semi-open

[futhark]

Who: Caster, friends, and you!
When: October 13th and up [earlier for closed prompts]
Where: The Far Shore forest and Cú Chulainn's temple
What: Aftermatch of the return, Caster is back from the dead. Back to being a God, spoiler: still not a Lancer, etc. Instead of just being So Done With Everything it's time to focus a bit on the temple, train the dogs and also some magical shenanigans in the middle of the night.

Open prompts this way

Warning: Probably a bit of violence in boss-battle follow-up for Archer, but aside of that, idk. Will add as necessary.

Comments

Open Prompts - October 13th and forward

[futhark]

A Cú Chulainn’s temple - the main entrance

[ Caster’s temple is located in the middle of a large forest - large enough it’s easy to get lost in. Fortunately, whatever kind of magic is at work here makes it easy for most of the guests to find their way to the temple's entrance. Anyone going along it is considered a guest, and won’t be bothered by the three large hounds wandering the temple grounds. Aside from one that is overly affectionate, and might pounce them as a way of saying welcome. Don’t worry the owner of the temple will intervene before they get smothered.

Caster can be found by accident, maybe doing some actual gardening, training, lazing on the roof or smoking a cigarette in the shade of the tree- a big bandaid plastered across his nose, but aside for that he looks his usual self.

In morning on the table outside the temple there is a neatly put set of lunch boxes, apparently for someone to pick them up-- hey, you know who you are. Well, Caster doesn’t, and he wants to finally see who are those additional people his shinki is feeding.

If someone comes to pick them up, consider having a conservation started immediately. ]

You sure that’s for you? [ Just confirming whether you’re on of the usual guests or someone who is just tempted by free food! ]


B Cú Chulainn’s temple - outskirts

[ Those who want to avoid the road, or get genuinely, hopelessly lost, might find themselves chased by a large, white dog. At first, she’s just a threatening presence, following a trespasser in a distance. Staring, judging u, etc. However, should they get close to the temple, to the point it gets visible she will jump forward between them and the building, growling a warning.

Escape and be ready for a chase - another dog might just join, barking a little too happily - proceed further and be ready for more firm - and loud - response from the guard dog. She might be persuaded to be a little less hostile though-

Either way hitting the guard-dog alarm will make Caster appear soon to check what’s going on. ]

Regal, stay-- now what we have here hmm?


C Forest around the temple - Stone circle

[ Deep in the forest around the temple, an overgrown stone circle can be found near the spring of the purifying water. The otherworldly atmosphere of a bygone age is incredibly strong here, and now enhanced- no, not just by night but by some sort of weird ritual happening here. There are writing on the stones, lines on the ground, and they seem to shine, without really making any light.

Caster might seem too occupied with writing on the stones, but he does notice a new presence around ]

Stranger, I suggest you either make yourself interesting or get out of here.

[ That might be an advice or a warning. ]



D Wildcard

[ I'm always up for wildcards, feel free to combine, modify or alter any of the prompts or hit me with something else. ]

D - Cooking

[irishfriskey]

[With Mister Caster back, they can get back to what they had originally planned on doing before he died lol.

Learning to cook.

He doesn't want to bother Archer with this just yet. After all, he learned how to cook on his own, right? Maybe they can do it too. Lancer has found an easy thing to cook with.]

Okay... it says set the oven to 350 degrees.

[They're making a boxed cake mix.]

[futhark]

[ Caster spends a bit too long musing how to exactly set that oven to 350 and which knob to use. Perhaps to modern people, those appliances and their symbols are completely obvious, but they could certainly use some kind of--

Guide? Tutorial? Instruction? Ah whatever, just improvise. ]

Done, and set! [ Or not... ] So now it's waiting until it heats up, yeah?

[ And mixing the powder or what. At least the boxed cake HAS instructions ]

[irishfriskey]

[This is probably where they need Archer the most. Because Lancer just looks and... hey. That looks fine. Sure why not.]

Yes. Let's get all the ingredients mixed together and prepare the batter.

[He keeps the pan with him and starts to grease it.]

Can you prepare the batter?

B

[wingedprincess]

Come on doggies, there's no need for a sour attitude.

(What had started off as a game of chase has swiftly turned into Tana stepping a bit too close to a place she shouldn't be close to. The shinki is a bit wary now, realizing that she's both outnumbered and outclassed. She doesn't want to have to fight them, but stepping back seems to result in an unfavorable reaction just as much as advancing.)

Just because I caught up to you doesn't mean you get to intimidate me. (Huff, huff, this is so unfair.)

[futhark]

[ Regal barks and howls, loudly- it's intimidation yes, but it's also something entirely else. Alert, alert, stranger spotted basically. Doing her best in being best alarm system known to man.

