[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

[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.

[fionnuisce]

I don't want you to go to any trouble. [Another drink.] I'm hardly worth the effort.

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid shuts his eyes for a moment, resting his chin against Waver's head.]

To me you are worth any trouble and more. I don't mind. You know I would do anything for you. All you have to do is ask.

[fionnuisce]

...I'm not. [Waver closed his eyes with a tired sigh. It was starting to seem like the alcohol was getting to him, if only a little.]

You know, I'm actually pretty much a coward. I keep thinking 'what if I can't find anything' while I'm working on this blasted thing. What if actual answers to this godforsaken place are in those containers and I'm not clever enough to find them? That...scares the hell out of me. Because if I can't--if I'm not smart enough, then what do I have? Maybe he'll have been right--all of them will have been right, and bloodline really is more important than effort. If I can't accomplish anything here, then maybe I really am a worthless third-generation magus.

[oathshackledbird]

Mo Stór, stop.

[Diarmuid presses his fingertips to Waver's mouth for a moment to keep him from saying more, before letting his hand fall away.]

What you have is the same right as all of us to be worried and to doubt. It doesn't make you a coward or a failure.

Besides, what makes you think you haven't already accomplished things here? Perhaps they are no so grand as cracking the mystery surrounding that fluid, but they are important nonetheless. Give yourself time. Your study has only just begun. You will find what needs to be found. I believe in you.

[fionnuisce]

What have I really accomplished in this place? I'm not...I'm really not anyone you should believe in.

[Waver set his bottle of wine aside and moved closer to Diarmuid, looking tired and defeated.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid sets his own bottle down and gathers Waver into his arms, letting his friend rest against his chest if he chooses to.]

You have helped a lot of people Waver and maybe it's predictable of me to say this since I've said it before, but you are the only reason I am still sane right now. I know you say I'm underestimating myself, but I don't think I am. People were trying to make me understand, but it just wasn't getting through no matter how hard they tried. Then you arrived and suddenly everything started to make sense again...

You give me hope and you give me direction everyday. The least I can do in return is believe in you even when you don't believe in yourself. One day I will make you believe, but until then I will do the believing for you.

[fionnuisce]

...you're such an idiot. [Waver hardly hesitated before settling into his Servant's embrace, muttering that halfhearted and failed insult as he did.]

You really expect me to believe you needed me to point you in the direction of common sense? That's completely absurd.

[oathshackledbird]

It's not so absurd as you think.

[Diarmuid reaches up and starts to stroke Waver's hair again.]

Not when what is common sense now is so very different than what was common sense in my time. The Grail can dump all the information it wants into my head, but it does little to make me able to understand that information. That takes someone who has lived and experienced these more modern times.

Someone like you...

[fionnuisce]

N-nearly anyone could...could do something like that. [Waver sounded a little distracted by the attention to his hair for whatever reason.] You hardly need me specifically foe information like that.