The most heroic bronie

[puppy_lancer]

Characters: Lancer and you!
Setting: Dormitories on January 1, and then throughout the Tower
Format: Open, anything goes!
Summary: Lancer enjoys his regain
Warnings: None right now.

A. Room 4-16, January 1

[The strange noises from floor 101 had drawn Lancer's attention, so he had gone to investigate. To his surprise, he had found a teleporter and a secret floor and Aria's strange machine. Knowing that it was a matter replicator, he had jokingly requested one of his horses.]

[Of course, it was only a joke to him. As he heads back to his room, he doesn't actually expect to hear horse whinnies actually echoing through the halls of the dormitories. As he rushes over to his room, he hears the whinnying increasing in volume, followed by dog barks and the sound of gnashing teeth. In addition, his nose picks up on the distinct scent of both Mac an Chuill and a horse.]

[He more or less kicks the door down the second he arrives at room 4-16. As soon as he pokes his head into the room, he can see Mac an Chuill and a big grey Irish draught horse trying their best to bite, stomp, or claw each other. It seems to be a stalemate, with neither of them successfully wounding the other yet.]

Hey!

[He calls to the horse, followed by a sharp whistle and a wave. Both of the animals pause at the familiar voice, and the horse, forgetting Mac an Chuill's presence completely, rushes over to his master.]

She did it! She really did it!

[Cu Chulainn's voice as he pets his horse is half part delight, and half part surprise. He hadn't expected that Aria would actually be able to give him his horse back, but there she is. Liath Macha, in the flesh.]

I missed you, big guy!

[Standing on his tiptoes, he gives the horse a big hug. He can feel that even with her master present, Liath Macha is still tense about the unfamiliar space and the unwelcome addition to her territory. In addition to her tensed muscles, she's stamping one of her front feet on the ground and letting out irritated snorts.]

...Let's get away from her for a bit, okay?

[Cu Chulainn knows his horse. He knows how wild and spirited and aggressive she is. And he knows the best thing to do is to take her out and work off her energy, then bring her back when she's tired and calm. He pats her on the head and, grabbing her mane, springs on her back in a move that both master and ride are familiar with.]

B. Throughout the Tower, any day

[The look on Cu Chulainn's face as he rides his horse down the stairs and onto floors is one of pure, childish excitement. The giant of a horse stampedes through floors, hopping over or kicking down obstacles. Every so often, it pauses to much on things that attract its interest or its ire. If its owner notices its behavior, then he doesn't care, since he never makes any effort to stop it.]

[Whenever they encounter anyone during their stops, Lancer always calls to them to join him.]

Hey, you wanna get on? It's fun!

Comments

[puppy_lancer]

I hope so. Though...his sister is a tough person herself, isn't she?

[oathshackledbird]

Sure seemed like it from what little we saw of her at the last collar fluid meeting.

[Diarmuid frowns slightly.]

That may be good or bad here. I fear that whip she so casually brandishes might get her into trouble if she is not more careful.

[puppy_lancer]

You think there's some way we can help Edgeworth look out for her? I mean, you, me, Waver, Rick. We all know what she looks like. Should be pretty easy to go check up on her.

[oathshackledbird]

Well, I asked him if he had at last talked to her about the dangers of just brandishing the thing at people and he said that he had, so that is something.

[Diarmuid nods.]

But I do plan on keeping my eyes open for her in addition, yes.

[puppy_lancer]

And I'll make sure to trace her scent every once in a while.

Where's her room, do you know?

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid shakes his head.]

I don't, but it seems like most new arrivals are being put on the first floor of the dorms lately. There are so many empty or partly empty rooms now...

[puppy_lancer]

[His face falls.]

Yeah...so many people are leaving now.

[oathshackledbird]

Just all the more reason to fix things as quickly as we safely can.

[Diarmuid gives him a concerned look.]

How are you doing after the thing with Jason?

[puppy_lancer]

Me? I'm fine. Hurt a bit to come back this time around. But I guess that's just Jason being an asshole.

[oathshackledbird]

It hurt?

[The concern on Diarmuid's face grows stronger.]

What do you mean it hurt?

[puppy_lancer]

Well, I was awake longer. And I had this thing holding my mouth open. Lots of drones holding me down.

[oathshackledbird]

[For a few moments, Diarmuid isn't sure what to say. The idea that his brother had felt so much during a process that normally they feel nothing during worries him more than he can adequately say.]

You have to stop dying, brother!

[There is suddenly a begging tone to his voice.]

Please!

[puppy_lancer]

I'm sorry.

[He closes his eyes and turns his face away, almost tripping over another stair in the process. He can't bear to see that look on his brother's face.]

I-I've promised you not to die over and over, haven't I? And yet...I always end up dying.

[For a second, he almost wants Diarmuid to use something stronger than a simple promise to bind him. Even if it means he'll have to sit out battles that he might be able to win in the future.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid steps forward and wraps his arms around his brother's shoulders from behind, Mac an Chuill pressing up against them both and whining softly.]

I am worried about you being...damaged permanently somehow. Something starts happening the more a person dies. It might have only been theory before, but it's obviously a proven fact now!

Is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?

[puppy_lancer]

I don't know! At this rate, I'd say a command spell or a geis, but...

[But that's not easily managed.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid just barely manages to hold back a flinch at the suggestion.]

You...don't really want to go that far, do you? You know how absolute those things are. What if...

[He knows the Tower by now and it frightens Diarmuid to think of all the horrible ways it might fight to twist something like that. He just has to think back to what it has done to Suzaku to know how bad an idea a geis that prevents death is.]

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer shakes his head.]

I wouldn't be able to endure just standing by and watching friends die. I'd rather die for them, but as you just said, I've already died too many times.

[oathshackledbird]

I...don't know what to tell you.

[Diarmuid sighs unhappily. He knows his brother is a front-line fighter. That is where his skills work the best and that is where he's the happiest. It's not like he's also a strategist who can also be involved behind the scenes where it is generally safer.]

Can you find a way to save both of you instead of one or the other having to die?

[Maybe if his brother shifts his thinking from 'die for you' to 'escape with you' he will be able to find ways to survive more easily?]

[puppy_lancer]

[He perks up and nods.]

Yeah, I'll do my best to do that. I bet I can succeed too, since I'm a big hero.

[oathshackledbird]

Trust me brother, the person you are saving? They are going to be a lot happier if you save them and don't die in the process. Think on that if it helps.

[He found that out the hard way with Waver.]

and then the revenge plot happened. Oops.

[puppy_lancer]

I'll keep it in mind the next time I fight. Especially if it's for you or Asagi.

Oops for them both! X.x

[oathshackledbird]

Good. Because unlike Waver, I expect Asagi will do more than just give you a stern talking to and call you an idiot.

[Diarmuid lets go of his brother and starts down the stairs again.]

How are you two doing, by the way?

Re: Oops for them both! X.x

[puppy_lancer]

Us? We're doing great. I wanna take her out on another date now that Jason isn't breathing down our necks anyway. Maybe we should even do a double date with you and Waver? We could take turns riding Liath Macha!

[oathshackledbird]

That sounds like a good idea...for you two anyway.

[Diarmuid laughs.]

If I manage to get Waver out of the lab, it is probably only going to be because he's fallen asleep and I'm taking him to his room because it's been a week since he was last there.

[puppy_lancer]

Huh. Isn't the fluid research over already? What's keeping him in the lab right now?