From silent shades and the Elysian groves

[puppy_lancer]

Characters: [AU3] Lancer puppy_lancer, [AU1] Rei Ayanami terrifying, [AU7] Sola-ui marriedthebloke, and you
Setting: All around the Tower, through the week
Format: You choose!
Summary: Catch-all event log for my characters
Warnings: Angst, madness, and dying characters

Lancer

August 11-13

[Like all others marked by the shadow children, Lancer hears the voices of his loved ones, especially the two people who can be said to be his biggest regrets. Misaya and Connla were behind him, accusing him of failing, reminding him of his fault, asking him why he hadn't died in their place. And listening to them, he feels less hurt than relieved. Finally, they would blame the right person. Finally, he could be punished for his mistakes.]

[And most of all, no matter what they were saying, he's glad to see them again, even in the form of these strange illusions. He's lost so many people close to him, both old and new. So now he just wants to cling to these shadow children who talk so much like his Master and his son. Or perhaps the stress of the last few weeks had just snapped his mind.]

[The first thing he tries to do is hug them, but to his disappointment, his arms go right through their forms. Even with them at his side, he cannot embrace them and apologize.]

[Nevertheless, it doesn't dampen his mood that much. He walks through the Tower, showing them various floors that he thinks they'll like. He speaks to them like they're still their old selves. And of course, he brags to them about the package he received in the mail. In fact, he's much more cheerful and energetic than someone followed by shadow children should be.]

August 14 (floor 80)

[By this day, Lancer has lost a good deal of his energy. Every couple of steps, he yawns, stretches, or rubs at his eyes. His collar has gotten gradually paler, but he still tries to keep up a happy facade for Misaya and Connla. Especially since he's taken them to a special floor.]

...Look, Connla. There's the circus. Just don't go too close. You too, Misaya. Even if you wanna play with the guts.

['Useless. You're just trying to distract yourself.'

'He's always paid attention to the wrong things. For example, flirting with enemies while he was suppose to be fighting to save me.']

No, really. They're violent. They'd kill you.

[He's doing his best to stay away from the clowns and keeping his voice down. However, in his fatigued state, he wouldn't notice if anyone else joined him on this floor, or if the clowns would try to kill him.]

August 15-16 (floor 25)

[Lancer hates to admit it, but he's tired. Unknown to him, the color of his collar, and the color of his soul itself is becoming more and more washed out He's lain down on the grassy ground of the meadow and doesn't feel like getting up. Not even the growl of thunder in the distance can convince him that this might be a bad idea. Half of him wants to fall asleep, but the voices of the shadow children keep on waking him.]

['Are you trying to go so easily?'

'You don't deserve it.'

'Not when I died in such pain. And I wasn't able to rest in peace even after that. You know what happened to me. If only you had done your job like you were supposed to. Useless Servant.'

'Liar. Traitor. Kin-slayer. Why do you get to die peacefully after all the pain you caused?'

'You already had your chance. You chose to live like a coward instead.'

'You don't deserve the name of a hero.']

Ah...

[For the first time this whole week, it hurts to hear them talk like that. He had done everything he could to accept their accusations and move on, but they just won't stop. If anything, their words were cutting deeper and deeper into him.]

[But by now, he has no strength to argue with them. He just sighs and smiles. Maybe he does deserve some pain...]


Rei

August 11-13

[Rei wakes up to find a group of shadow children around her bed. However, she disregards them and spends her day as she would any day. First, she goes down to the cafeteria for a big meal, then up to the media room to play some games, and finally exploring the nature floors until it's dusk.]

[This continues until the thirteenth, when she finally starts to hear their whispers. Snatches of voices from her home.]

...Guys? This isn't funny.

[However, her suggestions as to whether or not the situation is funny go ignored. Throughout the day, the voices increase in volume, until at night, when she's snuggled up in her bed ready to sleep, they explode.]

[Suddenly, everyone she knows--her family, her friends, the people who had left the Tower--everyone is screaming at her, calling her a monster, telling her she has no reason to live.]

[She makes a little blanket lump out of herself and whimpers, begging them to go away.]

August 14

[Rei spends the entire day in her room. After a sleepless night, she's too tired to go outside.]

['Aw, is the monster out of energy.'

'Nobody will notice if you die, you know.'

'Right, you're not that special. You're just like the rest of us. Just like all seven of us. Just the same as all seven of us.'

'Your soul is not your own.'

'Your name is not your own.'

'We're all just copies of Yui's real daughter.'

'Nous ne sommes pas encore humains.'

'We're all so expendable. Like flowers in a flower bed--any one would do.'

'So why are you alive?'

'You were our friend. You said you would protect us.'

'But you ran. You ran and we died.']

Stop!

[And her pillow goes flying at one of the shadows. They fall silent before one male voice starts speaking.]

['I'm disappointed.']

[Her father.]

