sageprincess | AEF INBOX

I am not "huffy."

[She is very huffy. Also what the hell kind of question is this, isn't it obvious?]

I thought since I make, quote, "shitty decisions," that it would be best if I were to keep my distance from now on. Personally, I felt that point was made very clear.

What?

[ What. ]

Trust me, I'd remember if I ever said something like this.

[ And he didn't get drunk enough to forget what happened entirely ]

Oh, yes, that is right. It was not "you," after all. Just an identical stranger with a few more pointy bits.

[It is a damn shame scoffing cannot be properly translated into text, because that's what she's doing.]

I was taught by the Sage of Shadow. It will take more than that to pull the wool over my eyes.

[ S h i t ]

Was he a Dragon? With a red tattoos under eyes?

[ The Sage of Shadow tidbit is very interesting, but he is currently focusing on the one thing... ]

It seems you already know the answers to those questions.

Can we stop with this game now?

His name is Berserker, he really is changing into a Dragon. And I'm going to murder him before he's done.

[ WHY ARE YOU MAKING HIS LIFE SO DIFFICULT ALTER?!?! ]

Look, do you even remember me participating in illusion classes? I'm touched by your faith in me, but I don't think I could yet pull such change off.

It is not as though it is particularly difficult, especially for such minor shifts.

[No, Zelda, you've just Done This for since you were literally a child.]

Why should I believe you?

There is no "should" [ He is absolutely not going to look for Berserker to take a selfie with him, or what. He's just too tired to play the game where he convinces someone of his innocence. Tired and resigned. ] I'm just telling you how it is, it's up to you if you believe it or not.

[ As much as the frustration and anger wells in him at the knowledge that Berserker is doing such a splendid job at sabotaging his life— in the end, how big of it is the magic build-up talking?

—restless, agitated, and snappish that's how Witches suffering from the side-effects are. These feeling can intensify into aggression, and then worse. ]

Such effort to get me to speak, and yet no commitment to it.

[But Zelda has never been one to leave well enough alone, and there's no satisfaction to be had in a debate where the other doesn't argue his case. Unseen by Caster, she fetches her hand mirror. A way to get to the bottom of this and burn off some energy at the same time.]

Tell me of this doppelganger of yours, if you are not one in the same. What differentiates him from you?

[What is something she can use as a focus for scrying?]

[ Oof. That jab is a very precise one, she wins this round. So he spills the beans. ]

In a twisted way, we are shards of the same person, but separate existences. [ It's "complicated" ] He's slightly taller than me, wider. Red tattoos on his face and torso. The tail used to be there, but it was just a part of his armor. Now I'm not sure— [ Who the hell knows with the whole Monster thing ] I was assigned a role of a "Witch" here, while he is changing into a Dragon, with a penchant of collecting bones.

[ He wants to say their personalities differ... but is it that or, priorities and circumstances? ]

I am aware of his appearance.

[Did someone say "complicated"? That's a surefire way to make Zelda want to know more. Not to mention her own intent in seeing the two as one in the same means that when she tries to scry, her mirror only shows her Caster typing away at his watch. She needs more, then.]

I would ask what you mean by "shards of the same person, but separate existences." Should I expect you to be as rude as he is, should I find myself outside of your favor?

Good question. If anything this place has taught me is that we are not as different as we thought.

[ With enough outside influence, Berserker can grow to care, meanwhile with enough influence Caster can find himself almost as jaded as his darker half is. 👌👌👌👌 it's cool ]

Long-time ago there was one man. He lived his life to the fullest, and then died young. But he left a mark, his deeds remembered, his victories and mistakes immortalized in songs. That's the "person"

Mages of my world are sometimes capable of calling forward wraiths of such people, of heroes of old, to help them, to serve. [ Really, to kill. But there is enough of them around to probably not make a point how they're all just murder-ghosts ] We're temporary existences, as no mage could sustain a Servant for long. To make the process easier they're summoning these souls to specialized vessels. Not every person fits every vessel, most fits several though. So it's kind of more like pulling a chapter out of the book, rather than getting it whole.

[ It's very simplified and not entirely correct, but he is not going to delve deep into the magic system and other bullshit, without prompting ]

That's why I'm Caster, I'm just that "shard". My mentor taught me spells as part of my training, and even earlier, my grandfather was a druid and I studied with him as a kid— this materialization enhances that, but I don't have my weapons or my chariot. If I did, I'd be a Lancer or Rider, but my spellcasting would have been diminished.

[ So there it is, classes for dummies ]

He's different though. Berserker has been altered by the person who summoned him into something "we" never was or even could be. I'm the possibility that never came to pass. He is the impossibility coming from a selfish wish of a cruel woman.

[ Sorry, not sorry, Medb ]

That would be the biggest difference.

I must admit, that would be quite a complicated story to craft for a lie.

[That is... a lot. And she's not certain what to think of all of it right in this moment. Something she'll no doubt fill a few sleepless nights thinking about. For now, she focuses on her mirror.

It takes some effort to concentrate, to focus her thoughts on the things he's just written rather than her assumptions, but in time, an image appears in the reflective surface. A man, dark and draconic, crouched in some secluded alcove and picking apart some unfortunate small animal with careful claws. Tiny bones are piled together next to him, and Zelda finds herself nearly sick at the sight. The spell is quickly dismissed, and she focuses on her breathing as she considers the implications of all this.

Several minutes have passed by the time she sends another message:]

One last request: send to me a picture of your current surroundings. Then I shall give you my answer.

[ What a curious request, but Caster can take a few guesses for a reason behind it. Soon enough she gets a selfie of Caster sitting on what appears to be a veranda, with view on a lush but unkempt garden.

There is a temptation to answer about the mention of "lie" but he decides against it. He simply keeps the watch close to him and in view after that because he's more impatient about the answer than he would like to admit. ]

[Well.

She just has egg all over her face now doesn't she.]

You have my sincerest apologies, Caster. I have allowed my own bitterness and presumptions to blind me to the truth of things, and have behaved quite poorly as a result. I shall not allow it to happen again.

[At least this being text means that he doesn't get to see how utterly humiliated she is on the other side of the communicator. She still has that little bit of pride going for her.]

[ And now it went into FULL FORMAL MODE ]

Hey, apology accepted, don't worry about it too much.

[ He doesn't know how to deal with this official letter suddenly. ]

Sooner or later something was bound to happen. It's not like my reaction was all roses, so I'd say we're even in that.

And if you needs your notes earlier than tomorrow, I can drop them somewhere today.

AEF INBOX

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