towerofanimus | Will you or won't you

Will you or won't you

Characters: Anybody and everybody
Setting: Floor 1, before noon
Summary: Riki's offered a way to help keep the Tower powered a little longer. Obviously this is going to cause a lot of discussion and debate so let's CONSOLIDATE
Warnings: Nothing as of yet. Possibly eventually, so keep an eye on subject lines and I 'll try to change to reflect any developments

[No doubt Riki's announcement would be polarizing, but the instructions themselves were clear: Floor 1 at noon if you want to help out. And if you want to meet people, try to talk them in or out of it? Or hell, maybe even just talk about the revelation on who is behind those explosions? Well, this is as good a place as any for that too.

Just remember to be careful near the staircase]

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[The one who is responsible for those usual sunglasses not being in their usual spot walks up to Waver and looks at him over their rims. Diarmuid was able to summon his armor this morning which means his powers are finally starting to come back, and he's not taking any risks with his love spot being the next thing to come back to full power.]

It's too convenient it's Jason, don't you think?

It's a difficult call, one way or the other.

[Waver hadn't bothered telling Diarmuid he'd be going along with Riki--it was obvious the knight would do the same. Their crossing paths was inevitable, so he simply didn't even bother to acknowledge it.]

On one hand, it is too convenient. On the other, I'd believe Jason insane enough to do it--which could be the point, give the easy and believable answer. Even so, there's two problems. One, we don't know that Riki is lying or otherwise wrong about any of this. Two: There's a real chance we're properly fucked if we brush this off with a laugh and 'yeah, right'.

[Normally, Diarmuid would try to talk Waver out of volunteering for something like this, but after all that has happened over the last few weeks, his mental state has shifted. While he still has a lot to work through, he has also made a lot of progress and is a lot more aware of himself than before and that includes the multiple levels of double standards he had been applying to himself and others.

If he is going to volunteer--and he most certainly is--he has no right to argue against Waver volunteering as well. That's all there is to it.]

Considering all the people here, I don't think we need to worry about point two. That just leaves...

[He frowns.]

You realize the last time we acted to follow the directions of an administrator we thought we could trust, we ended up powering down the Tower and setting this deadline. I just hope this energy Riki is collecting is actually used to power and repair the Tower and not used for something else.

Riki's the one that builds this whole place. [Waver shook his head, frowning.] Regardless of the fact that we don't know his sentiments towards us, if he says he's repairing it I am inclined to believe that.

He did take good care of us when the explosions happened that trapped us in the dorms...

[It's a reluctant agreement, but an agreement nonetheless.]

Are you as uneasy about Riki telling Ruana about Jason as I am? Not that I like him, but the last Administrator that went against her...

[...was Dax and they both know what his 'punishment' was.]

I think it might be safe to say Jason's a fucking dead man, if he is indeed responsible.

[Beat.]

...Hell, even if he isn't. If Riki can prove he was behind even one explosion, I'd imagine Ruana won't be pleased at all.

[Waver paused, suddenly looking confused.]

Wait. Why would Jason...? No, why would any of them do this? They don't have anything to gain from damaging the tower, do they?

Now you understand why I am so uneasy about this even with Riki's 'he wanted to cause chaos and infighting among you' explanation.

[Diarmuid crosses his arms over his chest loosely. Even though he is careful, he ends up wincing because of a twinge of pain from his still healing wound.]

We are an unending supply of test subjects for him. Yes, we have rebelled and hurt him, but there are other ways to make us suffer for that. Why do something that might take away his toys permanently? Especially when he has said before that all he cares about is the science? You can't have science without something to test your theories on.

I can't say Riki's outright lying--I don't think that he is. Maybe Jason was responsible for this last one as some act of vengeance or something along those lines. But...I'm not sure. The others could have been his experimenting with methods for whatever he's setting out to accomplish, that sounds like Jason.

[Frowning, Waver idly toyed with his pendant rather than adjust the sunglasses he wasn't wearing.]

I don't know. I would believe him responsible for the most recent one, but the rest...it doesn't quite add up properly.

Since when does anything about this place add up properly? That would make things too easy for us.

[Diarmuid shakes his head and sighs.]

I don't like it. We have enough to have to figure out without stuff like this happening.

[He suddenly frowns.]

I really hope these explosions aren't being caused by something we did on accident. Who knows what all those chips triggered... But why blame one of their own if that was the case and they could just blame us instead?

