Cloner4000: I can smell the sarcasm from my seat here. And that's a strong scent. :3 In any case, they're going to talk about Bruhl next – and we're about to step into the first real arc of their (mis)adventures.

Mr Wang 330: Yeah, I juggled having Isara wake up and go batshit insane, but in the end decided that this was a good way to characterize Celes – he's professional. Also, I really thought that having her fly into a rage – even trying to make it IC – was going to push even more limits. It actually makes a lot more sense for her (as in, staying IC) to be compassionate. She's only been axe (wrench?) crazy due to stress and unknown surroundings for now. As for canon effects… read on.

DC20: Yeah, earlier Isara "recognized those eyes". Also, lampshading is awesome – I knew I'd be smashing the WTF meter, as you so eloquently put it, but I figured having the namesake character be out of it for so long would be a larger wallbanger, so meh. This is my choice.

This is about to hit the big break – where Isara meets her cut from the published storyline. It may seem a bit deus ex machina, but hey, how else? Don't tell me that her sniping in the game was any less random.

This workshop is something crazy – we're running around busy from like 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. I'm hard pressed to get any writing done, and I'm fitting in five minutes here, ten minutes there. The story will start to get choppy – let me know if you would prefer me to consolidate blurbs together as I write.

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With a light heart, Celes walked down the stairs, duffel swinging lightly on his shoulder, two trays of delicious breakfast in his hands. Eggs, bacon, toast, the whole nine yards – it seemed that the women of Lia were sincere in their thankfulness, despite their Imperial heritage.

Pausing at the door, he mused. Could they truly be called Imperials now? Lieutenant Karst had their shattered unit operating smoothly as possible – they had half of the remaining dozen on patrol immediately around the town limits, the other half helping with the light damage that the hamlet had suffered during the hunters' assault. Tella was busy listening in on the radio on Gallian movements as best he could, although most of the orders flying through the air were in code that they were not familiar with – undoubtedly updated in preparation for the assault on Marberry.

Shaking the painful memories from his head, he knocked on the door with an armored toe. "Coming in," he chimed, as pleasantly as he could.

As a response, he got a loud crashing noise, followed by the tinkle of a bouncing metal tool. "Isara?" he called in confusion.

Nothing. With trepidation he elbowed the doorknob and stepped in –

He wasn't so flustered as to drop the food, but it was a close thing. Quickly sliding the trays onto a table, he ran to Isara's fallen form, which was currently prostate on the blankets, surrounded by a few boxes which most certainly hadn't been there when he'd left. Looking at the table that was inches away from her feet, Celes drew the conclusion immediately.

"Just what in Valkyrur's name did you think you were doing?" he grumbled as he stepped over, peeling his helmet off in the process. She groaned a bit, moving her right hand over her eyes in pain. "You're lucky to have landed on those blankets. If you hadn't, you could have split your head open." Letting a stream of expletives out of mouth, he gruffly helped her into a sitting position.

"I'm sorry," she groaned. "I just saw the light and thought I should…"

Celes glanced up, saw the burnt out light, and resisted the urge to grind his forehead into his palm – the armored gauntlet would only succeed in adding to his annoyance. "You. Are. Just. Out. Of. Life. Threatening. Surgery," he berated her. "We can live with a one dimmed light – you, on the other hand, are going to die if you insist on abusing yourself like this. I know which one I'd rather have alive."

The Darcsen scoffed. "You mean the light, don't you," she sneered – but the attack was only half-hearted.

With a pained sigh, he stood back up, and quickly moved the furniture back into place. "You really are a fighter, aren't you? Everyone's always against you," he mused, coming back to offer a hand. Instead of taking it, though, Isara pointedly ignored him and stood up on her own power – and dizzily almost fell again, stopped only by Celes's firm grip on her unwounded shoulder. "Really, stop fighting me here. You're hurting no one but yourself."

Surprisingly, she let herself be frog-marched into a chair, dropping her head onto the table. He took his own seat across from her, dropped his helmet onto the wood, and slid a tray full of biscuits, eggs and bacon in front of her nose.

The results were astounding. Isara's face perked up immediately, and with an almost pained face she reached towards the silverware with both hands –

And winced, retracting her left. Grimly, she picked up the fork with her right, and glared at him, as if challenging him to mock her situation.

Inwardly, Celes could only sigh. "I already took the trouble of making sure that you could eat the food with one hand." Indeed, the food was already cut into bite-size pieces.

"You didn't have to do that." Her voice was level and even, as if she wasn't sure whether to be insulted or thankful.

He smiled in response. "But if I hadn't, you would have been too busy wincing in pain to talk while we eat." Metal gauntlets clattered against the table as he unfastened the clasps. When the armor joined the helmet on the table, he eagerly picked up his own utensils, plowing into a pile of sausage.

Isara only gave him another unreadable look before beginning to eat herself. For a few minutes, they concentrated on their food. As he polished off a biscuit, Celes started the conversation. "Just what made you feel that you had to accomplish something, anyways?"

She ducked her head – either she was having trouble swallowing, or embarrassed. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell before she gulped down a mouthful of eggs. "It was broken. I was bored. You did leave me all alone, after all." The words held a slight edge to them, despite his earlier explanation.

"Rest never occurred to you?"

"… not really."

The Imperial sighed. "Are all the militia like you?"

"Most of my squadmates are," she said, a bit proudly.

He grunted in response. "No wonder why we're having so much trouble where the militia's involved. Highly amusing, though, that your regulars are pushovers."

"Really?" The question was rhetorical and sarcastic, and Celes couldn't help a smile.

"You should have been treated by one of your own doctors," he began to hypothesize, "but instead, your brother came roaring up here looking for a doctor." He watched her expression soften in sympathy – his own heart twisted and squirmed with the incoming subject he would have to broach. "He was lucky, in more way than one."

"… thank you."

He almost spewed biscuit out of his mouth. Isara was thanking him? The next thing he knew they'd be married and have more children than Lieutenant Karst, which was saying a lot.

"No need, no need." He waved her off, not knowing exactly how to respond to that statement. "And well…" he began, "About before."

"Bruhl," was all she said. Celes did a double-take – she'd finished eating the huge plate, and he was only half done with his own tray. Post-operation hunger, indeed.

"Bruhl," he responded.

"You barged into my home, spouted insults at me, were a hair away from executing me and Martha. Welkin smashed you in the face with a fencepost, and I killed your comrade with a bullet." The summary was brutal, but apparently truthful – from her point of view.

Celes rested his fork on the remnants of his eggs. Subconsciously, he put a hand to his brow, remembering that solid impact of wood against skull. "Yes, we broke into your house, and yes, we did bombard you with insults. But let me summarize the end with this: Lieutenant Karst is our commanding officer."

He got a blank look in response.

Celes let out one last sigh. "Let me explain…"

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I'm debating the contents of the next blurb. I really want to do the same Bruhl flashback, from Celes's point of view. However, I get the feeling that that might just be over the top and unnecessary. If you would prefer me to skip that and simply have them chat a bit, with the flashback implied, then leave a review saying so. If you do want to read it, though, say that.

Remember, if at any point characters seem way OOC, or there are any continuity breaks, hit me on the head with a hammer and tell me! Otherwise, I'll never improve.

You may note that I'm milking a lot of your reader input – and this is intentional. This is because I am in no position to actually play the game right now, and therefore have really only you people as a source. Okay, I guess I could also peruse the Emoprinny playthrough, but unfortunately I don't have that much time. Gotta fly now! Keep faith in me, I'm working every minute I get!