towerofanimus | (no subject)

Characters: Reno, open!
Setting: Check prompts!
Format: Either
Summary: February catchall
Warnings: TBA or check subtitles

Floor Sixty - Any Day

Since starting the project of having an alternate place to eat, run entirely by the residents, Reno's made sure to pop in from time to time to see how it's fairing. Usually, he has some sort of small game with him, sometimes bull fairies, sometimes something from Floor Six. Either way, he tries not to go in empty handed.

He can be found here helping out with butchering, or using the smoker to cure some leather. (He's since taken the actual tanning to the workshop in favor of not making anyone sick with that.)

Hunting - Floor Six or Thirty-Two

Usually early in the morning, Reno can be found out on either forest floor stalking through the forest. He's happy to take along some of the kitchen volunteers, and he usually has extra weapons these days, just in case. And after the incident with the boar, he's even got a very short steel javelin.

Feb 14th

All day he's been feeling irritable and touchy, snapping at the people he knows and are on good terms with to downright yelling and calling people cowards. He's marked with a heart on his forehead in a color that matches his hair. It blends in with the bangs that fall into his face sometimes, but just in case someone misses that, the note pinned to his back is harder to miss. Anyone who crosses him this day are bound to bear the brunt of his ire, whether it's in the workshop, the dorms, or one of his usual working places.

By the late afternoon, he's relocated to the Gym, trying to work off some of the agitation.

Floor 81 - Feb 28 - Closed

After Diarmuid's letters over the last couple of days, Reno did not want to talk to anybody, especially not Diarmuid. That's why he was down here on Eighty-one, organizing the room for that stupid party he's beginning to really think is a mistake, but hey, Cu was looking forward to it.

Rubbing his eyes, Reno took a step back and looked over the arrangement so far. Not too bad, but couple of the tables needed adjusted so nobody would be bumping into chairs...

The events of the last month really wore on the redhead, but this time he wasn't going to tell anyone off about it. They'd figure out just how badly things were going to get, sooner or later, and it set off a malicious jab of satisfaction at the idea.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Diarmuid looks at Reno for a moment, eyes sad, and then he looks away.]

It's true. I broke all of the oaths I swore to my lord to run away with Grainne. Even if she forced me into it, in the end my oaths were still broken. I thought perhaps I could find a way to remain both loyal and honorable...

[His eyes dart back to Reno for a moment, before darting away again.]

...I failed. Then I failed again when I was tested for a second time. Perhaps...perhaps one of them must always lose to the other. Loyalty or honor. I don't know. I never wish to lose either and yet it still always seems to happen.

[There is silence for a few moments and then Diarmuid looks at Reno again, eyes not darting away this time.]

But, I am starting to realize that perhaps part of the problem is that many of my oaths and promises are made blindly or based in situations that change so much that the original promise becomes invalid and I only bring myself to ruin trying to fulfill what cannot be done any longer. Those are the oaths and the promises that perhaps need to be broken or...if not broken, then changed. That is what I meant when I said what I did during our conversation the other day.

I...am unsure on this, though. It means giving up and that is something I don't like to do. I'm...still working it out.

Or maybe the one you made them to is making a mistake.

[Reno's eyes were suddenly bright and hard, his focus sharpened enough that the pain in his head and jaw almost went away.]

When Shinra ordered us to kill Veld because he had 'defected,' that was making a mistake. We all knew it. That's why none of us 'saw' Veld again, and it was the right choice to make because, because if we had killed him our world would have died right there!

[He seems very vehement on this point...]

Veld made it possible that the whole damn world could live. And nobody... nobody even knew but us. Shinra didn't want to know... Scarlet used the situation to make Shinra betray us. Rufus knew. Rufus was the only one that had an open mind. In the end, he saved us when it was over with and we were going to be executed. Shinra broke his loyalty before we ever broke ours.

So Diarmuid, you can have both. It doesn't matter what other people think. Long as you know you were loyal to them until they broke theirs.

And say what you want about my oaths. Rufus is a man worthy of having them, because I know he'd never break his.

Edited 2014-02-17 06:23 (UTC)

[He almost argues that of course he hasn't made his oaths to the wrong people, but something stops Diarmuid-a ping at the back of his mind...]

You are lucky, then. I...never really got to pick who I gave my oaths to before now...

