Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
oathshackledbird) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
towerofanimus2013-05-16 11:21 pm
oathshackledbird) wrote in towerofanimus2013-05-16 11:21 pm
A bridge can still be built, while the bitter waters are flowing beneath...
Characters: Diarmuid and whoever else runs into him! Closed sections for Tohko Amano (tohko_amano ) and Waver Velvet (fionnuisce ) & Sephiroth (pinnaculum ).
Setting: Floor 100, 39 (the Gym), 25 (the Meadow), 3 (the Library), and others.
Format: Any!
Summary: Diarmuid takes care of some loose ends, moves ahead some projects, and does some much needed thinking.
Warnings: None right now. Will update if that changes.
Note: Title quote credit to Anthony Liccione.
Floor 100 (Open):
For a long time after he started spending time here, Diarmuid had spent most of his time near the image of his house losing hours playing a game between himself and the floor seeing how well it actually had recreated the place he loved so much. After a while, though, he had started to move out and away from the house, through the yard, passed the training grounds and the dog kennels, and finally to the forest that had stood guard behind his house. Diarmuid had been disappointed to find that the illusion stopped a few feet into the treeline and thus short of where the stream had flowed, but it did go far enough back to include one of his favorite thinking spots from his first life.
The spot itself is nothing fancy. Just a small clearing with two trees leaning in toward each other shading a large rock with their branches. Of course, here he cannot sit upon or lean against the rock as he had so often done in the past, but he has found the perfect place to sit so that he can still imagine that is what he is doing. And so, it is here near the treeline that he has taken to sitting to think once he had lost the ability to do so in his room.
It seems to Diarmuid that almost all he has done lately is think, but at the same time, he has so much to think about. So much has happened to him so quickly over the last few months that he is honestly surprised he can still function. Nothing during his first life had prepared him for anything like this--this constant opening of old wounds and giving of new ones before the first had any time to heal. It is almost like the nightmare that had started when his master had ordered him to kill himself just had never ended.
Yet, there are bright points. A great many of them and that is why Diarmuid is so determined to finally get his mind straightened out. It will take time, he knows, but it will also take him finally forcing himself to believe so many of the things he has realized through his talks with others. Things Diarmuid has asked others to do, but always seems to forget to ask himself to do.
He has told both Cecil and Waver that he knows he holds himself to higher standards than others and really needs to stop. Everyone is equal in the tower. Everyone has had their souls taken from their bodies and placed into false forms. There is no reason for him to expect so much more from himself especially when expecting so much only sets him up for failure.
He has told Suzaku, Ryoji, and Mami that everyone makes mistakes and that making them doesn't make them any less of a person. As long as they don't stop fighting and don't let the mistakes beat them, there is always a chance to find forgiveness.
He has told Yata that 'knight' is just a label. It doesn't matter if others believe that is what you are as long as you know what you are in your heart and act to serve the best way you can.
And he has told his brother and Hidetoshi that he knows he is in a rut of negative feelings. He just has to find his way out.
That is why Diarmuid is spending so much time here just thinking and watching the illusionary trees move in the breeze. Sometimes he's meditating on things using a technique that Oisin taught him so very long ago. Sometimes he has actually dozed off during his thoughts and sometimes, soft singing in ancient Gaelic can be heard drifting across the floor as he unconsciously releases his emotions in a way that so many around him did when he was young.
Floor 25 (Closed to Tohko,tohko_amano ):
He picked the meadow as the place where he wanted to meet with Tohko because it is one of the few floors where it isn't unusual for people to meet and talk. It is safe, large enough that several groups can be talking in it without bothering each other, and also has plenty of room away from the walls and the prying eyes of any devices the Administrators might be using to spy on them. With the loss of the sauna as a place to safely discuss things like the resistance--he has seen the units working there and guessed that some of the information that had been discovered by Jason's little ploy must have been about the lack of cameras on that floor--they've had to make due the best they can.
As Diarmuid waits for her to arrive, he sits and casually twists flowers together into chains and rings as a way to relax and pass time. Tohko is already late and he hopes that is just because she is taking time to lose the new 'friend' he hears she has picked up. Despite being proud of the fact she is not letting the dangers involved with being a part of the resistance stop her, Diarmuid can't help but worry that someday she will get in way over her head and not be able to find her way back out.
