Book Girl and...

[tohko_amano]

Characters: Tohko Amano and you!
Setting: The third floor library and the graveyard on July second.
Format: I'm starting in prose, but I'll match you!
Summary: After getting some name tags and a paper hat from Diarmuid, Tohko decides to put the hat and a name tag on 'Ivan' while waiting for other people to respond to her offer. Later on, wondering about some people she hasn't seen in awhile, Tohko wanders over to the graveyard and finds that quite a few of her friends are gone.
Warnings: None so far!

Tohko had been pretty happy since the event was now, officially, over. While she the library, it was nice to actually sleep in a bed without worrying about being cornered by a monster. Ruana's note of her games never going off the script annoyed her though..it sounded like something Wilhelm would say, but..she knew that there were times and chances where her games wouldn't go exactly as planned. After all, that was what they were working towards.

While that didn't change the fact that Ivan, her retrieval unit of a stalker, was constantly following her, Diarmuid's gift of a box of name tags and a paper hat for the 'library helper' did make her smile. So, while waiting for anyone who would take up her offer, Tohko put Ivan's name tag on his chest and the paper hat on his head before looking him over and chuckling.

"It really suits you, Ivan! You have to promise to work hard, now that you have your hat, alright?" She wasn't expecting an answer back, but it felt nice to talk to him sometimes, even if he wasn't really on her side.

Tohko didn't quite know why, but she had an urge to visit Konoha, Ryuto, and Chia again, even if the gravestones weren't real. The sentiment was still there, and that was all that mattered, as far as she was concerned. It didn't feel quite right to have Ivan accompany her though, so it took awhile for her to even get to the graveyard, since she had to run around and take a few trips on the elevator before she could ditch him.

When she did get inside the graveyard, she had to catch her breath for a few moments before walking down the rows of graves..but instead of pausing at the graves of her family and friends, she saw graves for old friends, ones that she didn't know or wasn't aware of the fact that they had left the Tower. She saw Tear's grave, Waver's, Mihli's and a few others. She didn't cry when she saw them. She just put on her mask of a smile, sighed, and patted the stone like she was patting their heads.

"I promise, I'll do my best to save you guys. Immortality's painful..especially when you're alone in a situation like that. I promise, I'll try."

Comments

Graveyard.

[oathshackledbird]

"It would have been terrible because he was a terrible excuse for a knight and a person," And that is all Diarmuid has to say about that. He is more comfortable talking about Tohko's parents than he is his horrible excuse for a birth father.

"I am so glad to hear you were not alone," Indeed, hearing that brings a wide smile to his face. "So many are not so lucky. When they lose their parents, they often find themselves alone for the first time in their lives. Did your new family cook for you and encourage you as well or did they not know?"

Graveyard.

[tohko_amano]

"I know..believe me, I've read the stories. The father you had was a much better person than the one you could have had." And..that was pretty much all Tohko had to say to that. She knew, due to her reading, that Diarmuid's father was a good one, and the subject was probably a painful one to Diarmuid anyway, so she just quickly moved on to talking about her own family.

"So am I. There's nothing wrong with being an orphan, but it's really tough sometimes, especially if there's nowhere for you to go. However, Ryuto knows about my taste buds! He doesn't always cook for me, but he sometimes tries when he has the time and wants to. He's out late at night a lot sometimes, due to his skirt-chasing, but he's never called me a goblin or anything. My aunt doesn't know though. She's always out at work a lot, so we sometimes don't have a meal together, but, when we do, I can just picture a really tasty book when I eat with her and then actually eat some words in my room later."

Graveyard.

[oathshackledbird]

"Did his 'skirt-chasing' ways bother you?" While he knows the question is somewhat prying, she has very blatantly pointed it out twice now and so Diarmuid can't help but wonder.

And be reminded just a little of his own brother.

"I would ask if it was hard to have one of them know but not the other, but it seems like with her away so much it wasn't too bad. I am glad you had at least one person to help you out after you lost your parents even if you maybe didn't approve of all his...hobbies."

Graveyard.

[tohko_amano]

At that, Tohko sighed and nodded. "They did. I know he enjoys playing with three or more women at a time, but they always find out about his flings and cause a ruckus. One of these days, the neighbors are going to hear and complain, I just know it!"

While Ryuto and Lancer did have a few similarities, Ryuto might have been a bit better at seeing through the different masks and facades people put up. He wasn't stupid, after all.

"So am I. Even if none of them knew, it was much better living with them than living far away with family members that I wasn't familiar with. Besides..a little while after that, I met Konoha, and he writes a lot of snacks for me, even if they are terrible sometimes. He has no respect for his elders and he constantly calls me a goblin, but I'm sure he'll improve eventually!"

...Even though there was a different reason why Konoha was in the book club with her. Plus..it was better for her aunt to not know about Tohko's taste buds, since she didn't quite like Tohko's father while he was alive.

Graveyard.

[oathshackledbird]

"Oh...does he actually play with them and try to hurt their feelings?" While Cu Chulainn might have been known for his skirt-chasing ways, as far as Diarmuid knew he had never played with anyone's feelings. He expects Emer probably would have beaten his brother bloody if he had, "It's a little different if he actually doesn't care about hurting them and causing problems..."

Diarmuid shakes his head and then frowns slightly when she mentions the boy who calls her a goblin. She has mentioned him before and Diarmuid still doesn't like that he calls her that. It's hurtful, even as a joke.

"Why are you so convinced he can improve?"

Graveyard.

[tohko_amano]

"I don't think it's that. He doesn't actively try to hurt their feelings, but he does get into a lot of different relationships and enjoys the fights that break out when the girls find out. It's a huge pain trying to break them up, and he doesn't seem to have a shred of loyalty in him!"

