FUNCTION DISORDER :: VOLUME ONE

22

As soon as he stepped into the workshop, Kaleva felt all warm and fuzzy inside. He walked up to his master.

Vex showed a fierce little grin to Kota, then grabbed him. He lifted him up with relative ease and felt over his smooth human body. Kota wasn't super fit or anything, but he was a good little cutie. Something was amiss, however. "Hello, pet~ Aren't you forgetting something? Bad puppy."

Kaleva stared vacantly for a moment, then understood the reason for Vex's reaction. He tried to wiggle out of Vex's grasp, but he was rapidly set down. "Aaa, sorry about this!". He pulled off his hoodie and chucked it into a corner, before taking off the rest of his clothes, right in front of Vex. "I kinda forgot, master..."

Vextari playfully licked Kota's forehead and gave a soft smile. "There we go~ That's my good boy ;3 Now, take this." He pressed a metallic object into Kota's right hand. "This is as simple as mage foci ever get."

Kaleva looked down and observed it. It took on the form factor of a rod, a cylinder about two centimetres in diameter, with a smooth aluminium surface except for where a rubbery plastic handle was fused to it. It felt awkwardly light in his hand, as if it were cheaply made. He figured this was some off-the-shelf product rather than something Vex had built.

"It converts magic to electric current. That's all it does.", said Vex. "Most of them have a small one of these built-in. If I tried to plug it into the computer, it would tell you what voltage it runs at and basic stats like that, but there'd be nothing I could code in there. Even your old mage focus had one.", explained Vex. He then leaned over and gently licked Kota's shoulder, where he had removed the accursed device on the night when he finally got to claim his cutie pet. He gave an affectionate little rawr.

"I think they have those in the Pale Bastion, to power appliances and stuff.", Kaleva remarked. "A lot of things don't even have electrical plugs anymore, they expect you to use magic on them." The Eight Orders say it's to reduce electricity usage but I reckon the real reason is to make sure nobody can live without a magic license.

Vextari nodded. "I've seen them. It's annoying, those are usually designed so only specific devices can manipulate them. Good for safety, if that's the only thing you care about, but certainly inconvenient. This one's better, it doesn't have those limitations. I want you to try powering this". He set down a basic LED lamp on his work desk, in front of his good obedient human pet.

Kaleva looked over at his owner with an uncertain smile. I haven't even tried to use magic since I left, I'm out of practice... He then turned to the lightbulb, glared at it intently, then raised the wand at it as if it were a hostile pink-robe. He grunted with effort.

The lightbulb flickered white for a few moments, then grew brighter and brighter, lighting up Vex's magic workshop, before failing, blowing out with a sinister electrical crunch and falling dead completely. Kaleva's heartbeat accelerated. "s-Sorry, I've never been any good at magic!", he said, cringing away slightly.

Vex smiled with satisfaction and crept up behind Kota, resting his soft pale paws on his shoulders. "Hmm. That should be enough power, probably. It's erratic, uncontrolled, but I think we can work with this. I'm pleased with that. Good boy~"

Then, there was a clear little sound of intent scratching on the front door. Vex's ears shot up like a set of edgy headphones. A cute little smirk grew across his face. "I forgot this was tonight. It seems that training time is over already, pet~". Then, he stepped away from Kota to get the door.

A familiar fluffy dog boy looked up at Vex and forced a smile with his tail low. He gave a little yip. "Umm, hi!", said Halley.

"Come in.", Vextari said. "I've prepared my lounge for you."