"Cordy?" you say, waving from the floor to get her attention. "Cordy!"
"Alex!" She immediately moves over next to you, forcing Ichigo to back up. "What happened? Are you okay? Why is Briar chasing the old bum with the horrible fashion sense?"
"I'm pretty sure that Briar went after the old guy because he hit me in the head with that staff of his, while casting a seal on me," you reply, while sitting up. Oh, hey, there's Lu-sensei.
"He did what?"
"See, that was my response," you agree.
"What kind of seal? Like theirs?" Cordelia points in the direction of Ichigo and Isshin. "Or like hers?"
"I don't know yet; I haven't had the chance to take a look at it."
"Then why aren't you doing that right now?"
"I kind of thought it might be a good idea to stop you from biting the heads off of people who weren't responsible for what just happened," you say dryly.
Cordelia blinks. "Oh."
"Yeah. Save it for the next time we see the jerk wizard. Now, if you'll excuse me for a minute..."
Feeling fairly certain that the current state of non-violence will be maintained while you're distracted, you dive into a ki meditation. You're relieved to find that your energies are moving as smoothly as ever, except for the slight, xpected sluggishness where you were thunked in the head and are now getting on with natural healing. You direct a bit of extra ki to that region, easing the pain and speeding your recovery, and then sweep through the rest of your body very carefully. After a bit of searching, it seems clear that Ambrose's spell hasn't affected you physically or mentally. Spiritually... hmmm. There's definitely something there, though when you observe it using this method, you can't tell what it looks like or what its purpose is. If it is having any of effect on your spirit, it's very subtle... which doesn't really strike you as Ambrose's style.
Relaxing your hold on your ki, you take a deep breath and reach for your magic.
It responds at once, as quickly and as naturally as ever. This comes as a deep relief; for a moment there, you were worried that Ambrose might have locked down your magic. That clearly isn't the case, and you take a few seconds just to play with the power, enjoying the feel of it still flowing free and ready to work your will. Then you begin shaping the magic - again, with no more trouble than the last spell you cast - aiming it in the direction of your spirit, which seems to be the focus of Ambrose's seal.
Fueled by fleeting wisps of magic, your divination only lasts for a few seconds. In that time, you're able to confirm the presence of a ghostly grey chain layered about your soul, something that you get the distinct sense is as much armor as it is binding. As with Tatsuki's seal, there is writing on this chain, but you can read this one quite clearly - it's in English, and it consists of two words: BUGGER OFF.
...
While you're still trying to make sense of that, the image in your mind's eye dissipates, and you open your actual eyes to blink in consternation.
"Well?" Cordelia asks. "What did you find?"
"If I'm remembering British slang right," you say, "anything that uses magic to look at my soul is going to be told to get lost."
"...okay," Cordy says slowly. "What's the point of that?"
"I think it's his way of cutting me off from mystical power sources," you muse. "Something to stop me from making deals with all the petty gods, demon, and other spirits that power common sorcery."
"Would that not leave you without the ability to use your magic, though?" Altria questions, looking troubled. "That seems excessive, even by Ambrose's standard of behavior."
You look at the blonde for a moment, pondering how to reply.