cinnamonagency | Another beginning [PSL]

"I will find you"

That might have seemed like a goodbye-promise to soothe parting hearts, one to never be fulfilled because of sheer impossibility, but Caster is a man of his word. With ties severed, godhood reversed and people returning where they're supposed to be, that's a definition of a happy ending.

Finally, finally, some would say.

Those who had nowhere to return by simply got a short-end of the stick, reverting to simple Servant form meant— not much time left. Even with the energy overflow stored from the time of functioning as a "god", Caster knows they will eventually disappear. No buts, no ifs, unless a contract is made.

So if there is nothing to lose why hesitate? Why not see how far can the tracking rune reach?

Kenaz is a curious one, it not only helps you find answers you seek (or the person you try to track), at its base, it's a power of light, of life-giving fire. Power to create your own reality. Some would argue when the universe is being written, Kenaz is the first letter. And if the knowledge of the runes was given to the one-eyed god when he meditated on the World's Tree, then wouldn't they be especially helpful in navigating its branches?

If they were allowed to meet, coming from such different and far away worlds— it means there must be a connection. It means the path can be found between far away branches.

True, it's just purely conceptual stuff, but what is Magic if not bullshiting the Universe so well it caves in and does what you ask? Good bullshitting needs conviction, and solid arguments.

The journey takes ages. Or maybe just a few seconds? It's hard to say when your being feels as it disintegrates as it continues to move. There were moments when Caster forgot who he was, what was he doing, but a metaphorical, harder grip on his hand reminded him where he was going. They were burning out the remains of the energy they had, in rate faster than they could pick it up on the way, but finally— finally—

An unknown World emerged. A continent. A country. A city. A castle. A chamber. How well did the rune work?

Just a flicker of magical energy, strange phenomena that only those familiar with magic could feel. Something wrong, but that something wrong was soon to go out, anomaly corrected. A lot of the remaining force has been put in one last word, made to resonate with someone who could hear it.

"Princess"

The flow of time is always cruel. Its speed seems different for each person, yet no one can change it...

It has been a year.

She has experienced so much in her tenure as a "goddess." She has traveled the four corners of a foreign world, fallen into the deepest darkness, and wandered the minds of countless dreamers. She has learned the faults of a system too rigid to change with the needs of those it serves, and that a frozen heart is a brittle thing, indeed. She has found love, in forms she never thought she would know.

It has been a second.

The princess returns to her country to find it has not changed at all since she was taken from it. The ruins of the Evil King's tower are still smouldering; the people celebrate the end of his reign of terror but have not begun to plan for the future now that it is over. And once again, she has experienced so much that none of them can hope to understand.

A dream, she resolves to call it all, even though she knows she'll never truly believe it to be so. It's less tragic that way, isn't it? Less maddening, certainly. There is so much that must be done, and no time to grieve.

It has been three weeks.

There were those who were overjoyed by her public return after seven (not eight) years of absence, and there are those who were less so, but she is permitted to take the house that had been Impa's in Kakariko as her temporary abode until construction in Castle Town is complete. It is not as though the Sheikah boy that used it on occasion has been seen lately, and it's what's proper, given Impa was the one who raised her. Papers are piled high on the table she sits at, black ink dirtying her hands as she fastidiously scribbles out correspondence, and she tries not to think about how it feels like there should be some kind of new arrival today.

... At least, until she hears a word just barely whispered on the wind. She's alone within these four walls and the doors are guarded. Surely, she's hearing things. She hasn't been sleeping much, after so long of not necessarily needing to. It's probably just getting to her.

She shouldn't get her hopes up. There's no way he could keep the promise he made that day. She doesn't want to have to pick up the broken shards of her heart on her own once more.

And yet... she lifts her hand into the air, the brand of the Triforce burning gold as it is enveloped in a familiar golden glow. And she waits, breath caught in her lungs, for whatever might happen next.

