Have a Doggy Valentine

[puppy_lancer]

Characters: Lancer and everybody. Strings characters welcome!

Setting: February 12-14, various floors

Format: Up to you

Summary: Lancer is unaffected by the event, but he's still celebrating! Time for him to make Valentines for everyone he knows.

Warnings: Nothing so far

Floor 99

[Lancer is hacking off chunks of crystals with his spear. They give him a headache if he looks at them for too long, but they make great materials for presents. He weighs them in his hand, wondering if they'll be able to stand his methods of working them into charms or other things.]

Floor 76

[He stares at the arrangement of flowers and herbs and wonders which ones are purely medicinal. The large amount of pollen in the air makes his nose itch, and he disturbs the relative peace of the floor with several loud sneezes.]

Floor 62

[He's strolling along the beach, scooping up shells, sea stars, and pebbles washed smooth by the waves. The pockets of his suit have been stuffed full and are weighing down on his legs. His hands are being quickly filled as well. Perhaps he should have brought a bag.]

Floor 51

[He's finally sewing a bag to carry all his supplies in. Every so often, he has to stop and curse as he stings his finger with the needle. Sewing is supposed to be women's work, so he never learned it.]

Floor 15

[With his supplies gathered, Lancer is sitting in the workshop, trying to work the shells, crystals, and other things into gifts to give to the people he knows. He's rather caught up in his work, so it would be easy for someone to sneak up on him.]

Floor 60 (14th only)

[Given the recent influx of people and the fact that so many food gifts were being given, the kitchens were rather busy. This is why Lancer only comes into the kitchen relatively late into the day. Right now, he's scratching his head at some of the recipes, trying to pick out the ingredients he needs from the huge stockpile of food that Kasumi had brought up to this floor.]

Floor 58

[Lancer has quite a big sack thrown over his shoulder. He's currently stuffing presents into the mail boxes of everyone whose names he knows.]

Room 01-01

[Catarina was one of those who didn't have a mailbox, so Lancer just knocks on her door and places his (awkward shaped) chocolates by her door along with a note.]

Happy Valentine's Day. Got you chocolate. We need to talk, though.

Room 01-09

[Saber's chocolate too is left by her door alongside a note.]

Happy Valentine's Day. I hope these taste good.

Room 02-17

[Ayaka's gift is a bag of cookies (again misshapen because Lancer couldn't use a mold properly) and a crystal charm carved with runes that spelled out a blessing of good fortune. Again, he's written a note.]

Happy Valentine's Day. Sorry Saber couldn't get his ass over here. Ah well. Guess I'm giving you presents on his behalf too.

Comments

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid holds back a shudder.]

I really don't want to think too much about special occasions here. Not with how the administrators here probably define 'special.' But...have they given stuff like that back to people before? You've been here longer than I have been.

[puppy_lancer]

I got my fishing pole back a while before.

[The only good thing he got out of the bodyswap mess.]

So I'd say that they give people stuff from right out of their worlds.

[oathshackledbird]

[A look of wonder enters his eyes.]

How do they do that? If our worlds are gone, how can they get a hold of these things?

[Diarmuid shakes his head.]

The more I learn about them the more I fear. How can anyone...anything have so much power?

[puppy_lancer]

Tch, hell if I know. But don't worry too much about those things. You'll go gray.

[He preferred just living his life from day to day.

[oathshackledbird]

And probably for nothing too. I wish I knew how to make myself stop thinking about some of this stuff. Most of them are things we will never get answers to.

[He shrugs and then hands a piece of paper to his roommate.]

Well, here is a short distraction anyway. Do you still want to learn how to fold that swan?

[puppy_lancer]

[He nods eagerly.]

Yeah, I do! Show me!

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid smiles at his roommate's excitement and makes the first few folds.]

Make extra sure to get those folds tight on this one. Some of the last folds are going to be pretty small and if the first ones aren't flat it will be hard.

[puppy_lancer]

I get it.

[He grabs a piece of paper.]

Hey, I wonder if we can put these things in a basin of water and sail them. I've seen kids do it with newspaper ships.

[oathshackledbird]

Probably, though they would soak up water pretty quickly I would guess.

[He demonstrates the next few folds as he talks.]

Though there are some things that might help slow that. If we had some wax, we might be able to coat the bottoms with it.

[Diarmuid pauses and raises an eyebrow at his roommate.]

What exactly are you thinking about. Why swans anyway?

[puppy_lancer]

They're just pretty birds. Haven't you ever gotten your wife one or two to lead around with a golden chain?

[As he speaks, he wonders if there's something more he should remember. Probably not, since giving women swans, either alive or dead, as presents was a regular occurrence at Emain Macha.]

But I just thought it would be cool if we raced our paper swans. Like some sort of contest, maybe.

[oathshackledbird]

[Fand, of course. Diarmuid should have guessed, but considering the other man still doesn't seem to remember her, Diarmuid says nothing. Messing with magic that old is only asking for trouble.]

Well, swans mean a little more to me. My father's beloved--my foster mother--spent half of her life as a swan. Every other year she changed so they were very important to us.

Racing sounds fun as well, though. If you really want to do that, make doubly sure your folds are tight.

[He makes the last few folds and then holds up his finished swan.]

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer flattens the folds on his swan, and slams his fist into it once or twice just to make sure the folds really are flat.]

How's this?

[He holds up the swan. But it's still roughly made.]

[oathshackledbird]

Considering you just started? Pretty good. I've seen others just give up on a fold like that or end up with a bird that doesn't look anything like a bird.

Did you want to try racing them now? Or maybe later when you have had a chance to practice a bit more?

[puppy_lancer]

I think later.

[He looks up at the table.]

Sorta occupied for today.

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid's eyes grow wide. He had completely forgotten about the other things his roommate had been working on.]

Yes, right! I'm sorry. I got caught up in the folding and forgot you were working on other things. Later, then. Besides, that will give you time to practice.

[He stands up picking the remaining paper from what he had gathered and then carefully setting the folded roses on top of the pile.]

I should leave you to your work.

[puppy_lancer]

We can work together. If you don't mind a little nose.

[He stands up and offers a hand to Diarmuid.]

What do you think? Shall we leave the boys to finish their arts and crafts?

[oathshackledbird]

Oh no, I don't mind at all. But if that is the case, I can just stay right here.

[Diarmuid smiles and then settles himself on the floor again.]

Just let me know if I get in your way. I tend to spread stuff out when I'm working.

Mm, alright

[puppy_lancer]

Lancer goes back to his table.]

I'll tell you. And you tell me if I accidentally step on something.

Unless you have something else in mind? I don't care either way! :)

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid smiles, then winks.]

No worries. You're a Lancer, remember? Nice and agile.