towerofanimus | Midsummer Bash

Midsummer Bash

Characters: Lancer, the people he invited to the party, and everyone else who wants to stumble in
Setting: Floor 25, July 5, afternoon
Format: Open
Summary: Lancer throws a party for midsummer, since the Tower obviously needs a breather.
Warnings: None so far.

[To be honest, Lancer wanted to have the party in the evening, sometime around twilight. That would have been the most romantic time for it. Unfortunately, when in the Tower, one had to account for things like monsters. As a result, he had to hold it during the afternoon. But it wasn't too bad of a compromise.]

[This was, of course, a more simple affair than Diarmuid's birthday. For food, he had hauled a couple of tables up here and lined the table with dinner food. The centerpiece was a cake which had a heart drawn on it in red frosting. In one corner of the meadow, he had used some boxes and tarp to make some sort of booth where people could hide from the sun (and steal kisses off of each other). In the center of the meadow, he had piled a large stack of wood, perfect for lighting a bonfire by the party's end. The structures had all been surrounded with wreaths made from the meadow's flowers.]

[As soon as he's done with the setup, Lancer will sit down next to the firewood pile, waiting for people to come.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Of course, of course, but lets be honest. You were the king of the troublemakers.

Did they really say that in my legend? Or did you just come to that conclusion your own?

[Either way, he won't dispute the accuracy.]

It doesn't say that directly in your legend...

[Diarmuid laughs and claps his brother on the back.]

But I know you now. You totally were, weren't you?

...Well, yeah. Ferdiad was in second.

[He smiles at the memories coming into his mind right now.]

We got into trouble together. A lot. Half the time because he was trying to get me out of trouble and would just make the mess bigger.

I was always getting Oscar out of trouble, but it sounds like I was better at getting him out of trouble unscathed than Ferdiad was for you.

[Diarmuid shakes his head.]

I fear the trouble he got into after I passed and was no longer there to keep him out of it.

...You think you can hope that he got into less because it wouldn't have been half as fun without knowing his brother was there to get him out of it?

[Lancer doesn't sound very convinced of his own argument. After all, if he himself was any indication, true troublemakers didn't let a lack of friends stop them.]

I would like to think that, but truth be told....he probably got into less trouble because he no longer had time for it.

[Diarmuid's expression falls slightly.]

If he did not act on his foolish threat after I died, he would have had to take my place leading the Fianna.

How well do you think he did?

I would like to think he did well. He had the skill. It was just the focus he lacked sometimes. If his father kept him from trying to kill Fionn and, perhaps getting himself killed in the process, I think my death might have given him that focus. He would have wanted to do well since the position had once been mine.

Then you shouldn't need to worry about anything there. I bet Oscar kept the Fianna going for some time.

[Sorry, bro, he didn't read that far into Oscar's legend.]

[That's okay. Obviously, he hasn't either. Probably better that way...]

I am sure he will. Or at least, I am going to choose to think that until I learn differently. After all, Oisin would have been there to keep an eye on him. It's not quite the same since he was known for getting into trouble of his own, but...

Hey, that Oisin guy was his Dad. Not you, but not too shabby, right?

Not too shabby is an understatement!

[Diarmuid laughs.]

Not only was he an excellent knight, he was also an excellent bard. He could kill with a blade or with words. It was not wise to make him angry.

Of course it wouldn't be.

[He knows how powerful a bard can be.]

What was the worst curse he ever leveled on someone?

I don't know. He wouldn't tell us even when we asked. Honestly, I'm not sure I want to know considering what happened...

[Diarmuid shakes his head, respect and maybe a bit of fear in his eyes.]

All I know is that the man in question...disappeared. Not only physically, but only a few people even remembered he existed. I was one of those people. Oscar was not. He gave me strange looks for a while until I learned to stop mentioning him.

Of course...I was probably allowed to remember him because the reason he ran afoul Oisin's temper in the first place was his reaction to something that happened due to my curse. He was the brother of a woman who...

[His face pales, but he forces himself to continue talking.]

...once I told her we could not be together, she came back and killed herself in front of me. He blamed her death on me and wished revenge on me even though it was not my fault and I was crushed by what happened. When he would not back off...Oisin stepped in though I asked him not to.

[Cu Chulainn falls silent and then, for not the first time that night, chooses to hug his brother without saying anything.]

Hey...

[Diarmuid is slightly startled by the hug, but returns it after a moment.]

I guess that's the first time I've mentioned that to you, hu? Sorry, I keep bringing down the mood...

Nah, it's fine. We're brothers. We should be able to share some of our past history.

[Even if it was painful history.]

I know, I know...

[Diarmuid gives him a grateful smile.]

But maybe not at parties where we are suppose to be having fun, yes?

How about you tell me a funny story then. To make up for all the sad ones you've told me? And I'll tell you a funny story too.

[Diarmuid's smile turns sheepish and he shakes his head.]

Maybe it would be better if you told the story. Every time I try to tell one, we end up talking about something sad.

[Probably because there were so many more tragic moments in his life than happy ones.]

[He scratches his head.]

Hm...well, you know most of my stories. Including the one where I killed a man with a stick, right?

Yes, of course.

[Diarmuid seems a little embarrassed for a moment before shaking it off.]

But there is a difference between hearing the stories from my father and hearing them from you.

Alright, then Fer Baeth's story it is!

[He clears his throat.]

As you know, we trained together under Scathach. We were supposed to be brothers. But for him, brothers were worth nothing. I trusted him and he could have sold out either me or my other brother just to marry into power and status. And that's what he did. One day, we were fighting on two sides of a war and got scheduled to fight each other in single combat. I met him before the battle. Gave him a way out. But he wouldn't have any of that. Told me to shut up and fuck off because I was an enemy.

[Here, his expression changes to something akin to that of a beast. A feral half-smile, half-snarl.]

I asked him to reconsider. He told me that I was lucky he wasn't cutting me down because if he took back my head he could marry Findabair, the princess of Connacht. So in the end, I just turned back and left. And of course, I was pissed. Then, as I was walking, I tripped over this one stick. Guess what I did?

[He doesn't wait for Diarmuid to answer.]

I rip it out of the ground and toss it over my shoulder. And wham. Skewers the treacherous fucker right in the throat.

[And now he has a contended grin.]

And that's the story of how I killed a man with a stick. Was an awesome throw, if I have to say so myself.

So it was a stick you just picked up off the ground? Some versions of the story changed what you threw. One I remember said you threw an arrow just to scare him...

[Diarmuid's expression grows serious.]

What it was doesn't really matter, though. Fate saw to it you killed him before he could betray those who trusted him. Accident or not, his death probably saved a lot of lives.

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