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Zach found he quite enjoyed his time in Juniperus. Normally travel meant more work for him; unfamiliar locales and a smaller security detail necessitated more vigilance than usual, even if Kasper were to spend the entirety of the trip sequestered in his room. Which, of course, he didn't, since the point of travel was usually to experience the place that they have travelled to, even if they had come for business reasons. That meant constant motion and changing venues and no time to ensure an area was secure before they moved on to the next destination. Not that he necessarily minded - Kasper hardly liked to dance with danger on a knife's edge, occasional disappearing act aside, and Zach was reasonably sure his presence alone would be enough to handle any potential threats, but it grew taxing on extended trips all the same.

The Holy City held less of that element of unpredictability. All ten Scions were either lodged in the city or soon would be, and the Church surely had security on high alert. The knights were out in force and Zach assumed there were eyes on him and his Scion at all times, even if he wasn't privy to them. It helped that Kasper spent the majority of his time in Juniperus at sacred sites and Church institutions, there was always a knight presence nearby and little chance of an incident besides. It was still a bit strange to him to stand in a church with the sole objective to figuratively beat back the crowd every time the Scion of Shadow made an appearance rather than any of his previous duties, but it gave him a chance to chat with the clergy while Kasper enthused himself with whatever piece of history had caught his eye.

Likewise, on the day of the Millennial Festival, Zach practically felt like an accessory on Kasper's outfit rather than a true bodyguard. The Cathedra Incepta likely had better security than most military installations at that moment, and that was before the Scions and their Templars came into play. Without a role to play, Zach took his place dutifully at his Scion's side and tried not to fuss with the collar of his uniform too much during the ceremony. It had been tailored excellently, but he still disliked the militaristic rigidity of it compared to his old robes. Though, with the way most in attendance glared up at the altar, he almost felt as though he could strip naked right then and there without anyone noticing. Sir Tyler's re-appointment was certainly a [i]choice[/i], but not one Zacharie particularly cared to comment on. He wasn't privy to the circumstances of the last Scion of Time's demise, and Mother knows he'd lost track of Kasper a few times himself; any judgment on his part would be hypocrisy at best. 

Once the new Scion of Time pinched his Templar's cheek, Zach had a whole new set of judgments to make anyway. Kasper even shot him a sly glance at that, to which he responded with a shrug and an awkward grin. If the event kept up like this, they might just make a gossiping schoolgirl out of him by the end of the night. Doubly so when, after the ceremony's conclusion, Kasper made a beeline for [i]Maya Desrosiers[/i] of all people. He made a mental note to talk to her Templar before the festival was over to ask how he wanted the picture sent, in anticipation that he'd probably be the one managing that. 

When Kasper turned down the red-haired Templar's offer of a treat, Zach felt obligated to respond in kind. [color=BB8F4C]"I'll have to decline as well,"[/color] he said with a respectful bow of his head, [color=BB8F4C]"Never was very good at those icebreaker things."[/color] The visor was usually enough of a conversation starter anyway, and appearances usually overshadowed whatever benign factoid he could muster as a first impression anyway, in his experience. 

He didn't follow as his Scion approached the prince by the altar, and the bits of their conversation he picked up told him he'd made the right choice. Zach cleared his throat uncomfortably and tugged at his visor as he tried to fight off his instinct to keep his eyes on Kasper and turned his attention elsewhere. Had His Highness meant for that to be so... crass?

Shame he'd already declined the cookie.

[color=BB8F4C]"Dame Ionna, if you don't find it invasive or objectionable, might I ask about that arm of yours? I've never had the pleasure of witnessing anything like it before."[/color] Magitech was quickly becoming an area of interest for him, ever since a Church engineer slapped a fancy looking blindfold across his face and suddenly the world was more vivid than it had been for him in years, though he still understood little about the nuances of it. 

[hr][@Olive Fontaine][@Mcmolly]