Archery is hard

[culbutiri]

Characters: Nesir Aeser and Diarmuid
Setting: Forest (the not safe one)
Format: Either
Summary: These two meet, also there is archery fail
Warnings:

The bow Nesir had looked as terrifying as it's wielder did not. Though it had been crafted out of wood found in the forests here, or perhaps because of that fact it looked evil, as if it wanted to do you harm.

A fitting weapon and Nesir was pleased with it. With the look of it anyways, it was still a bow and bows were still the most stupid weapon ever created. But she had promised Ganondorf she would become competent with one, and so here she was, in the forest- she had thought this the safer forest and was a little confused at the amount of monstrous animals. Not that she minded, they made good targets.

She hadn't hit one yet. Except one squirrel that had mocked her so much she had given up and threw a dagger at it. The anger of the last month had faded into a muted annoyance with everything but she forced herself to focus. Dipping in and out of the emptiness, pausing every so often to touch the scarlet ribbon that held her hair back.

She still hadn't decided which side was best. A right handed grip had the obvious problem; her index and middle fingers were missing on her right hand, reducing her ability to draw the string properly. Left handed though was a disaster and the arrow went spinning off to the side, luckily it probably didn't have enough power to puncture anything.

"Darkness be taking his eyes." She hissed, sometimes; despite her loyalty, she really hated Ganondorf.

Comments

[culbutiri]

She rolled her eyes, that was typical Ganondorf, overreacting. But she saw no problem with that, curses would be undone once someone died and they caused chaos. Nesir couldn't argue with chaos.

She outright laughed, a sharp almost bitter sound at his next question. "We all do be being pawns in the end." She told him, "For gods or other people, it do no really be making a difference. Some people do just be being made to be being pawns, it do no be being a bad thing." But it was amusing that he sounded worried about her.

[oathshackledbird]

"Whoever told you that was wrong. There is a difference between being a pawn and serving a person. If you accept just being a pawn, you undervalue yourself," Diarmuid shakes his head and then frowns. "Why do you laugh? What is so funny about my questions? Do you think me too naive or perhaps too innocent? I would rather be those things than to give up control of my own fate as it seems you have..."

I am so horrifically sorry x a thousand she is so awful cries forever

[culbutiri]

"The word fate do be suggesting a lack of control already." She pointed out, shaking her head back.

She did think him innocent, she had come to this conclusion about the world after a lot of thinking, and a lot of disobeying and a lot of hurting. Being a tool didn't mean having no control though, there were small things, but they were things you would miss if you spent your whole life fighting against those in power.

But his naivety wasn't what annoyed her, "I do be thinking you a hypocrite." She told him, not laughing now. "You do be being a servant like Lancelot, and you do telling me to be taking control, like you do no just be being a tool yourself."

*pats* It is perfectly okay!

[oathshackledbird]

There had been a time when Diarmuid might have snapped at her for saying such a thing, and for a moment, anger does flare inside of him. However, he easily pushes that anger down.

Perhaps, he is finally starting to learn how to control those dark emotions Kayneth's betrayal awakened in him.

"I am no hypocrite. I only tell you to do what I have already done. Yes, I was a tool once. If you think me too innocent now, you should have seen me before I came here--before all of my ideals and beliefs were shattered to dust in front of me. I did not know I was a tool back then. I know that now and that is what has allowed me to move beyond being just a tool. I have no intention of returning to my own world once this is all done. Instead, I will find a way to go back with another and help him dismantle the very system that made me a tool to being with. Even if I cannot go back with him, I will do everything I can to make sure he is able to succeed when he goes home. For too long, I have let others control my fate. Now, only I will."

"I expect you will laugh at that proclamation, but it is true. Controlling your fate is not just about your actions. It's is also about how you mentally react to things. No one can control everything and things will often go wrong, but as long as I do not let those things keep me from trying then I am the one in control."

[culbutiri]

She raised an eyebrow. Well hypocrite and naive as he was he was at least fighting. Fighting for something, even if it was an impossible quest to be used by no one. She respected that.

But she was still going to argue, because he had tried to pity her and she hated being pitied. More than anything.

"And how will you be ensuring that person will no be just using you." She asked, raising her eyebrow.

