towerofanimus | A Thousand Ways To Say "I'm Sorry."

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A Thousand Ways To Say "I'm Sorry."

Characters: Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Zero Lancer), the list of people he feels he has to apologize to after the experiment, and anyone else who runs into him around the tower looking quite a bit worse for the wear...
Setting: Anywhere in the tower
Format: Whatever you want to use. I will match.
Summary: After the experiment, Diarmuid finally gets around to dropping off a bunch of letters to the people he feels he needs to apologize to. He is also spending too much time fighting monsters and trying to make sure everyone in the tower is safe. Even for a servant, he's starting to not look so go. Stop him? Be saved by him? Save him?
Warnings: Angst? Derpiness? Updated to add: Clowns! Beware the clowns... Oh and blood, violence and death. Yep, both Lancers are going to bite it in here...
Note: The letters may be ignored or responded to as the character's muns see fit. I know not every character is going to care that Diarmuid feels like he needs to apologize. He's going to do it anyway cause that's how he is.

[Maybe it's because Diarmuid's old-fashioned or maybe it's just because he wants to see the letters delivered to a place that he knows the recipients will find them, but despite the new mail system, today many people within the tower will find a note or small gift sitting on their bed when they next stop by their room. If they don't spend much time in their room, they will instead find the note waiting for them in whatever place they spend the most time.]

Catarina:

Catarina's note is folded into the shape of a rose. The outside 'petals' have even been tinted red. Once unfolded, the note simply reads:

Lady, I hope your necklace turned up safely after the experiment ended. --Diarmuid

Zelda:

Lady, we met under...non-ideal circumstances. I hope that our future encounters will be far more pleasant. If you need another warrior in the fight against those who keep us here and you are willing to trust me after everything, my blade is yours. --Diarmuid Ua Duibhne

Mami:

Mami's note is folded into the shape of a rose with its 'petals' tinted yellow. Beside the note will be the small jar of tea he got from Lambdadelta. It's suppose to taste like Earl Gray with rose petals and white chocolate, but he hasn't tried it to find out accurate that description is.

Mami, I don't know how to begin to apologize to you for what I have done. Please take this gift as a small sign of how sorry I am. I will understand if you don't wish to speak with me again. However, I would like to try and continue to make things up to you. May I have that chance? --Diarmuid

Hidetoshi:

If you want, I can teach you how to skin a deer... --Diarmuid Ua Duibhne

Rin:

Rin's note is folded into the shape of a rose. Its 'petals' are red, though the edges have been blackened.

Lady, may we talk? I have much to say to you. --Diarmuid

Shotaro:

Are you all right? I never wanted to hurt you. Tell me how to make it up to you. --Diarmuid Ua Duibhne

Suzaku:

Since they never exchanged names, it takes a long time for Diarmuid to track down Suzaku, but his determination finally wins out.

We...need to talk. I was unforgivably rude to you, though I have every reason to believe the things you told me about your past were true. You cannot become like I did. I won't allow it. --Diarmuid Ua Duibhne

The Endless Witch:

I have not forgotten that I owe you a favor... --Diarmuid Ua Duibhne

Aleph:

It takes a while to track down who Aleph is since they never exchanged names, but fortunately for Diarmuid, there aren't a lot of demon summoners in the tower.

We should hunt them again soon... --Diarmuid Ua Duibhne

[After delivering his notes, Diarmuid returns to what he has been busying himself with ever since the experiment ended--making sure everyone is safe from the monsters and floors in the tower. With all the new floors that have just shown up, he has plenty of places to be in too. The problem is, he is taking no time to rest and not eating. While servants really don't need to eat or sleep, with as much energy as he is expending fighting monsters day and night, he really should be because otherwise, it's only going to be a matter of time before he runs into something he can't handle...]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Lancer had never seen a circus before. Thanks to the Grail, he was vaguely aware of the existence of such a form of entertainment, but he had never seen one up close. Therefore, it was obvious that he would be fascinated the show on this floor.]

[A little too fascinated, unfortunately. The clowns had turned their attentions to him and were determined to use him as some sort of training dummy. As a result, he found himself repelling bomb pies and knives thrown with deadly accuracy.]

Tch. Are all clowns this troublesome? And just when the stuff was getting good.

You got too close, didn't you?

