towerofanimus | You'll turn into a gargoyle at this rate

Entry tags:

You'll turn into a gargoyle at this rate

Characters: ProtoLancer

puppy_lancer and Zero Lancer

oathshackledbird; closed
Setting: Graveyard floor
Format: Prose
Summary: Lancer spent the entire event bumming on the graveyard floor. Time for someone to find him.
Warnings: Angsting, maybe

Lancer had lost track of time as he sat by Ayaka's grave. His days were filled with sitting there staring off into the distance and fighting off the occasional monster. His clothes were torn and his body covered in healing wounds. Maybe he would be able to sit here for the rest of his stay at the tower. Maybe some point some monster would catch him too cut up and exhausted to resist and kill him. He doesn't mind either. He doesn't care. He's just a failed Servant who shouldn't exist anymore, so anything that happens to him doesn't matter.

Now and then, a thought of his brother or his friends enters into the void that is his mind and he almost wants to leave his position to go and find them. But every time, he pushes the impulse away. They all have their own friends or Masters to keep them company. And he shouldn't bother them with comforting him. He can deal with his own failures.

And so he just sits there, immobile.

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Diarmuid thinks about it. He really does, but in the end, luck favors Cu Chulainn for once in his life and Diarmuid just tosses the rest of the nutrition bars at his brother instead, "What am I now your mother? I don't recall signing up for that! Next thing you are going to want me to chew them for you too."

"Oh come on, I'm not at that level yet."

He rips open another nutrition bar and bites down. Though it tastes nasty, he devours it in two bites. The next ones goes down the same way. He really is hungry.

"Though maybe a bedtime story..."

"Well, stories and songs are two things I won't deny people. I guess you are in luck there," He smiles and then gives his brother a critical look. "You really must be hungry the way you are putting those away. Maybe I should have brought more..."

"Well, I haven't eaten in a week or two."

He pops another bar into his mouth.

"But I don't think I'll need anymore. I'll get the rest of my energy back from sleeping."

And down goes another one.

"Just stick around? Until I'm sleepy?"

Until he's sure he won't have nightmares.

"A week or two? You fool!" Diarmuid gives his brother a disapproving look, but the look doesn't last long. After all, if Waver had been the one taken instead of Ayaka...

No...he isn't even going to let himself think about that.

"I have no intention of leaving you until you wake again. This is no time to sleep unguarded. Not with so many monsters roaming around."

That, and after taking so long to notice his brother was missing, Diarmuid doesn't feel like letting the other man out of his sight quite yet. He still feels like he has a lot to make up to him.

"Thanks, bro."

He smiles. It's grateful. Maybe so grateful as to make him seem vulnerable. Like he really does need Diarmuid at his side.

"But if a monster really comes, wake me up. I don't wannna sleep through the action again."

Diarmuid returns his brother's smile with a gentle one of his own. He notices the vulnerability in his brother's look, but for now he just brushes it off to the other servant being so tired and upset about losing Ayaka.

"Of course I will wake you up. If you think I am going to let you be lazy and do all the work myself just because you were a fool who couldn't take care of himself, you have another thing coming!"

"I promise I'll be able to feel my legs again."

His expression falls.

"But...just be careful if it's one of the ones in masks. Those things do...weird stuff when they bite."

Diarmuid steps closer to his brother, first squeezing his shoulder and then gently pushing it down to encourage Cu Chulainn to lay down and rest, "I know you will. Just relax. I have heard some of what the masked ones can do. I will be careful. For now, worry only about regaining your strength so that if one of them brings the fight to us we can be ready to show them why we are called heroes."

Lancer lies back and closes his eyes.

"Then, Bro, can you tell me a story really quickly? I think I'm gonna sleep now so I can wake up earlier.]

Diarmuid smiles, gently ruffling his brother's hair, "Of course, but you will have to tell me what kind of story you want to hear first. What are you in the mood for?"

"Something nice and funny. I've had enough of tragedy to last me quite a while."

"Well...it's not so funny, but how about something sweet and romantic? I can tell you how my father won the hand of his wife," Diarmuid pauses a moment to think and then laughs. "Though I suppose if you really want funny, I could tell you about the night I had to save Oscar from what he swore was a possessed rabbit. I never did tell him that possessed rabbit was lunch the next day and so he kept 'seeing' it and believed it followed us all the way back home."

"The second one."

He had heard of the first one from his mother, a long time ago. The doings of a god became a story quick enough. Especially since part of it had happened in Ulster.

"What was up with that rabbit?"

"That is the thing. Absolutely nothing as far as I could tell," Diarmuid leans against the edge of the bed so he can still talk to his brother while the man settles in to sleep. "It wasn't even one of those odd ones you sometimes see that are completely white with red eyes. Though, I suppose I should add that Oscar had been drinking a lot that night. A lady give us a few bottles to take us as a reward for helping her out with a few things as we passed by. He was determined not to share with anyone else..."

Lancer shuts his eys.

"He deserves some trouble then. Everyone knows you don't hog a drink when someone else asks."

Diarmuid laughs, "Well, in his defense I didn't actually ask for any. It would have been nice to have a sip or two, but it was no big deal. He knew I didn't drink that much and it was good. I couldn't really be mad at him. Besides, seeing him trying to hide behind a rock from that rabbit wouldn't have been anywhere nearly as funny as it was if I had been drunk. He kept cursing at it and it just sat there and wiggled its nose at him.

"'It's casting a spell on me, Little Hawk! Stop standing there laughing and do something!'" Diarmuid shakes his head, a wide grin on his face. "Oh Oscar. If your father had seen you that night, the story he would have told."

Lancer bursts out laughing again.

"How does a rabbit curse you? It can't even speak!"

"Apparently through some complex sequence that involves a lot of nose twitching and ear scratching," Diarmuid gives his brother a mock serious look. "It is very complex and very scary....all that nose wiggling and ear scratching. Does terrible, terrible things to a man. According to Oscar anyway."

"Oh yes, I can see how he'd be scared."

Lancer's tone is every last bit as mock-serious.

"Next time I run out of ways to flip people off, I'll scratch my ears at them and send them running."

"Don't forget to wiggle your nose too. That is a very important part of all of it, the nose wiggling," Diarmuid shakes his head and then reaches out and squeezes his brother's shoulder. "I'm sorry. As fun as this story is, I don't know that it is helping you sleep any. Shall I try another?"

He pouts.

"Alright then. Tell me another one. But can it still be a happy one?"

"No pouting!" He bops his brother on the nose. "You are suppose to be going to sleep. Maybe instead of a story, I should sing for you. You will fall asleep in no time just to avoid the awful screeching."

He winks to show he's kidding. Mostly.

"Well...your songs are beautiful too."

He scratches at his nose.

"Hey, can you tell me a story about you and your wife? You should have some funny ones about her, right? It can be a really short one."

"About me and Grainne? I guess I could..." Diarmuid seems slightly confused at the request and maybe a little...reluctant? "Are you sure you really want to hear about us? I could tell you about her trying to teach our daughter stuff. That would probably be more exciting."

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