[oathshackledbird]

"A simple answer for a simple question. He will never use me because he has been used himself, and would never want me to feel that pain. Not when he knows how much of it I have already suffered through," Diarmuid's answer comes without hesitation. There are other reasons he could give her, but somehow he doesn't think she will place much value in an answer like 'he loves me.'

"In addition to that, he is the person who has done the most to encourage me to make my own choices and take control of my life. He wants me to stand on my own and be a person again instead of a tool. Somehow, I doubt that will be changing anytime soon."

[culbutiri]

"Tools do be being people." She told him mulling his answer through her mind. She still wasn't sure that this person wouldn't begin using Diarmuid as a tool. After all most people did use others even if they did not mean to.

"I do be hoping you do be winning your fight." She told him, and she was being sincere. Even if she was still angry.

[oathshackledbird]

"Not on my world," Diarmuid shakes his head. "Tools are just tools to the people of my world. Even we heroes are just tools to most of the magi who summon us. Very few remember we were humans once with our own hopes and desires."

He pauses when she gives her best wishes. Diarmuid can tell she's sincere, but at the same time, still angry. It confuses him.

"What of you? Will you remain content to be a tool and nothing else?"

[culbutiri]

"But do you be remembering, that do be being what I do be meaning. No one can be taking our humanity away from us. I do be being a person and it do no be mattering what other people do be thinking." A belief only had to get stronger, if you were the only person who believed it.

She eyes flickered up at him at his question and then narrowed, even angrier at him. "No." She said, sarcasm was still relatively new, but she tried her best, "I did be deciding to be putting aside conclusions that I did be spending the last few years coming to because you did be speaking pretty words."

[oathshackledbird]

"I have lived a lot longer than you have and seen a great many more things. Even if you do not like those 'pretty words' you should at least consider them. Do you always ignore advice that you do not like?"

"I do not understand how someone so sure that she is a person with all the rights that entails can settle for just being a tool. You have amazing gifts. I cannot claim to know your world, but there must be a place in it for someone with your talents beyond just being a tool," Diarmuid's voice is frustrated. He is trying very hard to understand her line of thought, but failing completely. "Surely, you have not already given up on something better? You are young and so there is still so much you haven't seen. Why would you want to settle for something less than you deserve? Why would you want to stop growing and looking for more?"

[culbutiri]

"Do that no be being the point of advice? That it can be being ignored, otherwise it do just be being an order."

She rolled her eyes, "It do no even be mattering, there do no be being anything better at the moment. In case you did no be noticing we do no even be having worlds at the moment, or bodies. We do no even be being tools to the administrators but toys, useless things to be played with and discarded."

Green eyes glinted angrily.

[oathshackledbird]

"No, advice is to be listened to and thought about. If you act on it is up to you, but you should at least think on it, not just ignore it," Diarmuid shakes his head as she continue speaking. Her words sound too much like the words of one who has given up and that frustrates him since she has so much worth fighting for.

"If we were their tools, we would not be fighting them as we are. If we were their tools, we would not be researching to free ourselves from the chains that bind us. We have not given up, not by any stretch of the imagination and that is what keeps us from being just their tools. We might be bound by their chains, but that won't always be the case and then we will take our bodies and our worlds back from them."

[culbutiri]

"I did no be saying we did no be being their tools, but toys and it do no be mattering they do be seeing us the same way." She shook her head, "I do no be saying we should no be fighting them, I do be fighting them, and you will no be saying I do no be."

She shrugged, "Maybe if everyone did be allowing themselves to be being used by one leader we would be getting out of here quicker."

[oathshackledbird]

"While I have always felt that we need to work together in order to get out of here, I don't think everyone working under one leader will get us out of here any faster. No one person has all the answers, and anyone who would use their fellow man as a tool is no better than the Administrators are--"

Diarmuid stops suddenly as several things she's said snap together in his mind, "Don't tell me you honestly think Ganondorf should be that leader!"

[culbutiri]

"But a leader would be listening to ideas, even if he did be moving us in the direction he wished, he would no be having to be coming up with everything alone." She sighed and then blinked at him before smirking.

"Why not? He do be being better than most the idiots here, who do be crying at the administrators for help. He do be having plans, he do no be being afraid to be being bold." She shrugged.