[Diarmuid uses the back of his hand to redirect a knife coming in at his roommate and then grabs said roommate by the collar and tries to pull him back away from the clowns hoping to either cause them to lose interest or cause a few to peel off from the others so they will be easier to fight.]

Haven't you been listening to the warnings that have been floating around? Those aren't the usual workers that run places like this!

[Unlike his roommate Diarmuid has been listening to the rumors and warnings that have been spreading through the tower like wildfire since the new floors appeared. He's also managed to confirm no small number of those warnings first hand as he's made his own runs through the new floors.

The administrators have really outdone themselves this time...and not in a good way.]

I was distracted, okay?

[He directs a glare at Diarmuid. Not that he's not grateful for the save, but he could've handled the clowns by himself.]

[...Maybe.]

What about you? Haven't you just gotten close?

No, I haven't! Not before now.

[Diarmuid eyes the clowns as several seem to peel off the group to follow them. The number is fewer than before, but still more than he would like to deal with.]

I was listening to the things people were saying about this floor and the others, so I knew to stay back. It's amazing how quickly information about the new floors is starting to spread through the tower. Would it be so hard for you to listen a little more before you dive headlong into something?

[He makes a face at Diarmuid and then turns back to the clowns.]

I thought I could handle it! Besides, I've never seen a real circus before. Thought it would be neat to take a look at.

[Geeze, trust your hero a little more.]

Neat to look at...but from a distance. You have your runes. You should have used them.

[Diarmuid sounds testy, but he's not really that angry at his roommate. It's not a good situation, but it's not really the other man's fault. How was he to know? Still, as tired as Diarmuid is, this isn't the kind of thing he really wanted to be dealing with.]

So, master of mine, how do we hand this?

[He sputters.]

Hey, I thought our week was already over!

[Even as he talks, he scribbles an Ansuz rune in the air, dispersing the clowns with a burst of fire.]

You asked me to do two things. That hardly constitutes as a full week of service.

[Diarmuid frowns as the clowns seem to regroup after his roommate's attack. Somehow, the fire doesn't seem to have deterred them much.]

I suspect they have magical resistances. Do you have something that will bind or slow them? As much as I hate to suggest it, our best bet may be to head for the stairs and move onto a different floor. Hopefully, they won't follow.

[He doesn't sound very hopeful though. From what he has heard, once they clowns focus on you, they become focused on you with not good results.]

I dunno if I have anything that can slow them. But I know something that can make us faster.

[He hooks his arm around Diarmuid's waist.]

You alright with this?

[Diarmuid rolls his eyes at his roommate.]

If the alternative is having them use my intestines for something other than their intended purpose, I'm okay with just about anything.

[He's already seen his intestines outside of his body once and that was more than enough for him.]

Good call.

[He scoops Diarmuid into a shoulder carry as he sketches a rune for speed into the ground. The next moment, he's dashing like a bullet into the crowd of clowns blocking the way to the stairs. He throws aside a few before a couple of clowns grab him by the hair.]

H-hey! No fair!

[The sudden stop sends Diarmuid flying off his roommate's shoulder, but he's reoriented and righted himself before even hitting the ground. His movements blur as he leaps back toward the other Lancer, managing to knock away the clown that had gotten a hold of him. He spins his spear out in an arc in front of them to clear a little breathing room, but the clowns really don't look all that impressed.]

Nice try. Now what?

[Lancer rubs the back of his head, wincing at the pain from getting his hair pulled.]

Only one thing to do.

[He points Gae Bolg at the ground.]

Let's see if those things have hearts! Gae Bolg!

[Diarmuid instinctively takes a step back. He knows well the power of that weapon, though seeing it in action pulls a memory from the last experiment back into his mind. That spear's point...drawn against his chest. Wanting to feel it pierce him...

He shakes his head to clear the memory. This isn't the time or place because as much as he wants that demonic spear to work its magic and slay their enemies...

...he's pretty damn sure not a one of those things has a heart for it to work on or it they do, they probably don't need it to keep on doing what they are doing.

It's a truly terrifying thought.]

[The demonic spear does its work and pierces through the heart of the closest clown. Without waiting for the clown to react, Lancer yanks it out and then spins the spear to whack the clown in the head, knocking it to the ground.]

Hey, it works!

[He reaches over and grabs Diarmuid so they can slip through the gap created by the clown getting knocked over.]

[Diarmuid is not so optimistic as his roommate and watches the downed clown closely even as he is grabbed and pulled passed it. As great as Gae Bolg's power is, that seemed too easy, too simple a solution to their problem.