[She bursts into tears now, her characteristic smile having completely disappeared.]

['But you're still our daughter. So die and come back to us.']

[Her mother.]

...Mama.

[Slowly, her collar color and her energy are both ebbing away. She remains still, and except for a few traces of tears on her face, emotionless. Was this how that other Rei always felt?]


Sola-ui

August 11 (mailroom)

[Sola-ui stares with distaste at the photograph of her mutilated family. This is all an illusion, she tells herself. However, even with this knowledge, it's all she can do to keep from shaking and crying. She doesn't want the memory of her children to be forever linked with such gruesome images.]

[A couple shadow children stand on their tiptoes around her, as if trying to see the photo for themselves. She she shoos them away. It seems the Tower has seen an increase in strange, annoying creatures.]

I hope nobody here was responsible for this.

[She calls out to anyone who might be in the mailroom with her.]

August 12 (weight room)

[The shadow children had started speaking. It seems she couldn't have a moment to herself before their whispers echoed in her mind. While she can't make out words, the voices are familiar. If she didn't know better, she would say they were the voices of her family--Kayneth, Diarmuid, and Waver.]

[Today, she's decided to go into the weight room. While Diarmuid isn't watching her, she thinks she can manage to lift a few of the lighter weights. It would save him some time during their next training session if she got in more practice beforehand.]

[So, ignoring the whispers of the shadows, she picks up two fifteen pound dumbbells and starts doing lifting exercises with them.]

August 13 (library)

[If the whispers were annoying before, then now, when the words and voices were clear, it was even more irritating. It became harder and harder for her to ignore them, and hurt more and more when she found the familiar voices denouncing her.]

['Too busy lusting after other men to care that your own family is dead.'

'Mother, I love you and I don't want to blame you...but look what you did to us. Or perhaps it's my fault. I was never good enough. I couldn't protect anyone...'

'Mum, help me. It hurts.']

[Currently, she's sitting in the library, flipping through books as quickly and as noisily as she can to try to block out some of the voices. She's clearly distressed by now.]

August 14 (infirmary)

[She's placing bottles on the shelves of the infirmary when Kayneth's voice sounds in her head.]

['Why waste your time? These bottles will save no one.']

[The voice comes so suddenly that it shocks her. She drops the bottle and it shatters on the floor.]

['Mother, are you alright?']

[Had it been another insult, it would have been better than words of concern. This sounded like something Diarmuid could actually say...]

[Without moving from her spot, she puts her head in her hands and cries.]

August 15 (infirmary)

[Sola-ui is down at the infirmary all day today. Instead of working, though, she's lying on a bed, too tired physically and mentally to do anything but lie back and listen to the voices of her family.]

[Sometimes it feels like a nightmare, when they're all in a hurry to point out everything she does wrong. And sometimes it feels more like a beautiful dream, when they actually act like themselves. She can swear that at one point, her children even got into bed next to her, like they would when they were very young.]

['Isn't it better like this? When we're all together?']

Yes...it is...

[She mutters groggily.]

Comments

[puppy_lancer]

I don't know.

[He's of the mind that they could've figured something out.]

But if that's what makes you happy, who am I to argue?

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid pauses in his work to give his brother a serious look.]

I am happy, brother. Things are still hard and I still have my doubts, but I am much happier than I was back during those first months after my arrival. You, Waver, and the rest of my friends--those who are here and those who are not any longer--managed to keep me sane long enough that I could start figuring things out.

Thank you.

[puppy_lancer]

I think it goes both ways.

[He walks over to stand close by Diarmuid, one hand on the table for support. Then, he leans his head against Diarmuid's shoulder.]

You're the one friend I have who has never gone away. Who will never go away. And I'm glad for that.

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid raises a hand to cradle his brother's head against his shoulder for a moment before motioning for the man to sit down near where he's working.]

You, Waver, Ryoji, and so many others. You are all my family. There is nothing for me besides you guys and so no reason to leave. I am going to be here until the end when we fix everything.

But lets not worry about that kind of thing now. Why don't you nap while I work? I promise I will keep the evil mannequins away from you.

[puppy_lancer]

[He yawn, but still tries to stay awake.]

What about you? You'll be focused on sewing and me. And you'll be tired as well.

[He rubs at his eyes.]

How about we save the crafts for tomorrow and find a safe floor where we both rest?

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid reaches out and ruffles his brother's hair.]

While I might be tired, I am afraid I'm nowhere near sleep. However, if you would like me to go with you to a different floor or even our rooms, I will be glad to come. There is nothing that says I can't take this stuff back with me. It's not like I am going to be using one of the machines.

[He laughs and holds up one of the sewing kits.]

This is much closer to my speed.

guess I should include a "don't try this at home" warning

[puppy_lancer]

Machines? You mean these?

[He goes over to one of the sewing machines and runs a finger down the needle.]