Pal, the more friendly of the dogs is still wagging his tail happily, yeah, he's not participating in that alarm-thing ]

That's what she does, though! [ Caster tends to appear out of nowhere, and that's what he does. The hood of his robe casting a shadow and his face ] Guard-dog taking her job seriously- If you want a chase something can be arranged but first-- who are you?

[ And what are you doing here, might be the unsaid part of the question ]

A

[roundtablerebel]

[ Since she'd met Archer visiting the temple to pick up food has become something of a daily routine for Mordred. As usual, she approaches the table and sets down yesterday's empty box before perusing the fresh ones that are set out. On more than one occasion she's considered just taking them all but she suspects that would mean the end of her free lunches.

Mordred's just about to pick one when Caster interrupts her. She narrows her eyes at him, a momentary glance to show her clear irritation. ]

None of your business.

[ And then she's back to picking. ]

[futhark]

[ Okay, what. Is that another Servant, and a familiar one at that?

You don't forget wielder of Excalibur- even if she's changed and turned into something twisted by the Grail, the sword she wields makes it very obvious. But on closer inspection, this one here appears... kind of different ]

Quite on the contrary, it's very much my business. Just like it is my temple. [ If he's cautious he's not showing that? ]

There's a price tag on food today: your name.

1/2

[roundtablerebel]

[ She gives an annoyed growl and turns to face him. ]

Your temple?

[ Oh that's right, Archer doesn't actually own the place. That means... ]

2/2

[roundtablerebel]

[ When the realization hits Modred's expression goes from annoyed to extremely amused. ]

Hah! So you're that idiot who got himself killed. Archer told me all about you.

[ What was his name again? ]

Caster, right?

Archer - October 10th

[futhark]

[ Turns out removing blight hurts. The patches get smaller with each submerging in the pond, but some- some are not exactly easily coming off. Perhaps that makes sense, he never fought ayakashi of this size before, same goes to allies most likely. Big fight, big wounds, more time to recover. But blessed water is supposed to remove it all, right? So he keeps scrubbing harder.

Perhaps he should just take a bath in the pond and that would be enough? The coldness of the water is an afterthought, who cares about details like that? It's not like Servants can catch cold.

When he hears Archer approaching he tries to not show that he noticed him, but a feeling of -no, not anger surprisingly enough- frustration wells in him. Oh, his own, that’s much he can tell - while Archer’s emotions are now a constant on the peripherals of his mind, he can tell what is his own. He wants to be angry, but had he known that he’s going on a suicide mission, back then in Henir’s temple- he’s certain he would instruct his shinki to protect their allies no matter how. And that no matter how could easily then be interpreted in what Archer just did- go nora to help Zelda.

Truth to be told, he’s even glad that this happened, ayakashi was defeated only thanks to those two working together. Maybe he should have been the one to revoke Archer’s name and let him stay with the princess, maybe that was the right way out of all of this. Because as it is right now, a rule- a promise- was broken, and that ought to have consequences. Otherwise, those oaths have no real meanings at all and can be disregarded at any time.

This is why he hates this role of a god is so ill-fitted to him, being any kind of leader really. He’s always been a weapon, a hunting hound, point at your enemies, and they will die. Leave these kinds of dilemmas and judgments to those standing on top. ]

[boneofsword]

[Archer pauses at the edge of the pond to take a good look at Caster. He's keeping a tight lid on his feelings, even after Zelda revoked his temporary name. It gets harder each time he sees Caster, still not quite believing that his god is finally back. His calm facade is carcking at the edges, threatening to break and pour out all of the feelings that he kept bottled inside for so long.]

Do you need a hand? [he asks casually as he grabs a few towels hidden in a hollow of nearby tree.]

[futhark]

[ Going to pretend that nothing happened and everything is back to normal- is that your strategy Archer? Or that's really what you'd like it to be. ]

I'll manage, can't let it jump to you. [ It is contagious after all. And maybe he doesn't want Archer to see how badly he got burned this time. ]

for Mai and Trunks - October 12th

[futhark]

[ Life goal: become more dependable, maybe, just maybe, with this “looks like I’m stuck as a god for good here”. While the Grail granted him some vague, blurry knowledge about modern world it failed to include current etiquette. No hint how to currently go with proper apologies, so he goes for them in old fashioned way.

Showing up with flowers at the door of Caireen’s temple. In hindsight, maybe he should have left a message on those phones or what, that he intends to visit. But well, too late for that now. Maybe he should have waited a bit longer, or maybe it’s too late- who knows, ah complicated.

Suffice to say, Mai is a good woman who does not deserve things to end like this, so however it goes, the responsibility is on him. Even if he gets the bouquet thrown into his face that’s still an answer.

