towerofanimus | [open; dated 4/20] // dream fades before dawn

Entry tags:

[open; dated 4/20] // dream fades before dawn

Characters: Waver and open!
Setting: Floor 25
Format: Action, but I will try to match.
Summary: Someone doesn't cope well with screwing up.
Warnings: None yet.

[Since his revival, Waver hadn't slept. He certainly hadn't eaten, considering the miserable state of the cafeteria's choices. Not that he thought it mattered; there were more important things to do.]

[Twice, twice now he'd failed and gotten himself killed. This time it wasn't the death itself that bothered him (though painful, it had at least been quick) so much as it was the circumstances surrounding it. If he hadn't hesitated, if he hadn't faltered, if he hadn't been terrible with one of the most basic forms of magecraft...a thousand 'if' possibilities had run through his head countless times over by now.]

[Waver could be found sitting in the meadow on the twenty-fifth floor, and in time he'd surrounded himself with scattered and discarded notebook pages--upon which were drawn sigils both magical and alchemical in nature. It was clear he'd spent hours there (if not a day or two) doing...what was he doing? There was a small knife in his left hand, which Waver seemed to be using to cut various parts off flowers; sometimes focusing on only one, and occasionally several at a time.]

[However many he'd damaged, the green-suited magus would then hold out his hand and appear to be in deep concentration. If he was lucky, a pale green light would flicker and crackle around his hand, and the flowers would appear to slowly repair themselves.]

[...But he usually wasn't lucky. Waver estimated that even after endless hours' practice, his healing magecraft would only work approximately five times out of ten, and would only heal effectively three out of those five. No matter; he had absolutely no intention of leaving this floor until he got it right. What had begun as a harsh realization of the need for practice had rapidly spiraled downward into an obsessive task of repeated motions and stubborn fixation.]

[For him, healing was a difficult thing, one which all his thoughts had to be focused on. Unfortunately, he was thinking of far too many more troubling things; his obsessive practice had turned to an exercise in futility.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He'd noticed Diarmuid's unusual movement (who wouldn't?) but opted not to question it at the moment. He must have had some reason for it, and Waver would bet it might have had something to do with that second death he'd sensed but not managed to be present for.]

[He was pretty good with conjecture like that.]

It's fantastic. I just hope you're not running around going to too much trouble on my account.

[Diarmuid shakes his head.]

No, but even if I was it would be worth it. I wanted to ask you to come with me when I went out on the second hunting trip since you mentioned wanting to learn this stuff, but everything went nuts before I had the chance.

...English food must really be as bad as I have heard if you think something so simple is delicious...

It's not that bad, ordinarily. The truth of it is I really can't cook very well.

All the more reason for me to teach you what I know, meager as my skills may be.

[He pauses, a pondering look crossing his face.]

If you don't cook well, then who cooked for you back home? Was it that maid of yours?

[For obvious reasons, the idea of that temperamental piece of mercury cooking for his friend is not a happy one.]

Heh--not a chance. I live alone, so I cook for myself. I just don't usually do a great job of it.

Well, hopefully I'll have a chance to help you change that soon. I haven't learned a lot of modern cooking, but I am trying bits and pieces on my own and I haven't killed anyone yet...

Hey, I'm tougher than I look. I'm sure I can survive whatever catastrophe we start in a kitchen.

[Diarmuid laughs.]

I'm not so worried about you, my friend, as I am the kitchen. Today's machines are a lot more high maintenance than a bonfire, for example.

Tell you what--I'll show you how to use them, you show me how to cook without making something utterly tasteless.

I think I can do that. I am already experimenting a bit with today's herbs and have found a few that are the same or similar to what I am used to using. They are just called something different, which isn't too much of a surprise.

It is still odd for me to have so much that can just be taken out of a can or bottle now, though. It just isn't the same as gathering everything for a few days from the wild and then cooking it.

Overcoming culture shock's not really a simple thing, I'd assume. But hey, that's why you keep me around.

Hey, I keep you around for more than that. You have beautiful hair...even if it needs to be cut.

[Diarmuid winks at him.]

But, yes it has been hard. Doubly so since the so much time has passed since I was last alive.

You're not cutting my hair. I like it this way, thank you very much.

[HMPH.]

Anyway, things like that aren't hard to learn. Most modern devices look a lot more difficult than they actually are.

How about if I braid it instead if you won't let me cut it?

[He winks again at Waver, reaching out to bat at some of the man's long hair.]

That is good to hear. I have been told a little bit about how a microwave works, but there are so many variables that it didn't make a whole lot of sense. Ah! And she never did get around to telling me that much about the oven. What I have used the most is the stove. That is pretty straightforward as long as you are careful and know what buttons belong to what.

H-hey, leave my hair alone!

[Sheesh.]

An oven and microwave aren't all that difficult. The latter's a little bit complicated to explain, but it's simple enough to use.

[Diarmuid's fingers flick at Waver's hair once more before he lets his arm fall away.]

Maybe that is what she was doing wrong. She was telling me all of this stuff without really showing it to me. Usually, that is all right for me, but for something like the microwave, it just wasn't sticking very well.

I work with some students who don't understand anything more complicated than a phone. I'm used to teaching things like that through example.

How lucky for me. I honestly think part of her problem was that is was hard for her to realize just how little I know about these things. I need to be told every detail. Not telling me something basic because you think it's something everyone must know is just asking for trouble.

[He pauses, gaze dropping for a moment. His eyes just so happen to drop to that spot on the floor and Diarmuid pales slightly.]

This might be an abrupt chance of topic, but can I ask you something?

...Of course you can. Change the subject if you want--is something wrong?

It's just...this room used to seem safe to me, but...

[He pauses, closing his eyes.]

You felt it, right? When I died the other day... It...wasn't too bad for you, was it?

...yeah, I did. I'm sorry, I should have been there.

[Diarmuid shakes his head.]

No, it was better you weren't. It...happened very quickly. I was emotionally exhausted after...helping...Cecil with her friend and I dozed off. By the time I woke up, it was already too late. My spear could do nothing against her ribbons.

[His hand unconsciously raises to rub at his neck.]

She...was in agony the whole time. I could see it in her eyes. I am glad it was quick, for her sake.

I'm still sorry I wasn't able to help you. Or her, for that matter.

[He shakes his head again.]

No insult my friend, but if you had been there, I am afraid it would only have been a repeat of what happened a few days before. You would have tried to save me, and I expect she would have killed you. Jason did not up their abilities by half-measures.

...none taken. You're probably right about that--I've been almost hilariously inefficient fighting anything but monsters. Not to say it takes a lot to outclass me in a fight, but it still didn't happen very often until I got here.

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