Floor 3 (Closed to Waver,fionnuisce and Sephiroth, pinnaculum ):
(OOC: Is a posting order of Diarmuid -> Waver -> Sephiroth okay?)
As Diarmuid enters the library and looks around for Sephiroth or Waver, there is excitement in his eyes. Ever since he had heard from Sephiroth that the printing press is working, he has been looking forward to learning how to use it. Well, honestly he doesn't care so much for the workings of the machine itself like Waver might. What he does care about is the fact that learning to use it is one big step forward toward getting the information he and the others have gathered about the dangers of the tower's floors out to the public. Add in the fact that Waver is going to be learning it with him since he and Sephiroth seem to get along so well and Waver has an interest in the machine anyway, and it is shaping up to be a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.
Diarmuid's just going to have to keep reminding himself that Waver probably won't appreciate having ink smeared on him, because for some reason the image of the magus with ink smeared all over his face just keeps popping into his head...
Any Floor (Open):
(OOC: Feel free to use this prompt not only if you want to have you character catch Diarmuid leaving the information sheets around, but also if you would like your character to find and comment on one!)
Diarmuid just can't stop smiling. Not only had learning the printing press gone well, but the rough drafts of the floor information that he is holding in his hands as a result are a huge step forward for the project. It doesn't matter that right now the papers are missing some of the information that has been gathered and the map that Saber has been working on. It is still progress.
On the sheet he is looking at, the floors have been divided into three groups--floors that are completely safe, floors that are safe as long as you are careful or have some kind of fighting skill, and floors that are dangerous even for those who are highly trained in fighting. Each floor has a short summary of what it is and its dangers if there are any. It is a commonsensical way to organize things, but the set up and the limitations of the printing press mean that there isn't nearly as much information on it as he would like. Organization is something he will definitely have to discuss with everyone once they gather together again. In the meantime, he has put his name and room number on the dozen or so copies he has along with a request that any suggestions for improvement be sent to him.
After giving the sheets one more look over, Diarmuid heads off to start leaving them around the tower. His limited number means he has to be selective, so he focuses on leaving them on well traveled floors like the library, cafeteria, gym and lounges. He also leaves them near some of the more dangerous floors, all in places where he can easily check on them when he patrols next to see if he can get some idea of how quickly they are going to disappear. The information will be important later when they are deciding how many copies to make and where to leave them.
Floor 39 (Open):
After dropping off the last of the information sheets and finishing his patrol for the day, Diarmuid is still too excited to retire for the night, so he instead stops by the gym. Anyone who has fought with him before or has watched him practice will notice that his movements seem different than usual. There is a lightness and a joy to them now that makes him even more fun to watch. Without any real rhyme or reason he switches back and forth between practicing with his spear and the two swords he is carrying.
It's been a long time since he has felt this good. He has no idea how long the feeling will last, but he is being careful to memorize it so that when the darkness descends again like it always does in this place, he will have that to hold onto--to remind him that even if the progress may be slow, it is there. Someday they will be freed of all of this, and he has to be strong enough to make sure that not only do his friends make it there, he does as well because he friends will not be satisfied with anything else.
And for the first time in a long time, he won't be either.
tohko_amano ) and Waver Velvet (fionnuisce ) & Sephiroth (pinnaculum ).Setting: Floor 100, 39 (the Gym), 25 (the Meadow), 3 (the Library), and others.
Format: Any!
Summary: Diarmuid takes care of some loose ends, moves ahead some projects, and does some much needed thinking.
Warnings: None right now. Will update if that changes.
Note: Title quote credit to Anthony Liccione.
Floor 100 (Open):
For a long time after he started spending time here, Diarmuid had spent most of his time near the image of his house losing hours playing a game between himself and the floor seeing how well it actually had recreated the place he loved so much. After a while, though, he had started to move out and away from the house, through the yard, passed the training grounds and the dog kennels, and finally to the forest that had stood guard behind his house. Diarmuid had been disappointed to find that the illusion stopped a few feet into the treeline and thus short of where the stream had flowed, but it did go far enough back to include one of his favorite thinking spots from his first life.