And Tohko sighed. Just thinking about it made her annoyed, but..it also made her wish that she could see him again. But, when Konoha was brought up, she put on a smile again. It was..probably best to be honest about this one.

"Because while he doesn't know that I know, he once published a book that was brimming with joy and love. It tasted like a huge strawberry shortcake with sweet cream and berries! You could tell that he enjoyed writing then. But..shortly afterwards, he never put in another novel, and when I met him, he seemed to hate writing, and he still doesn't like it that much. While I don't know what made him fall that far, since I tasted something that delicious, I know he'll be able to climb back up the ladder!"

..Even if he did never stop calling her a goblin.

Graveyard.

[oathshackledbird]

"If he enjoys the fights more than he cares about their feelings something is wrong with him. Then again, you say he is not loyal to anyone. I think that explains everything you need to know there," Diarmuid is trying hard not to let the disdain he feels toward this man show in his voice since he obviously helped Tohko, but some of it still slips through and, in the end, he decides it is best to switch topics before he says something that might upset her.

However, the other topic of conversation is also something that makes him uneasy. He can understand a little better now why she feels this person might be able to be saved--after all, isn't he one who looks for any sign that someone can be saved as well--but the longer that he stays in the tower, the more Diarmuid is starting to wonder if everyone can be redeemed after they have fallen.

"What if that good part of him really is dead, Tohko? What if life has changed him so much he can never be what he once was again?"

Graveyard.

[tohko_amano]

Sadly, Tohko's cousin was a very important family member to her, and, as a result, couldn't quite let the topic drop yet. While she could hear a bit of the distaste Diarmuid had in his voice, she thought it was just toward his romantic pursuits and not towards the whole person. So, before she replied, she sighed and scratched her head.

"Well..I meant that Ryuto wasn't loyal to anyone romantically. After all, I really can't imagine Ryuto leaving me if I needed him somewhere. But I do agree with him! Even if he is a masochist, it doesn't excuse him from toying with people like that, especially when it bothers others."

..That smile grew a little, but whether it was genuine or just a mask was hard to tell.

"Then I'll have failed..but you know, it's too soon to give up on him! Besides, while some of his stories were really foul in the beginning, they've gotten a little tastier over time, even if he does cook up bad meals every now and then. And he helped me save Chia Takeda, even though he was a little mad about that whole incident. I don't think his emotions are totally dead yet. They're recovering..but not gone."

Graveyard.

[oathshackledbird]

"Ah..." Considering how important loyalty is to him, Tohko probably should have been more specific from the beginning. It doesn't really help a lot now since in Diarmuid's mind one who can't be trusted to be loyal romantically probably can't trusted to be loyal in any other way, but there are exceptions to that--like his brother. Since the man had helped Tohko when she needed him, maybe he wasn't all bad after all. "You know him best so I will have to trust your views of him. If nothing else, as you say, he helped you."

"He is showing signs of improvement?" Now this catches Diarmuid's attention and actually causes him to smile. Signs of improvement make a big difference when it comes to knowing if a person really can be saved or not. "I don't know that you mentioned that before. That is promising. In that case, I wish you good luck in your quest to help him find himself again. I am sure you can do it."

And hopefully, once he is back to his old self, he will find a nickname much better than 'goblin' for Tohko.

..And I realized that I wrote 'agree with him' instead of 'agree with you'..><;;

[tohko_amano]

Not that Ryuto really was a man. He was actually younger than Tohko and Konoha, but he was still rather capable, due to his good people skills and the women that were loyal to him. "Thank you. I know he does sound a bit shady, but he's not a horrible person."

And Diarmuid's comments managed to pull a bit of a genuine smile out of Tohko. "Yup! I might have mentioned it before..but whether I did or didn't doesn't really matter, as long as you understand now. But thank you! I'm sure that, once we restore the universes and everyone, I'll be able to make him enjoy writing and everything else again. I'm looking forward to munching on another novel of his!"

..He probably wouldn't, sadly, but Tohko would keep hoping that he would stop calling her a goblin, since she wasn't one at all.

*Pats* Happens all the time...

[oathshackledbird]

Diarmuid nods at her words, but doesn't comment. He really hopes for her sake she is right.

After several moments of silence, he stands, "I think you for listening to my worries Tohko. If you don't mind, I am going to leave you to your thoughts now. I have been putting off looking to see just how many people I know have left here recently. I...should probably not put that off any longer."

Before he can talk himself out of it, he steps forward and gives Tohko a hug, speaking softly into her ear as he does, "Thank you. I mean it. If you ever need me, please come and find me."

It's always embarrasing when it does happen though..><;

[tohko_amano]

Tohko, for her part, hadn't ever been standing, and nor was she really expecting a hug, so while she didn't tense up, she did freeze in surprise for a moment before smiling and..patting Diarmuid on the back a little.

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help..and don't worry. If I ever need help or want to tug at your ear, I'll do my best to find you."

However, if she was depressed enough to cry, that might be a different matter, since Tohko was the type to not really move until she was done crying.

Irk...my bad. I thought she was standing for some reason. x.X Embarrassing...

[oathshackledbird]

Diarmuid steps out of the hug after a moment and nods to her, "I hope you will. Be safe, Tohko."

He smiles at her and then turns to begin his own sad search of the graves.

...And she had been. That..should have been 'sitting'..><; Blegh..I'm so sorry!

[tohko_amano]

Tohko would return the smile and wave a little as Diarmuid walked away. "Don't worry, I will be! Take care!"

And..then she turned back to Waver's grave and patted it. "That goes for you too, alright? Don't worry. You'll be fine soon."

And with that, she would be off to conduct her own search for Ryuto's, Chia's, Konoha's, and her aunt's grave before leaving the Diarmuid alone in the graveyard.