Enough of the internal monologue- time to knock at these doors. ]

Re: for Mai and Trunks - October 12th

[light_of_willpower]

[Unfortunately for Caster, Mai is not the sole occupant of the Temple. Nor who answers the door this time. It is her shinki, and while Trunks has been on good terms for the most part with Caster....

There is a blink. And an eyebrow raise, and then another blink.]

I owe you something for being stupid.

[The sentence is barely finished before Trunks is moving fast. With a solid punch aimed right at Caster's gut. Pulled enough to not really hurt the other, but definitely to make his point.]

[futhark]

[ It did occur to him that someone else- namely Trunks might open the door. It didn't occur to him that he might-

Oh, yeah. That. Get punched again. ]

Geh..!

[ And while sure, he can shake off a lot, that still kind of hurts- and yeah makes the point. Which is...? ]

Stupid? Hah! [ The staff is materialized out of thin air the moment he collects himself from that punch. He points it in Trunks direction, ready to fight, but not yet making a move. ]

Out of respect to your goddess, I'm going to let it slide. [ Caster snarls. His easygoing composure still there, but evaporating quickly. Depends what he meant by being stupid. If how bad it went with Mai-? Yeah, he can see how a guy like him would be pissed- he probably would be pissed in his place too, that's justified. But if he means what went in the void... hands off, you are in no place to judge ] This. Once.

[October 19th]

[unlucky7]

[The first sign the wild forest of the western district has changed into sacred temple grounds is subtle. It's the trees, taller, mightier, so ancient and strong. At first, she doesn't notice as she hurries through the area, but then it's impossible to not notice and Ginia stops to stare. They're beautiful, wild and strong. It feels safe, secure, but maybe one shouldn't stay too long in the same spot either.

Clutching the bundle of lavender closer to her chest, she hurries on. The flowers were a last minute consideration. It's rude to visit without bringing an offering, right? It's a simple offering, several sprigs of lavender bound together with grass. Whether this is the right offering remains to be seen, but flowers from the gardens of Aja, embodied by Nona, and delivered by her shinki has to at least given some fair impression?

She stops again as a great white hound crosses into her path and approaches, tail waving back and forth, tongue lolling. It circles her, sniffs her clothes, bumps her hand, then bounds forward several leaps, bounces back, and then repeats it. A guide? The tail wagging intensifies as she takes a step forward and with her new canine companion leading the way, Ginia finds her way to Dún Dealgan, temple of Cú Chulainn.]

<3

[futhark]

[ Pal earned his name right, he's friendly and helpful, exactly opposite what a guard-dog should be- but he can spot a friend or someone in need. Which counts as an important trait as well.

Caster knows she's coming, both from their short exchange of texts, and-- weird, he's starting to slowly notice what the dogs do. They're clearly more of familiars rather than regular dogs, so maybe that's a side-effect of staying here for so long ]

Ginia! [ He welcomes her sitting on steps up to the building. ] It's been a while. How have you been?

[unlucky7]

[Pal's a good boy and before he bounds off, Ginia scratches behind the ears and gives his head a pat. She smiles at he greets her, polite, disarming, not quite reaching her eyes because it's a reflex. Not that she's unhappy to see him--she wouldn't be here if there was any disagreement--but she's still a bit tense.

She approaches him and bows her head in acknowledgement, holding out the small bundle of flowers as she pulls out her phone, a message pre-written and ready to play.]

An offering of peace from the garden of Aja, also known as Nona Silvergaze.

[But because that's not what he asked, Ginia types up a quick follow-up.]

I am well. I've been familiarizing myself with my god's temple and the area.

[Which means aside from a few trips to the convenience store for foods and supplies, Ginia hasn't gotten out much at all. Even her clothes haven't changed; clean, but still cargo pants, shirt, and jacket she arrived in.]

October 19th

[subtract]

[Add doesn't know Caster very personally, but it's not hard to figure out from hearsay and friends-of-friends that he's back. He's been back, and Add hasn't made any moves to seek him out since. If anything he's gone out of his way to avoid an encounter, intentionally keeping his cleaning routes as far from Cú Chulainn's temple as possible, holing himself up in his own temple when he can...

But today marks a change. It's been a couple days since his chat with Zelda, and that's plenty of time for him to fully absorb the lesson he learned. He can't keep hiding and avoiding people forever (or she'll will most likely hunt him down in his dreams again). He has to start somewhere, so... he'll just have to man up and try his best, right? Even if things don't go well or he ends up making himself a new enemy, at least he can say he saw things through. He has to at least try to make things right again.

