"I'm fine--"

"No, I'm walking you home."

It's dark out. The Rune Knights had something to say about Karen's indiscriminate lightning attack (10 burned, 13 traumatized, 5 sobbing children, the reports finalized to say,) and so it was nearly eight in the sky is fucking dark by the time they were released and Eir got his pay.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Eir treated Karen to a heartful meal to make up for the horrid day they both had. Then it was really way too late for her to really be making an effort to return to her guild, so Eir did the logical thing and offered to walk her home.

"Uh... I'm sorry," Karen said, looking away.

"What are you apologizing for?" Eir managed something to say.

"Well, you uh, look really angry."

Eir pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a heavy breath, brows furrowing. When he opened his eyes again, the world swirled. He stilled, riding out the dizziness.

"It's nothing," he said. "Just... forgot my meds."

"Huh?"

"No... is this the right way?" Eir turned the topic quickly, "do you stay in your guild, Karen?"

"Uhn!" Karen held his hand as they began walking again, letting him push branches aside to clear the route for them, "Master Bob is kinda weird, but everyone's nice. There aren't a lot of girls, and they're all older, so I stay with them in the Guild Dorms."

"Hehh," Eir lifted Karen up when she stumbled over a tree root, then set her back on her feet. "Why did you become a mage, Karen?"

"Because it's cool!"

"Hehh, well... I suppose it's pretty fun, with all those spirits you have."

"Really?"

"You could brush Aquila's feathers-- can he take you on flights? Have you ever tried playing tag with Circini?" Eir sounded mildly excited.

At that, Karen looked away, a little conflicted, "oh-- uh, we don't really... have that kind of... thing. I mean... I'm just their contracted Master."

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind playing with you if you ask," Eir assured her.

"Eh?" Karen actually gaped, "but-- but, they're... spirits."

"So?"

And that made Karen stop in her tracks. Eir paused, looking at the girl curiously. His eyes narrowed, sensing something off with her reaction.

"It'll..." she started when she managed to get her will to speak, but she never looked up from the ground. "It'll be like I'm playing with dolls. It's meaningless-- I mean, spirits don't die.. They're just... summoned for battle."

Eir tightened his fist.

It was moments like these that made him remember that he was in a world of magic now. Talking animals, furniture with personality, and spirits in the wind-- all these meant different things here. Even if something spoke, they weren't human and that drew an invisible line to everything.

Maybe that was social norm in this world.

Maybe that was the social norm, but Eir wasn't going to conform.

"Circini got angry at me when I teased him," he crouched down before the girl, "and when Aquila messed up this morning, he laughed like a clumsy little airhead. Right?"

"Huh? Uh... yeah. I guess they did."

"Spirits may not be human... but they have feelings," Eir told her, "like you and me. They become upset, they get offended, and when they're punched, they still feel pain."

"Just like me?"

"Just like us both."

Karen nodded.

Eir put a hand at his sword. "In a battle, your magic is not just your weapon-- it's your partner, and your friend. It's someone you can always rely on, and can trust to protect you no matter what."

"But," Karen spoke up again, "it's... Circini and Aquila have never tried speaking to me before. They understand human speech, but it... it doesn't go both ways."

"You don't need words. Circini didn't say a single word, but we worked together perfectly this morning, remember? without him, I wouldn't have been able to finish the job as quickly as I did," Eir gestured at Karen's keys, "you weren't commanding him-- he worked in his own will, even though you were his master."

That made Karen stop. Speaking of that... Circini had acted even when Karen told him to stop. "But why would he do that?"

Eir responded easily, "when he all but whipped me across the terrain-- he was telling me, I'll show you I'm not useless! Why don't you go in there and show me what you can do?" he let out a laugh. "He's quite a prideful spirit, that one."

"You understood him?" Karen was flabbergasted. It just didn't sound possible.

"You see, if we treat them like friends, like partners in battle, they will respond just like humans," Eir set a hand at his chest, gesturing at his heart, then at hers. "Even if we're slightly different in mortality and appearance, if we care for them and try to understand them, they will definitely return your feelings."

Karen stood still, a little stunned.

"Isn't it amazing to always have comrades you can trust in a battle?" Eir gave her a smile.

-

After that, Karen started crying.

Like, fully, baby wailing at the top of her lungs.

Eir stared at her for a full, shocked second, before dissolving into a panicked mess. "Was it something I said??" he freaked out, "uh, I'm sorry--"

Even in his past, the oldest of his kids, a girl only a handful of years younger, took on the soothing-babies role more than he himself did. He could handle fussy crying, but this time, he legitimately didn't understand why Karen was crying. Logically, he panicked.

So when he walked into Blue Pegasus, Karen in his arms still sniffling into his shoulder, he honestly thought he was going to get murdered right there. If not by Master Bob, probably by the older ladies who looked like they were about to castrate him where he stood.

Thankfully, after a civilised conversation and a lot of sweets for Karen later, they sorted out the misunderstanding. After a round of proper introductions, they managed to contact Master Makarov through a Communications Lacrima.

"He's such a dear, Makarov. Are you sure I can't keep him?"

"No," Makarov hissed from the other end of the crystal, "get your own pretty boys."

"Hmm, we already have Ichiya, but I'm sure we can find more!" Master Bob cooed, gesturing at the rather handsome, orange-haired playboy in the corner. "Eir would fit right in!"

"I told you I'm not giving him to you!"

"Ehhh," Master Bob faked a despaired whine, "but look how much all the girls already adore him. Ah, Ichiya, would you be a dear and lead Eir to the Men's dorms? He'll be staying the night.

"No! I changed my mind! Eir, you're not safe there, come ba--"

And bzzt! The Lacrima's connection disconnected, and Master Bob beamed.

Eir breathed out heavily, a relieved sigh escaping from his shoulders.

His head throbbed, and he set a hand at his temple to massage circles on it. It felt like a heat was in his brain, a hot coal clunking around with each movement. He was glad he didn't have to make the trip back to Magnolia in this state.

(If he knew this mission would take so long, he'd have gone to get another batch of cookies first...)

Eir found himself before Ichiya, and he vaguely remembered that name-- some short, chubby older man who was totally only there for comic relief.

So what is this slim, tall, handsome, spiky-haired bishie radiating glamour and fabulousness? Ugh, his cologne is strong when he's close. Was he that ugly in the show because he was older? Wow age is a terrifying thing.

"No, no," Ichiya waved a finger at him, "it's my parfum. And young Eir, you certainly have a splendid parfum yourself. The smell of home and.. ah, butter. The smell of warmth and care... oh, Men!"

"Nice to meet you, Mister Ichiya," Eir responded with a straight face, everything in him not willing to begin with the retorts for this bizzare man, "please don't smell me."

"Of course, young Eir. Now, shall we make our way to the living quarters?"

Exhausted from his long day and nauseated from the ever-present migraine, Eir allowed himself to be led into the back of the guild.

After a long bath, a fresh change of clothes (there's a Vandalay clothing line?) and a comfortable bed, Eir sank into the covers and just conked out right there.

Everyone else was older than him, and they led him around from one place to another in his sleepy haze, making sure his hair was dried after the shower and making sure his clothes would be dry by morning so he could wear them as he travelled back. He felt someone tuck him into the blankets, and the lights dimmed.

This wasn't home, but it was definitely warm and full of care.

It was strange to be treated like a child for once, but it was a nice feeling.