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...]

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Cleave, Ariadne--!

[A silver-blue woman materalized beside Labrys, surrounded by intricate red glowing threads. Throwing her arms forward, the threads lashed out to strike through the monster that was coming uncomfortably close to Lancer's back.]

Geez, that was too close...[Labrys crossed her arms and shook her head, Ariadne disappearing into nothing.]

[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.

[Diarmuid finishes off the monster he is fighting and takes a quick look around to make sure there are no more in the hallway before turning to Labrys and bowing to her in thanks. When he comes up from his bow, his face has a smile on it, but it's tired and worn. His eyes are also tired and show something that is perhaps even more troubling than his exhausted state. They show disappointment in himself.

No monster should have gotten so close to him without drawing his attention.]

Apparently, I was being more careless than I thought. Thank you Labrys. I'm sorry for troubling you so. These new floors...the administrators spared no effort to find new ways to hurt us, did they?

Don't worry 'bout it. Anybody's gonna slip up once in a while.

[She uncrossed her arms and walked forward, smiling.]

Sure looks like it, huh? All a' the ones I've seen look kinda crazy. I ain't even gonna dare walk off the staircase for most of 'em.

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.]

Probably not a bad idea. Some of these new floors seem like death traps even for those who are well trained n fighting or have supernatural resistances.

[A dark look crosses Diarmuid's face.]

So many people are going to die when they first find these floors. I'm doing my best to patrol them, but there are just so many...and I'm already making mistakes. How can I protect anyone like this?

[While his first words seem strong despite his exhausted state, the tone of that last question better matches how he looks--tired, defeated, and maybe even a little hopeless.]

...

[Labrys tapped her foot against the floor in thought for a moment before frowning in what looked like annoyance...]

[...then reached up with both hands and pinched Lancer's cheeks to stretch them into a smile.]

Knock that off, willya? [>:T] There ain't nothin' wrong with bein' unhappy, but doncha start gettin' down on yourself for no reason, you got it? Everybody makes mistakes, even somethin' like me. Ya pick yourself up, apologize, and try t' make up for it.

Don't beat yourself up before ya even start! Do I make myself clear?

Edited (PUNCTUATION...) 2013-02-02 03:58 (UTC)

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?

[Diarmuid can't help but be startled into silence by Labrys' actions. Once the shock passes, he breaks into laughter.]

Yes, yes! Now, what was that?

[He pauses to wipe at his eyes.]

Some kind of torture technique? One that makes the person laugh themselves to death? It's pretty effective. Don't let the administrators find out or else we will have a laughing floor next.

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?

Yes! That's my special patented Yasogami Student Council President Stop-Screwin-Around punishment technique!

[Nodding sagely, she crossed her arms.]

Don't make me do it again, ya got that?

[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.]

Yes, Ma'am.

[Diarmuid drops to one knee in a bow, before rising to his feet again. They may be joking around now, but this hallway seems to draw monsters and he doesn't want to be caught off guard again.]

I apologize for my down mood. It just seems like no matter what I do there is always more to be done, but I guess that is how they want it. Can't have us getting ahead of them. We might actually have time to organize some actual resistance then.

But enough of that...

[He waves his hand dismissively.]

What was that power you summoned? I saw it for only a moment. It looked like a woman of some sort?

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?

And quit doin' that too. I know I'm smaller than ya, but you ain't gotta bow like that.

[Blinking, it took Labrys a second to realize what he was talking about.]

Oh--Ariadne? She's my Persona...kinda like a part a' myself I use t' fight.

[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.]

[Diarmuid laughs and nervously runs a hand through his hair.]

Sorry again, just force of habit. It's one of the ways I show my respect. It has nothing to do with height.

So, she is to you what my spears are to me--a part of me--but I get the impression she is more than that somehow. Does she have abilities beyond the one you just used?

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?

It's sorta like we're one an' the same. Like how a Shadow's part of yourself, a Persona's what you get when you accept your Shadow.

Just a couple--I only awakened her a day or two before I got to th' tower, and I haven't called on her that much since.

[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.]

So she grows with you as you fight? That is very convenient. Our noble phantasms don't do that. They are as they are.

[He pauses to rub his chin in thought.]

How human is she? Does she speak with you? Or does she just follow your commands?

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!

It's...kinda tough to say, I guess. She's just as human as me, however ya wanna take that.

[Labrys raised her hands to the red and silver audio receptors on either side of her head, thoughtful.]

I can...hear her voice a lot. Nothin' really major, just kinda...advice and things like that. I think that's gotta be normal for Persona-users like me. But she listens to me too, obviously--I was built t' be able to awaken a Persona, since it's the only thing that can fight Shadows. A lotta other people in my world have them, with different names and forms.

[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?

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

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