It's those courageous and encouraging thoughts that brought him to the entrance of Cú Chulainn's grove, but as he makes his way through the maze of trees he starts to feel less and less sure of himself. What if Caster doesn't even remember what happened? Or if he does remember, but he's the type to hit first and ask questions later... he has his Dynamos with him, but he doesn't know the full extent of Caster's magic. Should he have brought backup just in case? Or... or maybe he should've at least let someone know where he was going. Maybe he can send Rin a quick text just to be safe? Ah, but he doesn't want to make it sound like things are already bad, he's worried Rin enough lately. Maybe he can quickly set up an emergency response program before proceeding so that if something does go wrong he can have Dynamo send a distress message instantly...

... so, Add is just standing in the middle of the woods with a holoscreen up, aggressively coding and barely paying attention to his surroundings. Yeah.

At least he's not trying to hide.]

[futhark]

[ And since he's not trying to hide but is not either approaching close, the trusty guard dog Regal, does nothing to scare him away. Had he come closer, she would probably greet him with a warning growl. But since he's lost in the woods in safe distance-

the not-so-much-of-guard-dog Pal surprisingly pounces on him as a greeting. See, this hound is friendly, overly so. And very affectionate, he can only be considered "guard dog" because you need to guard him against bad people that would take advantage of him. But that context is most likely lost on Add when a mountain of white fur tries to jump into his arms.

The whole scene unfolding is not without a witness because a bark of laughter comes from the above- Caster, sitting on one of the trees might have been a mastermind behind bringing the friendly hound here. Or maybe not, maybe it's all an accident. ]

Now that's a special guest if I've ever seen one. [ He drops down to the ground, staff in hand, because that's what you do, you great guests with weapon in hand. And with a wide, toothy smile ] Hi, Henir. What brings you here?

[ The last guest he would expect to show up here. He didn't went on his own to seek him out, yet, but he did ask this guy's shinki to get a gist of what the hell happened. He's not really concerned of himself dying in that void, what he was concerned with Zelda almost dying there. ]

[subtract]

[Add is completely enthralled in his coding, so much so that he doesn't even notice the dog charging straight at him until it comes crashing through the holoscreen, knocking him onto the ground with ease. He shrieks, pushing back desperately against the "vicious" guard dog's muzzle as it tries to "maul" him, his dynamos spinning uselessly in the air as he struggles to regain control. He'll be lucky if he can make it out of this alive—

Luckily, Caster speaks up before he can do more than move Dynamo into a defensive formation, ready to try and shock the beast off his body by force. He freezes instead, meeting Caster's gaze with a pale expression.

... and the shock wears off a moment later when Pal finally manages to lick the side of his face, making the scientist sputter and try to push the dog off him again. It's not really working, but at least he realizes now that it's not quite the life-or-death scenario he imagined. The electric aura around his machines promptly fizzles out so he can attempt to pry the hound off himself with them instead.]

C-call off your dog! [and Add sounds far from dignified right now, but he's not in the mood for joking around like Caster seems to be. Also, he doesn't want to get covered in gross slobber.] I'm just here to talk, alright?! So call off your dog and we'll talk!

[A nice, polite, civil talk, where no one gets murdered or maimed. They can manage something like that, right?]

October 11th - for Rin

[futhark]

[ While he never was at that particular temple, Caster knows how to ask about locations, so it took him few jumps to finally arrive in the vicinity. That's where he texts Rin that he's waiting.

Once the young shinki gets to him he greats him with an open hand, expecting a high-five. Yeah, he's wearing a band-aid on his face, or rather across his nose, but aside from that he appears unscathed ]

Yo! And here's the proof- [ -Of his good intentions- yes he's holding the ice-cream promotion vouchers in his other hand. He might have a beef with Rin's god, but it does not extend to Rin himself. ]

Sorry for the delay!

[hellskitchen]

[ As soon as Rin gets the text, he's bursting out from the church doors, running up to Caster. He reaches up to give the other a high-five, playfully adding a bit more force to his slap. Rin does observe that Caster seems to be okay, but that bandage at the center of his face is weird to Rin. Luckily, Caster has a distinct look that even the shinki could identify.]

Hey, man! I almost didn't recognize you!

[He's kidding, of course.

Rin looks anxiously at the ice cream vouchers. He didn't have any doubt that Caster wouldn't have them, but now that he sees them, Rin's even more excited for it!]

Then let's go! You can do that teleport thingy right?

hush, no problem!

[futhark]

[ Aye, and I'm very good with it! His hand drops on Rin's shoulder and in an instant they are transported to the ice-cream parlor Caster was speaking about. It's easy to find an empty spot at this hour, and instead of waiting for one of the waiters to notice them Caster gets the menu for them himself. ]

Just be careful about the green- wasabi one. It holds a terrible curse-

[ -Of painful mouth experiences that is! Why would anyone make an ice-cream like that is beyond mystery. ]

So, how things have been going? [ Hod did you get out of the Void, and did anyone else died is best left for the moment when desserts are on the table. ]