If there's evidence pointing to Jason having been responsible for one, it's an easy assumption to make that he did all of them. That doesn't mean it's correct, and for all I know there might not yet be any other clear cause for the rest.

What I'm saying is, if whatever did cause the rest isn't Jason, I would guess they--or at least Riki specifically--doesn't know any more than we do.

Isn't that a dangerous assumption to make? I mean, a lot of people thought Ruana wasn't that bad until...Dax.

[Diarmuid holds back a shiver.]

What I am trying to say is, Riki knows the Tower better than anyone, correct? Then he would also best know how to damage it badly enough it needs help repairing, but not so badly enough it would put the whole Tower, them, and us in immediate danger.

Think of it...when the explosions happened they always happened in a way that inconvenienced us, but never caused severe or lasting damage. Even now...there is a way to repair the damage despite it being more extreme than before.

I just hope that they won't be doing more than just repairing. I really do...

I don't know. Riki doesn't seem the type, but I'm a bloody awful judge of character.

[It was too early to draw conclusions or even form a reasonable hypothesis. Exasperated, Waver pressed a hand to his head.]

You realize there's a very real chance we might not come back from this, right?

We will.

[The look in Diarmuid's eyes dares Waver to say differently.]

There is too much to be done for us not to. Besides, we have a lot of friends who aren't as foolish as we are. If we don't come back, they will come looking for us.

If whatever's going to repair this hellhole malfunctions or just blows the fuck up, I don't think even Jason will be able to bring us back. In that situation, we'll be lucky if there's anything left to find.

[This sudden burst of negativity from Waver makes Diarmuid frown. Granted while some of the ideas he is bringing up are pretty negative, he only wants them to be considered. He wasn't expecting a reaction like this.

Diarmuid reaches out and gives the magus' shoulder a squeeze.]

Easy. It's not going to blow up. I don't think Riki would be wasting time like this if it was. Whether or not repairing the Tower is his only goal here, the Tower does have to be fixed. It's his baby. He's not going to do something that will permanently damage it.

[And by extension, Diarmuid hopes that means nothing that will permanently damage them either if for no other reason than Riki might need them to fix the Tower again in the future.]

...I hope so.

[Dismissing any idea of secrecy or the like, Waver stepped forward and put his arms around Diarmuid's shoulders. He spoke quietly, sounding calm but less than optimistic.]

But if anything goes wrong, I want you to know--no matter what happens after this, I'm grateful I met you. Everything that happens and might still happen in this place is a small price for that.

[For a moment, Diarmuid is too shocked to respond. Waver has always been so big about keeping things quiet, to be so open now...

His arms go around Waver to return the embrace as tightly as he can. Diarmuid almost says if Waver is so scared, he shouldn't go. In fact, he almost demands the man not go. But...no. The choice is Waver's and if he wants to do this, Diarmuid is going to let him, just like Waver is letting him.

His head lowers so that he can whisper a response of his own.]

Whatever happens, know that I have never been prouder of someone than I am of you. You saved me. You gave me back my hope. You are my light and always will be.

I know, Diarmuid. [He tightened his hold slightly before stepping back, managing a shaky smile.]

Sorry--I really am kind of spineless after all.

[Diarmuid shakes his head, reaching up to lightly brush his knuckles across Waver's cheek.]

You are not and you know it. It's all right to be afraid, Mo Stór. It's all right to be terrified. Despite my confidence that everything will be all right, I am afraid myself, but neither your nor I are letting that fear stop us from doing what has to be done.

That is not being spineless. That is just being human.

...I just really hope I'm wrong and this isn't a total disaster.

If you are and things turn out fine, we can sit back and laugh about how silly your worries were. And if you are wrong...

[Diarmuid rests his hand on Waver's shoulder.]

...we can comfort each other until the pain passes and plot how to make Riki pay. Jason shouldn't have a monopoly 'person most likely to be punched on sight' anyway.

[He laughed quietly at that, resting his hand over Diarmuid's.]

If you believe it will all work out, I'll trust your judgment.

[Diarmuid laughs as well, though there is a hint of sadness to it.]

I don't know if you want to do that or not. My judgment hasn't been the best lately...

Don't be stupid. When it comes to things like this, I'll always trust you.

[Diarmuid sighs and gives Waver a fond look.]

Mo Stór, what am I going to do with you?

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