[oathshackledbird]

"Forgive me if I find it hard to believe that Ganondorf would listen to anyone but himself. He might act like he is listening to get whatever information he wanted, but I suspect as soon as that person stop being useful, they would find his sword in their backs," Diarmuid frowns as she continues because there is part of that he can't help but agree with her on.

"To be honest, I can't argue that those who think the Administrators will help us are fools. Dax might have been different, but we all saw where that got him. Those who write or otherwise contact the others hoping to 'break through to them' or 'help save them' are wasting their time and may end up getting us all killed in the long run."

[culbutiri]

She shrugged, seeing no problem with that. People just had to learn how to be more useful really.

At least he agreed with her on that point, people were fools. Helping them had gotten Dax dead and even if the other administrators felt any wish to help them that would be enough incentive to stop them.

"They will be, and wasting time that we do be needing. We do no be being in any position of power so we can no be bargaining, we do be having nothing to be giving in return." It seemed obvious to her. "All we can be doing is fighting."

[oathshackledbird]

Diarmuid has a hard time thinking anyone would ever been useful enough for Ganondorf. However, even as little as they have spoken of Ganondorf, he gets the impression arguing further with her about this will be a waste of energy.

"And we are fighting. It just seems that our methods of fighting are not going to align," a certain sadness fills Diarmuid's eyes as if he truly regrets what he is about to say. "I am sorry, but it seems like I will not be able to teach you. I cannot strengthen someone who would lend their strength to one who I call my enemy."

[culbutiri]

Nesir's own eyes flashed disappointment, and- if he looked quick enough, hurt. But it was soon gone under the emptiness that she had pulled up around her as a barrier.

She bowed formally and then shrugged, "I did be guessing so much." Pretty much as soon as he had recognised her name she had realised he wouldn't teach her.

Ever since she could remember she had known that no light follower would trust her, they would hate her, try to kill her. Even though she had to work with them knowing their allegiances, the moment they learned hers they would turn on her.

Some people like Ryoji were obvious exceptions to that rule, but Ryoji was so weird she wasn't even sure if he counted. She turned to pick up her bow, if Diarmuid wanted to kill her he would have done it already.

[oathshackledbird]

Diarmuid does catch the emotions that flash through her eyes before being covered in the emptiness Nesir uses as a barrier so well. It upsets him because ally of Ganondorf's or not, he had not meant to hurt her.

"I don't know if you will believe me when I say this, but I will say it anyway. I hold nothing against you as a person. It is your allegiances I question. You are a talented, bright, and strong individual. You have a large amount of potential and much room for growth. Any teacher would be glad to have you as a student. However, good things rarely come from a teacher trying to teach one with an ideology so very different from their own. They will spend more time arguing than they do anything else. You deserve better than that."

[culbutiri]

She just laughed, the bitter sound sounding even worse when put through the filter of the emptiness. It sounded, well, empty.

She swung the bow onto her back, not believing his words at all. She was, for the most part, a product of her allegiances and her loyalties.

"And you have been coming to these conclusion within an hour of meeting me?" She shook her head, "You do no be needing to be flattering me, I do no be taking offense at petty light addled fools."

[oathshackledbird]

Diarmuid winces slightly when he hears that bitter, empty laughter.

"I could say the same about the judgments you seem to have come to about me in less than an hour. Any who know me know I do not flatter. It is useless when you can just as easily speak the truth," Diarmuid watches her get ready to leave, but makes no motions toward leaving himself. "I would rather chase the light than give up on it and live in the darkness and emptiness as you seem to. I can only hope that someday, you will find some light to lead you back out of that darkness."

[culbutiri]

She glanced round over her shoulder, "I did be being born in this darkness, and I do be liking it here."

She shoved his words with all his feelings, outside the emptiness where they couldn't touch her.

"And I do no be giving up, this darkness do be being what I do be fighting for. It do no be being an easy way out."

[oathshackledbird]

"No, the darkness never is. The way of light isn't much easier, though. I suppose that is why so many chose the middle path instead," Diarmuid bows to her politely and then finally turns to leave the floor. "For what little it will mean to you, I wish you well. May you find success along your chosen path."

He is there...and then he is not. It's as fast as that.

[culbutiri]

"Then I will be wishing you the same." She didn't look back, but in the emptiness she could tell when the breathing of another person was no more, he was gone. She had guessed he could move in similar ways to Lancelot.

She left the floor feeling awful.