towerofanimus | Happy Birthday, Ryoji

Entry tags:

Happy Birthday, Ryoji

Characters: You know the drill. Lancer

notsogrimreaper, the people they invited between the two of them, and everybody else who just happens to stumble into the party.
Setting: Floor 25, November 17, morning-evening
Format: Open, anything goes
Summary: It's Ryoji's birthday, so Lancer is throwing him a big party. Anyone is welcome in! (And nobody is gonna kick out those who aren't so welcome)
Warnings: None for now

[It's been a long time since Lancer had thrown any parties. Therefore, he's making this bigger and grander than the last two parties he's thrown. It's a good way for him to distract himself from all the emotional turmoil that had popped up during the battle with Sephiroth, if anything.]

[There's two tables laden with food over at one side of the floor. The centerpiece for that is a big double-tier cake with "HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYOJI" written over the side of the bottom layer. The top layer is little more than a glorified candle holder, as several handfuls of candles have been jammed all over that second layer.]

[Over on the other side, there was a variety of party games. They're all old favorites like pin the tail on the piggy (pinning spiraling paper tails onto a "pig" with Ganon's face), apple bobbing (various fruits in a water-filled wooden barrel), and everyone's favorite--the pinata (a scarecrow with a berry-filled paper mache head supposed to represent Jason).]

[In the center of the floor, there is a stage nailed together from wooden boards. A ways behind that, a pile of wood stacks into a bonfire pyre. A turnip lantern leers at the party goers from one corner of the stage.]

[For decorations, there are black feathers and crude little paper doll cutouts resembling angels scattered around on the ground or in the corners of the dining tables. There are also a few more turnip lanterns.]

[And of course, Lancer, like a good host, stands on the stage, dressed like a hobby horse, waiting for people to show up. He's feeling pretty relaxed, if only because the major unwanted guest, Sephiroth, was locked up and in no danger of crashing this party.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It does not surprise me that you equate stealth and strategy with darkness and dishonor-- for you have shown a remarkable lack of anything approaching either useful quality in this matter.

Perhaps I should not expect a Spearman to understand this-- you are Direct and Open, and this is your Weakness as much as it is your Strength. Though you give me insult, my Gifts, like yours, are of my Nature. You allow your Heart to lead you. This I cannot do-- and would not do, in this Place. I do you as much honor as I may by speaking to you openly, for I could show you a fairer face, speak fairer Words, but it would be a strategy-- and I do not have the cause to use such a guise against you.

[Lancelot's affect is flat, his voice low and penetrating. The Lancer has given him insult that in life he would not have borne. But he is not alive. Indeed the best of Sir Lancelot died not on the field of Battle, or in a Hermit's dwelling, but before a Throne, with the blood of his brother Knights on his blade-- only his Body lived on.
The Lancelot that Haunts the Tower, that Serves his Master, that wears a Suit and Tie, is but a remembered projection of all that was once civil and loyal and tender in a man who is survived by a legend in which he can barely see himself.

The Lancelot before Diarmuid regards him not with Berserker's Wrath, but with his own Judgement.]

I need no instruction to keep Vigilance, Diarmuid ua Duibhine. I keep Vigilance for my Master, and for those I am willing to call under my Hand. If there is Blood to be shed for them, then I shed it Alone.
I am not such a Fool that I do not Watch and Guard, but neither am I such a Fool that I would launch a poorly conceived and executed attack in the cause of Vengeance and then call it Wise and Right. For He will take nothing from this thing that you have done save that his Wrath will grow in secret ways-- naught is accomplished, for Death has no lasting Sting in this Place.

Yes, you bear the Pain of your Choices, as may we all.

Do you think I wanted it to go the way it did?

[Diarmuid's tone is sharp and his voice louder than it should be, though he quickly checks himself and lowers it.]