The spot itself is nothing fancy. Just a small clearing with two trees leaning in toward each other shading a large rock with their branches. Of course, here he cannot sit upon or lean against the rock as he had so often done in the past, but he has found the perfect place to sit so that he can still imagine that is what he is doing. And so, it is here near the treeline that he has taken to sitting to think once he had lost the ability to do so in his room.
It seems to Diarmuid that almost all he has done lately is think, but at the same time, he has so much to think about. So much has happened to him so quickly over the last few months that he is honestly surprised he can still function. Nothing during his first life had prepared him for anything like this--this constant opening of old wounds and giving of new ones before the first had any time to heal. It is almost like the nightmare that had started when his master had ordered him to kill himself just had never ended.
Yet, there are bright points. A great many of them and that is why Diarmuid is so determined to finally get his mind straightened out. It will take time, he knows, but it will also take him finally forcing himself to believe so many of the things he has realized through his talks with others. Things Diarmuid has asked others to do, but always seems to forget to ask himself to do.
He has told both Cecil and Waver that he knows he holds himself to higher standards than others and really needs to stop. Everyone is equal in the tower. Everyone has had their souls taken from their bodies and placed into false forms. There is no reason for him to expect so much more from himself especially when expecting so much only sets him up for failure.
He has told Suzaku, Ryoji, and Mami that everyone makes mistakes and that making them doesn't make them any less of a person. As long as they don't stop fighting and don't let the mistakes beat them, there is always a chance to find forgiveness.
He has told Yata that 'knight' is just a label. It doesn't matter if others believe that is what you are as long as you know what you are in your heart and act to serve the best way you can.
And he has told his brother and Hidetoshi that he knows he is in a rut of negative feelings. He just has to find his way out.
That is why Diarmuid is spending so much time here just thinking and watching the illusionary trees move in the breeze. Sometimes he's meditating on things using a technique that Oisin taught him so very long ago. Sometimes he has actually dozed off during his thoughts and sometimes, soft singing in ancient Gaelic can be heard drifting across the floor as he unconsciously releases his emotions in a way that so many around him did when he was young.
Floor 25 (Closed to Tohko,
tohko_amano ):He picked the meadow as the place where he wanted to meet with Tohko because it is one of the few floors where it isn't unusual for people to meet and talk. It is safe, large enough that several groups can be talking in it without bothering each other, and also has plenty of room away from the walls and the prying eyes of any devices the Administrators might be using to spy on them. With the loss of the sauna as a place to safely discuss things like the resistance--he has seen the units working there and guessed that some of the information that had been discovered by Jason's little ploy must have been about the lack of cameras on that floor--they've had to make due the best they can.
As Diarmuid waits for her to arrive, he sits and casually twists flowers together into chains and rings as a way to relax and pass time. Tohko is already late and he hopes that is just because she is taking time to lose the new 'friend' he hears she has picked up. Despite being proud of the fact she is not letting the dangers involved with being a part of the resistance stop her, Diarmuid can't help but worry that someday she will get in way over her head and not be able to find her way back out.
Floor 3 (Closed to Waver,
fionnuisce and Sephiroth, pinnaculum ):(OOC: Is a posting order of Diarmuid -> Waver -> Sephiroth okay?)
As Diarmuid enters the library and looks around for Sephiroth or Waver, there is excitement in his eyes. Ever since he had heard from Sephiroth that the printing press is working, he has been looking forward to learning how to use it. Well, honestly he doesn't care so much for the workings of the machine itself like Waver might. What he does care about is the fact that learning to use it is one big step forward toward getting the information he and the others have gathered about the dangers of the tower's floors out to the public. Add in the fact that Waver is going to be learning it with him since he and Sephiroth seem to get along so well and Waver has an interest in the machine anyway, and it is shaping up to be a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.
Diarmuid's just going to have to keep reminding himself that Waver probably won't appreciate having ink smeared on him, because for some reason the image of the magus with ink smeared all over his face just keeps popping into his head...
Any Floor (Open):
(OOC: Feel free to use this prompt not only if you want to have you character catch Diarmuid leaving the information sheets around, but also if you would like your character to find and comment on one!)