Light and power and life that's what this magic is, that's what it looks like to two stray wraiths. Caster absorbs all of it like a leech, it's enough to give him some more time. Well, both of them more time. It's not the first nor the last time the loophole of "mages contract Servants, Casters are also mages" was used, and they needed another metaphorical rope for the journey anyway.

His materialization is sudden but also shaky, the golden motes of light flickering at the edges of the solid form where it flickers out and in of existence. Archer is next, he feels as part of the magic he just fed upon is pulled away from him on the contract link.

So yes, it's the middle of the night, and two weird dudes are falling down in the middle of the corridor.

"Found you..!" Caster barks a short, exhausted but so damn happy laughter before his materialization flickers again

It's a relief to feel the surge of mana after using so much of theirs. While Archer is used to staving his time on barest minimum of mana, this journey took its toll on him. His form is as shaky as Caster's, not able to fully materialize.

Archer wraps one arm around him to steady his partner/lover/Master. Taking a second to assess the situation he speaks quietly in urgent tone. "Princess. You know what to do."

Tact never has been his forte. First comes the most important thing, the pleasantries (and apology) can wait until later. Nonetheless it's good to see her again.

Her eyes widen with slow, dawning awe as two ghostly figures form in the space in front of her, and it won't be until later that she realizes tears have already begun to stream down her cheeks as her mind tries to process the sight. One would think the Goddesses themselves have manifested in her hand-me-down house if any outsider were to look at her now.

But this is better. A million times better, blasphemous as it might be to say.

Higher thought is well and truly beyond her right now, overwhelmed as she is, but fortunately Archer's insistent voice is enough to draw her out of her stunned state at least physically. Her hand glows even brighter, like a captured star, as she reaches out with it to take hold of the back of Caster's neck and pull him down. The kiss that follows is desperate and fervent, all emotion and no technique, because hey, it's not like she's had any opportunity to get better at all that in the time they've been apart.

It ends in just as much of a rush as it begins, however, and in the next moment she's rushing towards a cabinet like her life depends on it, shoving all sorts of bottles filled with various colored liquids aside before she produces two containing something vibrantly blue and viscous. The corks are torn out and tossed to the side before she presses them towards the Servants' vaguely corporeal forms.

"Drink them. Quickly. Please."

Luckily, they've landed in a world where mana potions are a thing. She has no idea how much time they'll buy, but... hopefully enough to think of something more permanent to sustain them with. She doesn't think she'll survive watching them fade away into nothing after this brief reunion.

It's the best kiss in the world.

Caster's hand tangle into her hair, weak at first, even ghost-like. But as his anchor grows the more corporeal he becomes, the more strength he has to express his joy. If he could he would tug her close into embrace and never let go- Wipe her tears away and just hold forever, that doesn't sound like a bad retirement plan.

And then she's gone. Caster makes the 'hey, wait!' gesture. We're not done with reunion yet, he wants to say, but then his concerns over state of his existence were pushed on the lower priority the moment he had seen Zelda.

(He might not be the one here with most "logic braincells" he's all about feeling after all)

The content bottle that is given to him is unfamiliar but he drinks the content without question. The effect is instantaneous, it's a solid charge to nearly empty battery. Fully materialized he just.... accidentally breaks the empty bottle (throws it behind him, literally) and rushes to capture his princess in a desperate embrace.

"Sorry to make you wait..." there's a grin in his voice and lack of concern for personal space... But he hopes he will be forgiven this time.

It's a surge of mana- and happiness mixed with amusement. Her first foray into Servant world was his fault, when he's been worried about Cú running out of mana and kissed him out of the blue. Now is a payback time. (No, not really, but it amuses Archer to think so.)

Archer is conscious of the sudden tightness in his throat. She's become a part of the family he's grown to care about during his stay on the Far Shore. Now and here it's nothing short of a miracle to see her again.

She looks thinner now, worn out from the worries of her duty. The first thing she needs is a good rest- and a secretary to take care of the stash of letters he can see on the desk. Well, after the contract is made.