If I could have gone alone, I would have. If I could have found another way to try, I would have. Why do you think I waited so many months before doing something? I wanted another way. I am not foolish enough to think killing him would change his mind no matter what you may think. Know this: It was not my intent for him to die in that fight. To be honest, I would have liked the chance to speak with him more. I knew it would come to blows, but I hoped--no matter now foolishly--there might be another way. He attacked first and still I hoped maybe if we injured him, brought him low, he might listen, might understand...

[He sighs. The hope sounds so foolish, but what other choice had there been?]

...It doesn't matter now--all the thought I put into things, all the justification, all the hopes. What is done is done. But, I never called it 'wise' or 'right.' It was just what had to be done. If they call it more than that, then they should not. There was nothing glorious about what we did and no winners in the end. You say they speak of it on the Network? They then speak without my permission or knowledge. I did not ask them to and I would have preferred they not. Just as I would have preferred they let me fight alone. I regret now ever telling them of my plans.

Tell me, what would you have done if your master was as hale as Waver is and insisted on coming to a fight with one such as Sephiroth? Even you in all your skill could not have taken him on alone. And lets say he brought Lady Claudia along. Would you not do everything in your power to protect them? You have already said you would. Why do you expect me to do different? I fight to my strengths as you have already pointed out and those strengths are my bonds. I would never wish to be as..alone as you are.

Diarmuid ua Duibhine, You have many Words for me this day that you have no cause to Speak. Think me Bereft if it soothes you, but my Bond with my Master has survived conflict between us and thrives in this Place. Think me Gullible and a Thief and a Nightmare, if you like, though these Names you have given me only display the limits of your Understanding.
[Lancelot at first appears Angered, but as he speaks tension leaves his face and voice-- only to be replaced by a rather stiff-seeming attempt at Empathy. If there is a thing he understands, it is a Foolish Hope.]

I have had no such words for you, save to speak openly to you that I feel your Choice foolish and Ill-advised, as I would do with any Knight known to me.
You ask me what I would have done in your place, and I tell you that I would not have done this Thing at all-- and that if I had, I would have done so in Secret and Alone. By whatever Means necessary, for I would spend myself utterly in my Master's cause or Mine.

But even the best of Plans may go Awry, and it is True that what has been done is done. Yet I wonder if you will answer me this. As you find me so Terrible, if you and yours were to perceive me as a threat or take umbrage at some dishonor or injury I had done you, would you Hunt me so?
Not all who do not claim to be Good are themselves Evil, some merely are what they are-- and not all who think themselves Good are truly so.

[He tires of this, but he stubbornly pursued this conversation knowing full well the likely outcome. Lancelot did not come forth expecting thanks. Still, there is less steel in his words as he goes on.]
I have-- and would still-- think Better of you. But perhaps it is best that you surround yourself with Supporters in your Cause, if you will only Hear their Words.

Stop.

[Though the word is soft, it is spoken with an edge that allows for no argument.]

I may have spoken of a dislike for your tactics and a pity that you seem forever determined to stand alone, but I have not called you any of those things. Do not let your own demons color my words. I always have and always will call you a brother knight. You are no thief and certainly no nightmare.

[Diarmuid sighs, running a hand through his hair, wincing slightly when his fingers catch and pull on one of his puppy ears.]

However, what I will call you now is what I believe you to be--mistaken. You came into this conversation, it seems, having already decided something about this fight and my views on it--that I believed my actions right, honorable, and noble. You say you believe this from the information you have gathered and from what those who where their have said on the Network. Drop that assumption and I should think the truth of this should become clear to you...

[The eyes that meet Lancelot's then hold no anger, only sadness, doubt and a bone-deep weariness that the Servant might remember from way back when he first met Diarmuid after arriving in the Tower.]

I made a mistake, Lancelot. Is that what you want me to say? If my pain and my previous words--if my desperate attempts to make someone understand because even I do not--were not enough, there. I have said it to you. Be honored. They are words I could not bring myself to say to my brother when he told me the very same thing you tell me now.

[Finally, he looks away eyes dropping to the floor.]

I do not hear the words of those who only speak favorably of me, Lancelot. All I hear is the screaming of my own doubts and mistakes.