[Since childhood, Diarmuid had been told Fionn would be his lord. It was expected of him to serve the man and he had never questioned that. Not even when he had been on the run. Not even when he lay bleeding to death on that hill...

Kayneth had summoned him. There was no choice there, again only expectation, and he hadn't argued then because his focus had been on doing what he had failed to do before.

He had failed in his oaths to them both, but...is Reno right? Had they failed him before he had failed them? Fionn had chosen to trust his anger and his pain over the words of one who had saved his life and fought at his side many times. Kayneth...had never trusted him at all.]

I need to think on this...

[It's the most he can give right now. Diarmuid is so used to blaming himself for these things and for not seeing the flaws in his lords. However, if he has started to accept that he, himself is flawed, doesn't it also mean it's okay to accept that they are too?]

[That shocks Reno, it's not the reaction he's expecting and for all their previous talks and words, it's the first time Diarmuid hasn't... either completely denied, refused to listen (in Reno's opinion anyway), or grudgingly acknowledged what Reno's said.

Diarmuid has said he's needed to think, about what they said, about their discussion, about what he feels; but this the first time 'on this.' Has Reno gotten through to him somehow? Was that it from the beginning?]

... You're actually listening to me?

[Of course. Of course. Reno rubs his head where it hit the wall, staring warily at his friend. He's been an complete idiot where it came to Diarmuid. He couldn't see the threads of his friend's problems before.

Diarmuid never stands up for himself. He accepts blame and responsibility where it's not due. It would be just like the man... on a roll now, he speaks up again, taking a risk.]

You... keep blaming yourself for everything, you know... and not seein' other people for their flaws, just like Shion. Those pedestals have got to go, Dee.

[Oh. Shit. His eyes light with worry and fear.]

Ah, Shion! He's been affected!

[Diarmuid winces when Reno mentions pedestals. For a moment, it seems like the red head has hit on something and then he goes right back to that, and it is the last thing Diarmuid wants to talk about. Especially, right now when he is trying to work out something more important. He is about to say that when Reno mentions Shion.

Not him too...

His previous objections change to swear words and his fist finds the wall again.]

We can talk more later. We need to find his heart. Do you want to search with me? I have already covered several floors and found nothing. My wound is slowing me down, though. Having two people will speed things back up.

[Flinching when Diarmuid throws his fist, Reno backs away slightly, his jaw aching again.]

Yeah, yeah I've got to. I got to... I got to apologize. What I said-

[There's really no need to continue. As hurtful as the things he said to Diarmuid were, they were a thousand times worse to the boy.

Reno looks like he's going to be sick.]

Y-yeah. Where did you leave off?

I have been all over it seems. I started at the top and was working my way down, but there are a lot of dangerous floors in the top block, so I had to stop to rest after searching floor 95. I also had to skip a couple floors on my way down. They were just too dangerous to search alone.

[Diarmuid starts toward the stairs, motioning for Reno to follow.]

Then I went to the bottom and started working my way up because those first five floors are safe. I skipped to the meadow where I found your bear when I remembered that you were married there.

Can you think of a floor that is more likely than the others to have Shion's heart?

I... [He pauses on a step for a second, before following him down. At least he's steady on his feet- for a second he really had worried that bump had caused a concussion.]

The music room is where he... and Ganondorf. The meadow's been a good place for him, but you said you didn't find anything. Library, he works down there and reads a lot.

[Then he shakes his head.]

Can't think of anything else.

Lets check the library first. It seems like a good place to me as well, but we should check the meadow again if it is not there. I had only checked about half of it when I found your bear and I didn't bother to check the rest. I wanted to find you as soon as possible.

[He pauses a moment to look back at Reno.]

Do you remember what color the heart on Shion was? We will need to know it to know what bear is his.

[He has the decency to look guilty again when Diarmuid turns around. The guy shouldn't have had to go through that after what he said... but there he'd just be yelling at him if he started that again.

'Sides, his head hurts.]

Not really, but I think I'll know if I see it.

I hope so. He's been making such good progress. I don't what this cruel trick to push him back...

[Diarmuid gives Reno a nod and then starts down the stairs again. He hopes they find Shion's bear quickly. Reno really doesn't look good and should rest, but Diarmuid knows better than to suggest resting now. The last thing Reno will do at the moment is rest and Diarmuid can't blame him. Not with his son in danger.]