Diarmuid just can't stop smiling. Not only had learning the printing press gone well, but the rough drafts of the floor information that he is holding in his hands as a result are a huge step forward for the project. It doesn't matter that right now the papers are missing some of the information that has been gathered and the map that Saber has been working on. It is still progress.
On the sheet he is looking at, the floors have been divided into three groups--floors that are completely safe, floors that are safe as long as you are careful or have some kind of fighting skill, and floors that are dangerous even for those who are highly trained in fighting. Each floor has a short summary of what it is and its dangers if there are any. It is a commonsensical way to organize things, but the set up and the limitations of the printing press mean that there isn't nearly as much information on it as he would like. Organization is something he will definitely have to discuss with everyone once they gather together again. In the meantime, he has put his name and room number on the dozen or so copies he has along with a request that any suggestions for improvement be sent to him.
After giving the sheets one more look over, Diarmuid heads off to start leaving them around the tower. His limited number means he has to be selective, so he focuses on leaving them on well traveled floors like the library, cafeteria, gym and lounges. He also leaves them near some of the more dangerous floors, all in places where he can easily check on them when he patrols next to see if he can get some idea of how quickly they are going to disappear. The information will be important later when they are deciding how many copies to make and where to leave them.
Floor 39 (Open):
After dropping off the last of the information sheets and finishing his patrol for the day, Diarmuid is still too excited to retire for the night, so he instead stops by the gym. Anyone who has fought with him before or has watched him practice will notice that his movements seem different than usual. There is a lightness and a joy to them now that makes him even more fun to watch. Without any real rhyme or reason he switches back and forth between practicing with his spear and the two swords he is carrying.
It's been a long time since he has felt this good. He has no idea how long the feeling will last, but he is being careful to memorize it so that when the darkness descends again like it always does in this place, he will have that to hold onto--to remind him that even if the progress may be slow, it is there. Someday they will be freed of all of this, and he has to be strong enough to make sure that not only do his friends make it there, he does as well because he friends will not be satisfied with anything else.
And for the first time in a long time, he won't be either.
no subject
[ She grins, fully well aware that of course he doesn't. That's why it's just a joke. At the very least she doesn't seem to be making any moves to try and come closer to him, she's just sitting there.. ]
No, it's mostly good news for you! I finally got my Furniture back, so I wouldn't have any need for you anymore either way..!
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How fortunate for you.
[There is sarcasm in his voice, but at the same time there is also something darker there. While he has no idea if Waver and Cu Chulainn would have had much luck fighting her if she had ever actually done anything to him, Diarmuid knows that the fight still would have happened and his brother and friend are no pushovers.]
Shall I feel happy or sorry for this person who has been returned to you?
[After being basically a slave to a master, he refuses to belittle the person by referring to them as a thing like she so easily does.]
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He says he missed me, you know..! That's how great of a master I am!
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Does he now? His idea of a good master and my own must be vastly different in that case. I worry for those who you set your eyes on in the future. Or perhaps now that he is here, you will settle down some?
[Yeah, right.]
So, if you no longer need me as a servant, have you thought of something else you want as your favor, Lady?
[He's not even sure why he is asking other than once Diarmuid makes a promise, he keeps it. Besides, she had already asked for the worse thing she could when she had asked for him to be her servant. Anything she asks for now can't be that bad.
At least, that is what he hopes...]
no subject
No, when I have him here, I don't need other Furniture! No other Furniture can compare to him either way, they're not as strong or not as great..! [ Or mostly not as bloodthirsty in this place. There's enough of those back home, but not like she has those here. ] But as to your favor.. come o-n, there's no way I could think it up that quickly, right?
[ She stretches her words out childishly and laughs. ]
I'll have to wait until I think of a re-ally good one!
no subject
Not as strong or as great, hmmm? Are you sure you don't mean not as foolish or as childish?
As for the favor, I can't say I am surprised. I really didn't expect you to have an idea ready. You are not the type to so easily let someone off the hook when it comes to something like this. Just keep in mind, I have said no once already. I am not afraid to say it again.
no subject
Besides, there's nothing childish about my Furniture! Just wait until you meet him, you'll see..!
no subject
[Diarmuid raises an eyebrow at her.]