[The Lancer's eyes are not on him as he studies the man's face.
The sloppiness of the entire affair offends him as a Strategist. The founding premise offends him as a Knight. But even if his own Pride (for let it not be said that Sir Lancelot is not as Arrogant as the Legends say) has led him to be more Harsh and indeed more Emotional in speaking to Diarmuid than he would have liked, the other Servant's Weakness does not offend him.

He has been weak himself. On a handful of rather memorable occasions.
Without preamble, he raises one large, long-fingered, black-gloved hand and places it firmly on Diarmuid's shoulder.]

If Cu Chulainn has told you the same, then I am in good company-- and what Honor there is in our Speech together, I will share with you.

I came to you not to Blame you, but to be Truthful with you, when with many, I would not be moved to take such Pains. Each man has his own grievous Errors and fatal Flaws, for they are the testament of a Mortal Heart. For a Servant, this is yet so, no matter how long since the Heart has beaten in Life-- and perhaps we feel them all the more Keenly for that.

If I have been Harsh in my Speech, it is only that, rightly or wrongly, I have expected more from Diarmuid ua Duibhine-- but it seems I am not alone in this, for you yourself share that feeling.
You may not undo what has been done, but if you will heed me in one thing, it is that you should in future seek better council when considering strategy. Seek out those who will question you, and beware of the Heart's appeal.
[There is, at last, a tolerant light in Lancelot's eyes. Though he has some remaining concerns and reservations, Lancelot is now satisfied, for the moment at least, that his fellow Knight is not headed down an unpleasant path. His tone gentles very slightly.]
For you have, I think, enough Heart of your own that you do not need, at least solely, the council of another.

[Diarmuid does not answer right away. Instead, his eyes remain fixed on the floor in front of him as he thinks though Lancelot's words. When he finally does speak, his voice is soft, but much more even than it has been.]

Do not regret your harsh words. It was not you who misspoke, but I who twisted your words. I am trying so hard to find some good in what has happened that I am lashing out at those who question me. I...don't know what I am doing. I have tried so hard to be a knight and keep to my honor and all I have done is fail. I try to do something...differently...and I still fail. It grows hard to see the light sometimes.

[He sighs and then falls silent again, hand pressed to his forehead as if it might help him sort out his thoughts. After a moment, he shakes his head and lets his hand drop. At long last, his eyes raise to meet Lancelot's again.]

But this is no fight I have not been fighting since I arrived here, and I suspect I will be fighting it until we leave here. I will think on what you have said. Thank you, for taking the time to speak with this fool. It is more than I deserve.

[For a moment, an uncertain look enters Diarmuid's eyes. It is obvious he it trying to decide if he should ask what it is he is thinking about. Finally, worry wins out over caution and he speaks again.]

I know I don't really have the right to ask after what I have said, but how is Kariya doing? When I last spoke to him he...was not well...

[Raving. The man had been raving, but Diarmuid cannot bring himself to say it. It had been unreal enough to witness it over the Network, but to mention it out loud will make it real in a way he just cannot handle yet.]

I neither Regret your Words nor Mine.
But though I am not one to ask where light may be found, I do think it must be more than yearned for, that it must be sought after, quested for. Such a quest never truly has an end, for the Prize is ever just out of reach of possession.
[Lancelot's long, dark hair slides over his shoulders as he bows his head-- as if there is some unconscious reverence for the very idea.
When he takes his hand from the Lancer's shoulder, when he raises his face to the man, he is calm and matter-of-fact.]

You are no Fool, Diarmuid ua Duibhine. Or I would not Speak so with you. You are only What you are. Nothing less nor more. This is True of many here, especially Servants, for we exist in our essential Moments.
You have Wisdom of your own, and I do not seek so much to Teach you as to remind you of it.

