farewell to the van [closed]

[towards_okeanos]

Who: Iskandar, Archer, Waver, Caster
When: April 1 (middle of the night) - April ? (tbd)
Where: outskirts of Tokyo Metropolitan area, near the cultist's compund
What: There's a pizza van of no morals, it needs to be returned.





After the battle is done, the enemy subdued, all ayakashi slain and all the Heavenly forces have either already departed or are preparing to depart, Iskandar has still one, final task to finish.
He needs to return the car to its rightful owners. To say it has served them well would be to risk a laughable understatement. So they drive Satya home and then, together with Waver, they embark on a mission to bring the van to its previous state. Or even an improved one if that's possible.

That starts with a visit to the car wash. Fortunately, it's a fully automated so there is no one to ask questions about the sorry, and bloody, state of the car. Even if Iskandar has to read the instruction for choosing a suitable washing programme twice, and ask Waver for help with some of the kanji, it's preferable.

Then it's to the gas station to refill the tank and buy all the necessities that a car like that might need. Simple things like windshield washer fluid, a couple of air fresheners, a tire repair kit. The car itself is meticulously maintained but it sorely lacks supplies. The owners clearly save on everything they can.
After that, Iskandar parks the van near the gas station building takes out his phone and calls Archer.

Comments

[towards_okeanos]

[Iskandar may not understand all the magic. He has no frame of reference. Fortunately, he doesn't have too. There are capable mages at work here. All he needs to do is get out of the way, provide support for Waver and mana if necessary.

Yet there are things he does understand. He understands will. He understands that in a clash of body and mind it is always the mind that wins. He may not comprehend how Archer springs those blades because this is the realm of magic. But he's willing to bet he can grasp why. He pushed himself to the limits so many times in the past that he knows from personal experience the myriad of ways how one's body can break. Even if all of his were purely physical, Iskandar believes he can draw some parallels. Especially with that force of will that pushes through no matter what. The mind, the will that just would not relent.

Not that he can do much with that knowledge. Anything other than hope that it, whatever it is, can be reversed.]

arrives here after millions of years

[futhark]

[ In the end, all that Caster can feel is but an echo. Knowledge, awareness of there being intense suffering that he can't take away. At least, not yet. With Archer less focusing on closing himself away, they might at least put a stop to his magic going overboard. Maybe not fix, maybe not heal, but prevent it going further.

The need to shield your friends, family, lovers, that's ironically something Caster very intimately gets. At times like these, they mirror each other too much, for Caster is sure if their role were reversed, he would be doing the same as Archer.

Caster follow Waver's lead, giving energy (instead of taking it, like is entire Servant's schtick), easing the burden but also being a familiar presence. Can he be soothing? This one time in the world he can try.

He gasps, maybe out of pain or maybe- because he notices the lack of movement in the bladed growth on Archer's shoulder. It's not receding, but it's forming has been slowed down, almost stopping. ]

It's working- we're almost there-- [ He puts his hand on Archer's cheek forcing the man to look at him and so he asks ] Endure.

[boneofsword]

[As they delve deeper and deeper it's becoming clear that there's no physical cause. It's the will that doesn't relent, not even when using Magecraft has taxed his body past his normal endurance, and not when rebound effect leeched all color from his hair and eyes. Disregarding himself in face of others' needs and their safety. For Archer pushing past his limits is as natural as breathing.

It's also past his limits to bare himself to others, to show what's usually hidden safely. Any hint of weakness, anything that he prefers to keep to himself. It's not easy to allow.

What grounds him enough to keep going is Caster, his presence, the familiar magic he can feel even through all the pain. Soothing touch on his cheek that Archer leans into as he looks up to meet Caster's eyes.

All that he can respond with is the brief nod. It's not for himself that he does; it's for Caster who desperately tries to help him.

Archer never wishes to become another burden for his partner to carry.]

[hypomeneo]

There is a feedback loop present and the source is mental. It's the trigger for your abilities. Something is jamming it.

[Waver's quiet as he says that, voice surprisingly steady despite the sweat beading and tricking down his brow as he continues to endure.

And while he doesn't know how to deal with that... at least not yet, though it seems some of his abilities do deal with the mental plane, he does know how to buy time and let Archer recover in the meantime.]

I'm going to reset your entire mana system, and then keep it suppressed. It should stop the loop and the blades from forming.

[Maybe even reverse the process entirely. Who can say? Not him without his memories.]

That will buy us time to figure out how to solve the mental jam and help get you into better shape.

[As far as he knows, there's been no indication to healing abilities so far beyond that mysterious tea recipe (Grandmother's) he knows.

Perhaps it's in Caster's skillset... unfortunately, Irisviel is gone, because she would have certainly been a blessing here. He doesn't know of any other healers here... nor of anyone who could affect the mind, but that doesn't mean there's none. Everyone else in this room has been around so much longer than he has.

For now, he increases his mana flow and directs it to force a reboot of the entire system as gently as possible. Which may be as gentle as he'd like - Archer's mana still chaotic under his touch - but still it's better and easier to handle than a sharp, sudden shock. Or so instinct tells him.]

I apologize for being so late

[boneofsword]

[Archer can feel the increase and is a bit surprised at how gentle Waver is.]

You don't have to be so careful, I won't break.

[Luckily for them it's easy to force the reboot. Archer hisses and sags forward a bit, bowing his head. Pain starts to fade slowly and no new blades are forming. Those odd, metal patches are fading too, blades turning into skin. Such eerie healing ability caused by his magic going overdrive.]

Thanks. [he murmurs quietly once he's finally able to speak. It's not that easy to accept help, not when it's caused by his own miscalculation and weakness.]