Why wouldn't the administrators who had prepared for and limited so many of their abilities, not protected the clowns against something as common in the tower as a servant's noble phantasm?]

Don't be so sure! I'll celebrate only once we are clear of this place and know they aren't following us!

We'll be alright as long as we're on the stairs, right?

[Lancer throws a quick look at the other clowns. For some reason, they seem to have scattered.]

See? They're already running.

[However, at the same time, there is an ominous creak of cage hinges and the rattling of chains...]

I wouldn't count on it. Some monsters follow and I would definitely call these things monsters!

[He looks back when his roommate says they're scattering, but instead of finding himself relived, his face loses all color at that sound. The string of Gaelic curses that slip from his mouth would make a sailor blush if he could understand them.]

They aren't scattering. They are setting the animals loose! Keep moving!

[Not that Diarmuid thinks any amount of speed is going to help at this point. Most of those animals are hardly recognizable as what they once were and are moving a hell of a lot faster than they should be able to.

His eyes fall on one in particular and a death-like chill passes over him.]

A boar... Why does a circus have a boar?

[And not just any boar. A monstrous one easily the size of two normal ones with tusks that...that kind of just make his mind go blank...]

Does it matter?

[He sketches his ansuz rune, sending a burst of flame at the beasts. Then, he turns to run, but finds Diarmuid standing completely still.]

...Move, dammit!

[He tries giving Diarmuid a quick push toward the direction of the stairs. However, the delay is enough for the animals to move past the flames toward the two Servants.]

It matters...

[The words are faint and as distant as his expression. Diarmuid knows it's not the time to be allowing his emotions, his memories of the past to creep up on him but his exhaustion and the stress of the last couple of days, weeks--how long had it been since the experiment anyway?--just then crash over him and he can't push the memories away--can't move no matter how much he needs to.

He just sees the boar...

And his sword shattering...]

Leave....me...

[It's amazing he gets the words out around...

...the blood...

It's all he can see for the moment.]

Edited 2013-02-03 03:47 (UTC)

Like hell I will!

[Not when Diarmuid was his friend. Not when the other knight had risked his life to save Cu Chulainn from the clowns.]

[He places himself between the beasts and Diarmuid. The next minutes are a flurry of fur and claws and blood. Lions and tigers and even a chimpanzee are sliced and impaled by his lance.]

[He's sitting on one lion's head pulling his spear out of its skull when he sees a boar charging at Diarmuid.]

[Diarmuid, who is...still not moving.]

Duck!

[He springs at the boar. Whether it's because the angle of his jump or because this boar has some sort of intelligence and turns it's head at the last second, Lancer's move doesn't go quite as planned. He still lands in front of the boar's face and grab it by the tusks, but in the process, one of the tusks tears a big chunk out of his side, going up from his ribcage.]

[Not that he notices, in the heat of the moment. As soon as the boar's movement has been halted, Lancer is punching straight through its eye. It's not until it's down that Lancer falls as well.]

Owowowow...

[His complaining is interrupted as he coughs out a mouthful of blood.]

...fuuuuuuuuck.

[Diarmuid's not sure what it is that finally pulls him back to himself, but what he does know is when the blood from his memories fades, the blood he sees on the floor isn't his own.

Another string of curses leaves his mouth and somehow he finds himself at his roommate's side. He does his best to help settle the other Lancer, while at the same time keeping an eye on the clowns and other animals around them. They make no motion to attack. Instead, they merely watch. It's almost like they have lost interest since their original target is dyin...

No! Diarmuid won't accept that. Cu Chulainn can't die because he froze...

Because he failed...again.]

You fool! Why didn't you listen? I told you to leave me!

[The words are a harsh hiss if for no other reason that Diarmuid is suddenly fighting back tears.]

Your runes....they can handle something like this, right?

[At this point, everything seems to be an assault on Lancer's senses. The overly bright lights illuminating the floor and the flashing neon streaks that were the clowns. The sounds of the animals who had been stampeding but seconds ago. The stench of blood and beasts. The pain that paralyzes his body and mind.]

[Yet, through all that, he can still vaguely see and hear Diarmuid.]

Huh...?

[It takes a moment to make out that Diarmuid is crying.]

What sort of Master would I be...if I just left?

[He slowly shakes his head when the subject of his runes is brought up.]