He downs the contents of the bottle. Huh, pure mana as a potion. Then- he's not aware of softening of his expression as he approaches both of them in short strides, wrapping both in embrace.

"Princess..."

Days changed into weeks, and weeks nearly into a month. Princess remained busy, incredibly dedicated and rebuilding effort were running full speed. The novelty of a very strange guest didn't die down but Caster started to feel that he was on his way of becoming a simple fact of life. His magic strange, just as his apparent diet of mana potions, and while the court had every reason to distrust him— especially with how familiar he appeared to be with the princess— there was never a reason given to cast any doubts.

Courts weren't unknown area to him after all, and his charm and friendliness started to gain him some acquaintances and slowly even friends. Especially when he proved his skill on the training grounds.

Zelda insisted on traveling incognito. The fewer people know where he goes and when the better. Made sense, there is time and place for forging alliances with a big entourage and when it's better to speak in private. Caster was grumbly about it, but he understood.

Until it turned out someone's tongue got loose. Not even 12 hours had passed and he heard the mention of princess lone trip including the correct name of the inn she stayed and the general direction. This combined with another rumor stating that the fastest horse was supposedly stolen from the stables—

Maybe it's all just a coincidence, maybe unrelated. But the princess was still in danger, like every royalty ever, and keeping her travel a secret was the real shield in this case. With secret gone, he'd rather risk scolding than potential assassin getting to Zelda.

Fortunately, Servants can travel fast when in intangible spirit form. It still took Cú rest of the day to catch up to her. Finding the correct room and then a correct moment to reveal himself—

"Hello, princess" The greeting so overly casual as he materialized among golden motes.

Truthfully, she was looking forward to having a little bit of time to herself. Not that she isn't anything but passionate about the work to rebuild Hyrule, but the discussion of logistics and delegation is draining, and she hasn't quite built up the endurance for the more social parts of ruling just yet. Her stops on the road would be minimal - maybe two nights or so, weather permitting - but the chance to allow the princess mask to slip away is greatly welcomed no matter how brief.

So when she hears her title suddenly, even from a familiar voice, she can't help jumping a little before she whirls around.

"Wh-- What..." But it only takes a moment for her to recognize the form of her rented room's intruder, and the anxiety that had her reaching for the knives hidden away under her clothes gradually fades. "What are you doing here? I thought--"

A pause. The inn she's elected to stay in is small, unassuming, but that also means the walls aren't exactly what one would call soundproof. Her voice lowers into a hushed whisper when she continues.

"Did I not tell you to watch over the castle?"

The usual, playful side of him sees the possibility to tease and game with this reaction. But while he flashes princess a grin before he disappears again, a whisper that is for her ears only is serious and very matter-of-fact.

"I did. That's why I noticed— your trip isn't as guarded secret as it should be, and Midnight Fire has been taken from the stables." It's a report if anything, and there are no excuses made. "I figured my presence in castle is less necessary than you getting a heads-up"

About potentially being followed. Who knows, maybe it's just a coincidence. But in politics coincidences are a rarity, Cú was close enough to throne once to learn that. His presence more of a ghost than a person right now, but that allows him to extend his senses beyond the walls.

"I'll guard your sleep." The disembodied voice gains a warmer tone. "If any late guest arrives here I'll let you know."

Ah, yes, that whole... disappearing but not actually going anywhere thing he can do now. She's not certain she will ever get used to that, and her long ears twitch with heightened alertness as his physical form dissipates once more, leaving only his voice behind.

"... I see."

It's frustrating, but she supposes Caster really did make the best call in rushing to catch up with her, based on what he tells her. Turning around now would mean potentially delaying valuable resources Hyrule is in need of, and with Archer around, the castle should still run relatively smoothly in her absence. She sighs that defeated little sigh as she lowers herself to sit upon the edge of her bed; the one that belies her desire to argue under the acceptance that doing so would be both futile and unwise.

She glances at the walls of her cozy room, unable to pinpoint where she should be looking, exactly.

"Do you... intend to remain in this form the entire time?"