How does this even work?

Pffft....Cu! X.x

[oathshackledbird]

Don't mess with the needle please. I really don't want to have to cut you free some whatever you manage to sew yourself to.

[Diarmuid rises to his feet and walks over to the machine his brother is standing next to.]

I don't really know the details, but the machine does the stitching part of sewing so you don't have to. It can do it much faster and more accurately than most people can by hand. I expect there are things it's not very good at sewing, though. Details and delicate work would need to be done by hand. Those things shouldn't be rushed.

Re: Pffft....Cu! X.x

[puppy_lancer]

[He nods.]

So if I stick a cloth in here.

[He picks up a random piece of cloth and slides under the needle.]

It sews?

[It doesn't seem to be moving, though.]

[oathshackledbird]

Not quite. There is another step.

[Diarmuid pulls the chair away from the table the machine is sitting on and points underneath it.]

Do you see that? It's called a 'foot.' Stepping on that is what makes it work once the machine has power and is turned on. Varying how much pressure is on the foot changes how fast the machine goes.

[That bit of useless information brought by the same Grail that thought it pertinent that Diarmuid be able to tell the kind of a transmission a car has just by hearing it for a few seconds...]

warning: finger gore (doesn't help this actually happened to me once)

[puppy_lancer]

Like this?

[Perhaps it's because of the fatigue, but with his finger still a little too close to the needle, Lancer stomps down on the pedal. \]

[There is a nasty sound as the needle pierces the tip of his index finger.]

Ow! Fuck!

[He jerks his finger away even as it sprays blood all over the cloth. doing so breaks the needle of the machine.]

Ouch! X.x

[oathshackledbird]

Brother!

[Diarmuid immediately kicks the petal away from his friend's foot and winces at the sound the machine makes as Cu Chulainn snaps the needle off.]

I told you to keep away from the needle... Do we need to stop by the infirmary?

[Well, if Cu Chulainn had been tired before, he was probably wide awake now...]

Re: Ouch! X.x

[puppy_lancer]

[He winces and then yanks the needle out of his finger.]

I don't know. I'd usually be able to heal from something like this.

[But no matter what, it still felt extremely unpleasant.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid frowns. The wound is small, of course, though it is bigger than it might have been otherwise from his brother jerking on the needle. Certainly nothing life threatening on its own, but even small wounds can be deadly. He had heard of people dying of small wounds back during his first life. Of course, they didn't know back then--as he knows now--it was because of infection. While the chance is small considering where they are, his brother's luck and the fact that they have no idea when he might be at full strength again, it is best not to take any chances.]

It's no sword or spear wound, but this is the Tower and knowing our luck, I would prefer not to take any chances. It should be cleaned and bandaged at least.

[He pauses and then gives his brother a stern look.]

You are not allowed to die from infection do to stabbing yourself with a sewing needle. Do you understand?

[puppy_lancer]

[He pops the finger in his mouth and sucks on it.]

Oh come on, can Servants even get infected wounds? Takes more than that to kill me, anyway.

[oathshackledbird]

I don't know and considering how this place works, do you really want to risk it?

[Diarmuid sighs and shakes his head. He's probably overreacting, but his brother has died enough times in this place. He would hate for one more to be added to the list for such a foolish reason.]

At least promise you will keep an eye on it until it either heals or you get back to full strength and can heal it yourself.

[puppy_lancer]

I promise.

[He grabs another piece of cloth and tears it so he can have a short of bandage for his wound.]

Guess I'm not gonna be sewing anything, now, am I?

[oathshackledbird]

Why can't you? Does it hurt that much?

[Diarmuid doesn't wait for an answer. Instead, he picks up a sewing kit and hands it to his brother.]

You're just going to be doing it the old fashioned way like me.

[puppy_lancer]

[He grabs hold of the sewing kit. At least he's awake now and won't drop it.]

You still haven't told me what you want to sew. At this rate, I really am gonna wind up sewing ribbons.

[oathshackledbird]

Well...I am making you a shirt and Yotsuba a doll...

[As he speaks, Diarmuid gathers together the materials he's going to need to take back with him.]

Why don't you make me some kind of clothing as well? Pants or a shirt? I won't argue against either.

[puppy_lancer]

...A pretty pink skirt?

[As it to make good on that, he grabs a piece of pink cloth.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid raises an eyebrow at his brother.]

A skirt? Why a skirt? And why pink? It would look terrible with my eyes...

[puppy_lancer]

Hey, you said I could make you any article of clothing.

[He looks his brother over.]

Or maybe an entire dress. Though I'm not good for the little details.

[oathshackledbird]

Why are you suddenly determined to put me into a skirt or a dress?

[Diarmuid motions to at himself.]

Do I really look like I have the body to pull off a dress?

[puppy_lancer]

I dunno. Maybe if I made a baggy dress? Or something really big around the hips?