I...I dunno.

[He can't feel his own heartbeat anymore. Most likely, this means his heart has stopped functioning. For a Servant whose spiritual core was closes linked to the heart and the brain, it meant a fatal injury.]

Sorry.

[He closes his eyes. Just for now, he wants to rest for a bit.]

Edited 2013-02-03 05:19 (UTC)

No...don't...you can't...

[And just like that the world narrows down to the two of them. Diarmuid forgets there are still dangerous monsters nearby. He forgets that death isn't permanent here. He just forgets. He forgets everything but the fact that his hero has just died because of him.

One trembling bloodstained hand reaches out and touches Cu Chulainn's cheek inadvertently smearing streaks of blood down it like a twisted form of battle paint. This just can't be happening. His brain won't accept it. He's tried so hard to save everyone yet when it really mattered he had saved no one.

Not Kariya.

Not Cu Chulainn.

No one.

Tears flow down Diarmuid's face freely now. He doesn't have any reason or the energy left to stop them. All that work for nothing. Nothing. Nothing is left...

He brings his fist to his mouth to muffle the sob that tears itself free from his throat. The sound that escapes is small, but it causes one of the monstrous boars still wandering the floor to perk up and fix its beady black eyes on Diarmuid's back. It had been content to leave the man alone at first because he had smelled just as any other beast on the floor.

Now, though, now his smell has changed to something different. Something wounded. Something broken.

Prey.

The boar turns and charges at Diarmuid's back. Normally, he would have been able to dodge the charge easily, but this is as far from normal as can be. The broken servant only notices the charge in time to turn and see the boar's tusks bury themselves in his stomach. For a moment, he hangs impaled before the boar shakes his head to free the servant's weight from its tusks.

Diarmuid's body lands several feet from where he had been sitting. His mind, though lands much farther away---thousands of years away. His rapidly dimming and blank eyes see not the floor's ceiling, but blue sky interrupted off and on by the green of leaves. He lays not on cool concrete, but on green grass and brown earth.

Words form vaguely on bloodstained lips, a request, a plea for his lord to save his life.

A lord who has been gone from this world for thousands of years, but who Diarmuid feels standing near him.

His eyes flutter closed, and he hears more voices drawing near him. Oscar. Oisin.

But it will do no good, their words. A knowing smile tugs at the corners of his mouth as tears slide from his eyes.

It's just too late....]

Edited 2013-02-03 06:38 (UTC)

[Even though Lancer had closed his eyes, he knows he can't die yet. Not here, not now. He still needs to see Diarmuid off the floor.]

[It hurts like a bitch to move, to make himself sit up when part of his rib cage and chest have been reduced to a bloody pulp, but he does it. As he opens his eyes, though, he can't see Diarmuid anywhere near him.]

Dia...

[He quickly looks around the room and finds the other Servant lying a ways away in a rapidly growing puddle of blood.]

Diarmuid!

[The next moment, forgetting the pain, he's on his feet and dashing over to the other Lancer, knocking aside the clown that was approaching him.]

Hey, are you alright?

[He kneels over, trying to pull Diarmuid up.]

Come on, get up!

[He screams, as loudly as his blood-filled lungs will let him.]

You want these guys to use you as a prop or something?

[Even though Diarmuid isn't moving, he still manages to sling the other Lancer's arm over his shoulders and pull Diarmuid along. Even if he can't save himself, he can still get Diarmuid over to the stairs. He can still use his last bit of prana to heal his friend.]

[But the clowns...those were a major nuisance. Even now, they were surrounding the two, not willing to let their prey escape. Even with Lancer's strength and speed, he can't get away from the clowns that grab onto him.]

[Finally, in the course of that struggle, something heavy smashes into his head (a squeaky hammer, maybe?) and knocks him out for the final time. His body remains standing, holding Diarmuid up, until he finally disappears...]

[~~He'll wake up in bed 24 hours later. Hooray for non-permanent death.~~]

floor 80 (let's have some dead Lancers)

Re: floor 80 (And this is why we can't have nice things...)

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here it comes

Boars...why did it have to be boars???

Because Diarmuid's luck is bad

And so is Cu's.... Hear that snap? Your roomie just broke...

/Puts band-aid on Diarmuid's sanity

I'm thinking he's going to need more than a band-aid, but you get an A for effort...

Gold star you tried

Story of his life...

Re: Story of his life...