If a presence could radiate amusement, that's what he's doing right now. It warms the air a bit and could feel like laughter without a sound.

"I believe I have to stick around to be an effective guard— or would you prefer I did that on the other side of the window?" He's teasing, but also considering the situation, he wouldn't listen to her anyway. Not to mention it's still much more cost-effective to him. Availability of mana potions notwithstanding, he's in mindset of doing everything to protect his princess.

No killing until he confirms the intentions of the follower, though. He's learned that much.

The temptation to assume physical form and hold her hand— hold her close. It would be impossible to resist.

"I am not suggesting that you leave," she says with a slight huff. She's gotten better about it with time and exposure, but there's always going to be a little part of her that gets grumbly whenever she hears that teasing tone of voice. All the more so when she's trying, in her awkward, roundabout way, to communicate something she personally - as Zelda and not the soon-to-be Queen of Hyrule - wants.

He's not the only one longing for a moment of closeness. They are difficult to arrange within the bustle of the castle walls.

"Answer me this, then: did you pass Midnight Fire on your way here? I presume you took the fastest route."

"I followed the roads when it made sense, but most of the time it wasn't the shortest way. But I'm pretty certain I must have passed her and the thief. I give them around an hour to reach this inn." A bit longer if the rider is taking good care of the horse, but if the stories are true she should be able to reach this place without any real danger.

The light motes dance in the air as they form familiar figure once again. He's an annoying tease, but he's not a jerk. Not going to deny her, nor to force her into an uncomfortable place. Reading between the lines, he got a message.

"I promise to wake you up should they arrive. But you must be exhausted so at least try to take a nap?" Pretty please? He even sits on the edge of the bed, tapping its surface as if nagging the princess to take her sleep.

Not that it's, undeserved nagging. Princess "sleep is for the weak" Zelda of Hyrule stands before him.

Sleep is for the weak, though the exertion of a day's travel will probably have her succumbing to it eventually. But she has an hour at least, and an opportunity she can't resist ceasing.

It is, after all, as she feared in another world: she yearns for love and tenderness, now that she's had a taste of it. As he sits upon her bed, she does not lay down as he asks; instead, she places her hand over the one he nagged her with, squeezing it lightly as she struggles with the honesty of saying what she wants.

"... Indulge me for just a moment, won't you? It is not as though I get much opportunity to ask."

The weak smile she wears suggests she knows she's being irresponsible, and she should, honestly, be denied. But, come one, when he's the one doing the asking, it's not always appropriate. So... pretty please?

Duties and responsibilities of the royal, they are always the priority. But stealing moments like this is an important skill as well. Caster recognizes the request, what it is about. An invitation. Closeness and warmth he's been yearning for as well. What better time there would be than here, in the middle of nowhere, with no guarding eyes and no vigilant ears. He turns his hand underneath hers, just so he can hold it properly—

"My lady, I meant not to bring you displeasure." He lifts Zelda's hand to his lips and kissed it. Maybe to pace himself, maybe because he likes being a tease— but even if he had learned his lesson and learned patience, he's not the most patient of men. "Do pardon my impertinence."

A riddle, is he apologizing for making her wait, or for what he is about to do? Because he doesn't even finish the last word and he's already leaning closer, seeking her lips with his.

That weak smile of hers strengthens into something much more beaming as he acquiesces to her foolish request, though it lasts for only a moment before her lips are captured. The contented little sigh that escapes her as she melts into the kiss suggests he's already been forgiven, regardless of intent behind his words. It hardly matters now, does it? Whether it's peacefully or with violence, this brief, private moment will end sooner rather than later, and maybe, just this once, she's found some merit in his philosophy of living entirely in the present.

He's a terrible influence.

Even more so in that after a moment, she shakes her hand free of his so she might snake her arms up around his shoulders, pulling him closer and turning the soft and gentle kiss into something a little more insistent. Let her have this, okay.

Another beginning [PSL]

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/arrives lightyears late with mana and Starbucks

road trip

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