I find it hard to think you would be so pleased with one who was not as childish as you are, but perhaps it is not necessary after all as long as he understands what you are. So tell me, what is he like that you are so very proud of him?
no subject
[ The most convincing argument, right? She just leaves it at that either way, it's more fun to brag about her Furniture. ]
What do you think he's like? He's really strong, really loyal, extremely cruel.. anything you would expect from good Furniture!
no subject
Good Furniture he might be...
[He says the word without any worry of insulting the person he is describing. Diarmuid gets the impression the man probably wears the title as a badge of honor anyway now that he knows more about him.]
...but can he really fight or are you just building him up because you would look bad otherwise?
no subject
Why, don't you believe it? Kyahaha, could it be that you'd like to experience it first hand?
no subject
I never shy away from a good fight, Lady Witch. Just be sure it is actually a good one. I hate being disappointed.
[And, Diarmuid can't help but be curious as to if her Furniture's powers are anything like hers. How better to find out than through a fight?]
no subject
It's why she still seems "spirited" in her very own way, even now. ]
In that case I'll make sure to tell him about it! Don't worry, he'll put up a good fight for sure.. kyahahahaha..!
no subject
[Diarmuid gives her a serious look.]
Now, would you like to tell me how to recognize him or shall I just prepare myself for some kind of sneak attack?
[It would be a dishonorable way to start a fight and one he wouldn't put passed someone working with her.]
no subject
Su-re. He has bright red short hair and a purple suit. That shouldn't be too difficult to recognize.. unless your eye sight sucks too! [ Can't help but make a jab. ]
no subject
You don't need to worry, Lady. I was not called The Hawk of Ess Ruadh for just my my fighting style. You will find that my eye sight very good. I have no fear of missing him. Though, I would assume you would like to be present to see this fight. Perhaps we should set something up instead of leaving things to fate?
no subject
Sounds fine to me. But since he'll be the one fighting, I'll ask him about the ideal circumstances for it. I'll absolutely not order him around to show you that he's loyal to me no matter what..!
no subject
[Diarmuid shrugs, though there is a suddenly a smirk curling the corner of his mouth.]
I would not want him at anything other than his best. Though, he is your servant. If he needs your commands to remember how to fight, but all means do not deny him...
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You assume that I am underestimating him. You assume wrong.
[His smirk widens.]
It's called a psyching out your opponent and it seems you are somewhat vulnerable to the tactic with how quickly you jump to his defense. I will have to keep that in mind.
no subject
[ She frowns a little. But it's not really angry, it's more the frown of a kid that doesn't understand something. ]
What's so wrong about praising my Furniture? It shows how great of a witch I am, of course.
no subject
[It's something Diarmuid is used to seeing. After all, boosting to your friends so you all can celebrate is one thing. Boosting to an enemy is a completely different thing.]
If he is so naturally...talented...then what does that have to do with how great a witch you are? It's not you who gave him those skills. Your name is merely linked to his because he chooses to serve you. Or is there something here I do not understand? After all, you have not really explained to me the details of how this kind of bond works on your world.
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Of course that's what makes me so great! Su-re, any witch can make low-level Furniture serve them, but it takes the strongest witch possible to even get the slightest loyalty from the strongest Furniture! Is something that simple truly that difficult to understand for an idiot like you?
no subject
That may be true, Lady, but did you ever stop to think that maybe it is the other way around? Perhaps it is he who is bragging that he is strong enough to grab the attention of one such as you? After all men so talented, when they chose to bow their head to another, rarely do it for a reason that is not beneficial to them.
[Diarmuid doesn't often play verbal games like this. Yes, he is a good strategist but that is on the battlefield. Even with Oisin's help he had never been as good fighting just with words, and that is especially true in the modern day when he has trouble wrapping his mind around how people think. Still, every so often he gets the urge to try, since he might be able to get some information from the game. Hopefully, he doesn't give away too much information of his own in the process.]
no subject
She shrugs. ]
It's fine to me if he does. After all, I am the most amazing witch around, I'd be bragging too if I was my Furniture! [ Of course she'd turn it around into something that makes her seem great all the same, what else would anyone expect from Evatrice. ]
Just being able to serve a witch that great, that's his beneficial reason!
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