Lights in a Starless Sky - A Honkai Impact 3rd Fanfiction

Act 22: Return

6PM: Great Mall, ARC City

Perceval walked through the supermarket hastily, he received a text from Siegfried, somehow, telling him to meet at the Great Mall alone. The Knight slipped into an isle and saw white hair down the back of the row, he weaved through the crowd and tapped the man on the back. "Siegfried, it's me." The man turned and smiled, looking into Perceval's eyes with his own sea blue ones. "Ah, thanks for coming on such short notice." The Knight shook his head, keeping his head low. "It's no problem, so what do you want to meet about?" Siegfried placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling kindly. "Strategy. For getting you back to Shicksal." Perceval paused for a moment, a dumbfounding expression on his face. "Eh?" The older Knight chuckled to himself. "Well, we can't strategize with a clean liver!" The Knight sighed. "Siegfried, no. I'm not drinking with you." 

9PM: Samsara Bar

"How... How did I agree to do this?"

The atmosphere was intense: the air smelled of alcohol and the crowds on the dance floor behind the bar were incredibly loud. Siegfried looked over at Perceval. "Ya having a drink?" The young Knight looked away. "I don't drink beer." The older Knight raised an eyebrow. "What do you drink?" Perceval scoffed. "Not alcohol." Siegfried chuckled. "Come on! Lighten up a bit!" The Knight sighed with defeat. "Bartender, I'll have a whiskey on the rocks please." The fine man behind the counter chuckled. "Excellent choice, coming right up." Soon after, he slid a glass of the deep amber alcohol across to Perceval. The Knight bowed his head. "Thanks." Perceval took a swig, the burning sensation ran down his throat as he drank. Siegfried smiled. "Never knew you had such expensive taste, kid." The Knight glanced at the older man. "Siegfried, my body might be seventeen, but I'm twenty years old, and certainly no child." Perceval swished the drink around on the bench. "I never understood why my father liked this drink, when he did, he only had one. I know why now." He held the glass up to his lips and sipped again. "Because it hits hard." The older Knight smiled. "You either go hard or go home, I like your attitude." Perceval scoffed. "Regardless, just this once, I'm going to have only one."

He lied, he had seven.

Siegfried was baffled at the young Knight's alcohol tolerance, six drinks in and he was only just starting to become drunk. Perceval quickly slammed down his seventh glass of whiskey, exhaling heavily. "Hya-haaah~ That's the shit!" He glanced over to the bartender. "Heya mate, get me one more please! *hic*" The man behind the bar was startled. "U-Uh... Coming right up..." Siegfried tapped the young Knight on the back. "You doing okay?" Perceval turned around to face the veteran. "Okay? *hic* Mate, Siegfried, I haven't felt better in a whole two months!" The bartender frowned. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's closing time." The young Knight pouted. "Aww come on, you're no fun, mate." Perceval received his last drink and slammed it down in a minute, Siegfried helped the Knight up from his chair and helped stabilise him. Perceval slid some notes across the counter and waved. "*hic* Cheers for the drinks!" As they walked out of the bar, Siegfried frowned at the Knight. "Are you really doing okay?" Perceval made an expression in between a frown and scowl. "To be honest, mate, no." The Knight's voice was almost unintelligible, his drunken state starting to slur his voice. "Two months... *hic* Two months without my Darrrrrling~" Siegfried nodded. "Yeah... Try not having your wife with you for fifteen years..." Perceval turned his head to face the veteran. "fifteen... Years?" Siegfried nodded solemnly, stopping in his tracks for a moment. "Cecilia was my everything, she gave herself up to save me and Kiana... She could have survived if that damn Overseer didn't drop a nuke on her!" The Knight's expression softened substantially, his heart hurt from just hearing the pain in Siegfried's voice. "Siegfried, mate..." The older Knight shook his head and smiled softly at Perceval. "That's why I sympathise with you, Perceval." He chuckled and shook his head, ruffling his snow white hair. "I've actually been watching you for a while now, not creepily of course, I've seen how much you two mean to each other and how much pain it has caused to you both." The Knight bowed his head, lost in thought.