go?"


Turns out tracking the wayward young woman hadn't been that much of a challenge, Alec succeeding in finding her definitive landing spot within the hour.

A nice and cozy bar named the Cat's Tail, decently busy as afternoon switched to night and Mondstadt slowly came alight with it's artificial illumination, the man slipping in through the door to the sounds of a decently boisterous crowd, swapping stories and tales of the day's exploits as he approached the main bar, suspiciously absent of a barkeep...or at least that's the way it looked at first glance.

As he got closer a pair of cat ears entered his field of view, followed shortly afterwards by a diminutive body standing atop a convenient bevy of stools that allowed the little lady to ply her craft with some degree of accuracy and visibility.

"Well, I suppose that makes the bar's name rather apt, if she's the one who mixes drinks."

"Evening, little miss."

"You're new here."

The clipped and direct tone of the barkeep as she rummaged through a collection of ingredients and other mixtures caused Alec's lips to quirk in amusement, finding her blunt mannerisms an interesting match to her tiny appearance.

"That I am. I'm looking for a party member of mine, you wouldn't have happened to see her enter, would you? Purple, gold and black bodysuit and stockings? Big hat? Expression halfway between pinched and imperial?"

The young lady grimaced, pointing towards a secluded corner of the bar as she remarked, "Over there. Do something about her, would you? Indulging so heavily in alcohol is something of a nasty habit to develop."

"Odd thing for a bartender to say, but agreed. Pleasure to meet you…"

"Diona."

"Diona. I'll order something once I make sure she's not going to crawl her way home."

The cat-eared woman waved him away without further comment, Alec making his way towards where she pointed and soon enough came across Mona with a few empty mugs in front of her, pale skin slightly flushed while a dour look killed the festive atmosphere in a small area around her.

"You still look fairly sober, considering how much you've drinken. Funny, I would have thought of you as a lightweight."

Her sullen gaze landed on him as she tonelessly explained, "I was paid for my services by the Knights of Favonius. In most cases I would have used the Mora to buy the latest astrology articles in order to stay up to date on the practice or perhaps even put a deposit down on some piece of equipment...instead here I am, throwing it away on booze."

Smoothly seating himself from across the young woman Alec asked, "You don't look like you're handling the aftermath of things all that well."

A mug loudly impacted the table, Mona glaring at the taller male as she spat, "Of course I am not! How could such a useless astrologist as I ever feel good about themselves after the complete debacle of that battle! All my study, all my research...and when it came down to something that truly mattered I failed completely and utterly."

Catching on to the source of her disquiet Alec calmly explained, "You realize Klee is still alive and well, right? Already back to running across Mondstadt with Lumine."

A dismissive snort left Mona, the woman downing another shot before growling, "A state of affairs that would have not existed were it not for your miraculous and completely unprecedented abilities, ones that left you seemingly teetering on the verge of death. I left that child to die, Daman. When that mechanical monstrosity began to self-destruct, when there was a precious few seconds to react and ensure that no harm would befall us…"

Mona's head fell into her hands, fingers digging into the side of her head.

"I was only thinking about myself, about how to ensure my life was the one that emerged intact. I ignored a young and vibrant girl no more than a few strides away from myself, ignored her in favor of shielding myself and only myself. I killed Klee as surely as that damn machine did."

A sharp noise originated from beneath the table, Mona's heel tapping out a frantic beat on the floor.

"And after the dust settled, when I was greeted with the consequences of my actions? I froze and could do nothing productive, forcing you and Lumine to bear the burdens of my failures."

A shuddering breath left the young woman, Alec neutrally watching a tear trace down Mona's cheek.

"That damn journal...as if that's why I would no longer be able to stare my master in the face, when she's raising such a worthless disciple who would ignore an innocent at her side in favor of saving her own skin."

Letting Mona stew in her self-recrimination for a minute as he considered everything he'd heard Alec eventually heaved out a silent sigh, lips curling upwards in a smile.

"You know for someone who acts so cool and dispassionate all the time you're a surprisingly compassionate and moral person, Mona."

"That would sound so much more meaningful if I hadn't allowed Klee to be pierced through the throat when I could have easily saved her had my brain operated under any worthwhile capacity."

Drawing upon his years of experience in dealing with problems similar to the one now facing him Alec shrugged, motioning towards the bar for Diona as he announced, "Then drink."

"...What?"

"You heard me. Drink. This matter isn't going to go away anytime soon and it's not the kind of issue you can logically explain away when sober."

The catgirl began to approach their table, the male meeting the astrologer's red-rimmed eyes as he gravely stated, "Drink. Place all your cards on the table, let all that frustration and grief out, worry and agonize over every aspect of your failure and know that come tomorrow you'll feel even worse and that this event might haunt you for the rest of your life."

A shockingly compassionate and wise grin crinkled the edge of his eyes.

"Which means you'll have already reached the bottom and can then only go upwards, figuring out what and where you want to go with just that much less baggage."

Mona blinked, seemingly at a loss of what to say or do until Diona arrived, Alec stating, "Some of the harshest and most foul-tasting brew you have, please."

The girl huffed, grunting out, "Fine, but don't make a mess of yourselves or the bar, alright?"

She departed, the male meeting the astrologer's dumbfounded expression with an intense look as he pushed a mostly empty mug into her hands, grabbing an equally empty one for himself.

"So drink! To failed aspirations and constant self-loathing!"

Mona blankly stared at him, evidently unsure of what to make of his lunacy...and with a violent motion rammed her mug against his, the night truly getting underway.