[At the mention of his Master, however halting, Lancelot is seen to actually smile, however slightly.
As to my Master, you have the Right, because I grant it to you-- and because you have done my Master great Service in the past and neither he nor I have forgotten this.
But indeed, he was most unwell-- It had been a painful time, especially on the heels of his own Madness-- itself brought on by Kariya's Pain and Rage-- and a Shadow crosses Lancelot's face.]
I feared for him. There was little enough I could do, save serve as Nursemaid. But in time, he came back to himself, and I was relieved that he had not pulled me down into the void of his thoughts with him.

But much has passed since that day between he and I-- and here in this Place, also.

Should you see my Master here, the sight will surely gladden your Heart. For he is Healed-- both in Body and Mind, and suffers no longer from his Afflictions. He is as I have never known him, as he Lived before the War.
[Lancelot seems, for Lancelot, positively thrilled by this News.]

Edited 2013-12-13 05:21 (UTC)

You always have an open invitation to remind me whenever you feel the need, Sir Lancelot. Even if I may not listen as well as I should.

[And Diarmuid leaves the discussion at that feeling as if all that can be said has been. Besides, little can compete for attention with what Lancelot says next. At first, Diarmuid braces himself for bad news as the words the other servant speaks are dire and seem to confirm his own fears after speaking to Kariya. However, it looks like not all hope is lost.

For once...]

Can it be true?

[His eyes grow wide in amazement. Even as he asks the question, he knows it must be true. Lancelot would not lie or joke about such a thing.]

I did not think it possible. Kariya did not think it possible either! How can it be? Who has done this great thing for him? They should be rewarded many times over for their actions!

[Pleased with the other Servant's reaction, Lancelot smilingly shakes his head.]
Indeed, I do not know. Nor does my Master, for it was done when he was very weak. For myself, I was-- ~~dead~~ indisposed at the Time and could not aid nor Guard him.

Since my Return I have Searched for this Healer. I only know that he uses Elemental Magics.
Know you of such a one, Diarmuid ua Duibhine?

[Diarmuid frowns slightly at Lancelot's usage of the word 'indisposed' because he knows that nothing short of death would keep Lancelot from protecting Kariya. It doesn't take much for him to connect the dots. However, he doesn't press the point. After all, not long ago, he died to protect his master as well.]

That is unfortunate to hear. You really know no more than it is a he and that he used Elemental Magics?

[He takes a moment to try and think of anyone he knows who fits that description. Unfortunately, the only dedicated healer Diarmuid has known in the Tower was Raphael and the angel had been sent home.]

I wish I could help, but I don't know anyone like that. However, you know that I will keep my eyes and ears open now. Hopefully, soon he will be found.

Aye, I know that you will do so, Diarmuid ua Duibhne-- and for this I thank you.
Alas, that he is a user of Elemental Magics is indeed all I know. Though perhaps you could ask my Master yourself, as he is here among the gathered.
[Lancelot, smiling very slightly, gives a nod around to the assembled.]
To whom you should likely return, as you are no doubt in demand.

As a curiosity, if nothing else.
[Wonder of wonders, a rare and extremely dry-witted joke.]

Edited 2014-01-07 06:56 (UTC)

[Diarmuid frowns slightly at the joke, though there is good humor in his eyes as he pulls on one of his ears.]

I cannot argue with that. I am quite the curiosity right now. I just hope that I don't draw too much attention from Ryoji. It's his party after all.

[He bows to Lancelot.]

If I have the chance, I will be sure to speak to him. If nothing else to give him my congratulations on his healing.

Please enjoy the rest of the party.

[Diarmuid receives a bow in return, and a thoughtful glance at the mention of Ryoji's name-- which swiftly becomes a slight smile.]

Such Curses from the Fae are temporary things, made for Sport as well as Warning-- I have no doubt you will soon be restored to yourself, Diarmuid us Duibhne. It would be a pity indeed to mar your beauty Forever.
[Tongue-in-cheek flirtation accomplished, Lancelot turns to go.]

As you say, I will endeavor to enjoy myself. I do Thank you for your hospitality and your conversation both.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Happy Birthday, Ryoji

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Ancient Tag: Feel Free to Ignore If You Wish! (WOW SUCH BRUTALITY)

LOL!

no subject