[open] // do what we must because we can

[fionnuisce]

Characters: Waver and open
Setting: Floor 27, cafeteria, dorm floors
Format: Either
Summary: Tea, science, and sleep are Waver's priorities. In that order.
Warnings: None yet.

[floor 27]

[Waver had spent the majority of his time in the laboratory; being the leader of the group researching the clear collar fluid, he might have felt obligated even if it didn't fascinate him. Luckily (for some value of the word), he was a researcher that often became utterly absorbed in his work to the point of forgetting everything else. 'Minor' things like sleeping and eating, for example.]

[Though he hid it the best he could, if the ponytail-wearing magus looked exhausted that was likely no one's imagination. Today he was looking over his own hastily-written notes and narrowing his eyes at the container of fluid itself as though it had perhaps insulted his mother, thin cloud of cigarette smoke hanging in the air in front of him.]

[cafeteria]

[It was a remarkably simple thing, tea. Last time it was available, Waver had taken quite a bit of it to store in his trunk (along with a whole lot of alcohol.)]

[Then, glamour failure. If asked for one petty thing Waver would never forgive the administrators for, he would always answer with that.]

[Needless to say, he'd finally dragged himself away from his work long enough to enjoy the shift in provisions. Today in the cafeteria one could find a magus in a black and green suit sitting by himself, looking over near-incomprehensible notes with a cup of tea in his hand.]

[And if one happens upon him in the evening, it's likely he's minding his own business and leaving with a bottle of wine or two, liquid mercury maid trailing a step behind him.]

[dorm floors]

[Only at some ungodly hour did Waver finally give up for the night and leave the laboratory, Volumen Hydragyrum behind him carrying two bottles of wine. If he was willing to stop at all, it was likely he'd reached his physical limit or damn near to it. Sure enough, it had been several days since he slept a full night--or slept, period. As a result Waver was pale and walking just a little unsteadily, but at least he didn't seem ready to drop dead.]

[Drop into a coma when he got to his room, sure. But not drop dead.]

Comments

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid takes another drink of his own before tilting his bottle at Waver.]

Promise to take your own advice? It will make me doing it a lot easier...

[fionnuisce]

I'll do the best that I can. I can't promise any more than that.

[oathshackledbird]

You know I won't ask for more from you than your best.

[He sighs, resting his head on his arm and staring blankly at his mostly empty bottle.]

I'm the only person I expect to do more than his best...

[fionnuisce]

You shouldn't, you know. It's hypocritical of me to say, but you can't expect more than that.

[oathshackledbird]

Blame it on the drink.

[Diarmuid gestures at Waver with his bottle before emptying it, and carefully setting it on the floor.]

Besides, it does me good to hear it. I know it's true. Unfortunately, it is one of those things that I am still trying to beat into me so that my heart and my head are on the same page.

[fionnuisce]

I'm sure you'll get the idea eventually. You're smarter than you give yourself credit for.

[oathshackledbird]

It's not the smarts I'm worried about so much...

[Diarmuid looks at Waver out of the corners of his eyes before rolling to his side so he can tap his chest over his heart.]

It's this troublesome thing. It doesn't listen as well as my brain does.

[He sighs and rises to grab another bottle. Servant constitution be damned. He should be at least tipsy by now instead of completely sober.

Though, being Irish probably has something to do with that too...]

[fionnuisce]

Those do tend to be difficult.

[Waver lapsed into silence, sitting upright and finishing off his own bottle. Years of practice had left him with one hell of a tolerance, but even so he was still human.]

...it's September, isn't it? [He laughed bitterly, though whether that was due to the subject matter or the alcohol was up for debate.] It'll be my birthday in just about a month. Never thought I'd spend my last one in a place like this.

[Bitter drunk? Nah, not at all.]

[oathshackledbird]

Because you're not. Stop talking like that.

[Diarmuid opens his second bottle with more force than necessary and then returns to sit near Waver on the bed.]

What is the date?

[fionnuisce]

Even if we do survive this, my chances of survival past that aren't looking great. Maybe if I expect the worst I'll get a pleasant surprise.

[Shrugging, he opened another one as well.] October third. What of it?

[oathshackledbird]

Have a little faith in me. Do you really think I'm going to let any of them lay a hand on you?

[Diarmuid raises an eyebrow at Waver, before smiling.]

Nothing at all... October is Ruana's next month. I probably shouldn't risk asking for anything from her. I guess that means I will be making it by hand.

[fionnuisce]

Hmph...of course it is. Happy fucking birthday from the leading sociopath. [Sighing, Waver took a drink and leaned lightly on Diarmuid's shoulder.]

Don't do anything special. It's not that important.

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid puts an arm around Waver's shoulders, reaching up to stroke his friend's hair.]

You deserve nothing less than the very best horror for your birthday?

[The question is meant as a joke, though it sounds forced even to Diarmuid.]

I'm not just letting your birthday pass uncelebrated. I may not throw a huge party like my brother did for me, but it will be celebrated in some way. Even if it's not important to you, it's important to me because you're important to me.

[fionnuisce]

It's just not that special, that's all. [Even as he complained, Waver leaned into Diarmuid's hand just slightly at the touch.] I don't want anyone drawing attention to it; people always think these things need celebrating for some reason.

[oathshackledbird]

That is because they should be celebrated. Life is a gift no matter how hard it is and birthdays give us a chance to celebrate that gift and having had another year to spend with those we care about.

[Diarmuid smiles gently at Waver's reaction to his touch.]

Perhaps you haven't had that much reason to celebrate in the past, but that has changed now, hasn't it? If nothing else, you have me to celebrate with.

[fionnuisce]

[it's like petting a very irritable cat]

I still don't see much cause for celebration given the dire circumstances this little slice of hell is in. We have more important things to concern ourselves with than this.

[oathshackledbird]

[Totally worth the risk. It makes life interesting.]

You know people celebrate without reason all the time, right? But we do have reasons. We are still alive. We can still fight and...

[Diarmuid rests his head against Waver's for a moment.]

...most of all we still have each other to drive crazy. I would say that alone is reason to celebrate.

[fionnuisce]

...I imagine there are worse reasons to waste one's time, if you're going to phrase it like that.

[oathshackledbird]

Indeed. So my friend...what do you want?

[fionnuisce]

Obviously you're going to insist, so...just something simple. Don't make a big affair of the whole thing.

[oathshackledbird]

I won't but that's not what I meant.

[Diarmuid shifts slightly so that he can look Waver in the eye.]

I meant what should I get you as a gift?

[fionnuisce]

Th-there's nothing I want. [The sudden insistence seemed to have caught Waver off guard.] Besides, e-even if there was, it isn't as though we can realistically get very much here.

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid grins at him.]

I am resourceful. And mischievous. Keep that in mind. It might be safer to give me an idea than send me out on my own.

[fionnuisce]

I mean it--I don't want anything. I can't even think of an answer.

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid laughs lightly before giving Waver's shoulders a squeeze.]

I suppose I shouldn't expect a better answer than that. I wouldn't have one if you were asking me instead.

I will just get creative. Besides, I'm finding that I rather like making things and now that we are starting to collect real things from the monsters, I can even make something that is more than just film.