towerofanimus | Sleepover before the storm

Entry tags:

Sleepover before the storm

Characters: [OU] Xion, Excalibur, and whoever comes
Setting: Floor 101
Format: Whatever floats your boat
Summary: It's the night before the infiltration. People are plotting, discussing, and Xion has brought a Dream Eater so those who want to try to get a good night's sleep have a marginally higher chance of doing so. So in short it's a Tower-flavored sleepover. Bring your own pillows.
Warnings: Nothing in the top level. Will try to edit if anything changes but if something comes up in one of your threads make sure to add a warning in the subject line

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[Standard mingle post procedure. Make your top levels. Tag around. Have fun. Or not, this is Animus after all.

Notes will have been passed out and quiet discussion gone around by word of mouth, just saying that several people were spending the night in the hidden floor. Anybody who spoke to Xion would have been told that she's trying to figure out a way everybody can get a good night's sleep. You'll need to supply your own blankets and pillows but... hey, at least if you have trouble sleeping, you'll have company?

Note that any characters who sleep on the Hidden Floor, if they normally suffer from nightmares will likely have notably lessened or absent nightmares (up to your discretion) owing to the Dream Eater that Xion has brought with.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Dee?

[Now Reno is worried. See that? You got your brother worried.]

'Course it's important... family, right?

[Diarmuid sighs and looks away again. For a moment, it seems like he's not going to answer and then he finally speaks softly.]

I feel like I am failing all of you, okay? You. Cu Chulainn. Ryoji. Xion and everyone else that is going down. I should be going with you, but I can't. I just can't.

[And if Reno is as sharp as he prides himself on being, he should have no problem realizing there is more than Diarmuid isn't saying.]

[With a soft snort, Reno lowers himself to the floor beside him again, and if he'll let him, slide his arm around his shoulders.]

I'm your bro, Dee. If there's something else you wanna say, I won't tell anyone.

[Diarmuid doesn't pull away, but he doesn't look at Reno either. His gaze is unfocused but turned in Waver's direction again. For the longest time he doesn't say anything. Finally, he speaks almost inaudibly.]

We can't risk losing it. If we do...then we really have no hope.

"It?"

[Reno blinks in confusion for a moment.]

Losing what, Dee?

Ah...

[Diarmuid's eyes nervously drop back to his hands, and unconsciously, he starts rubbing the back of his right one. If he were Waver, there would be command spells on that hand.]

Our bond...the contract. It ties our souls together...

Oh, that. What's so important? If ya lose it, you can get it back again.

[Reno might have lost something in translation there.]

Or... if ya mean you don't want it lost because of the tactical stuff... I mean I guess I understand that.

[Or not. He seems to get it after a moment.]

You don't want to lose your connection, right? ...

[He's silent for a moment.]

What does it mean to ya, Dee? I'm tryin' to understand here.

[Diarmuid is quiet for a long time, still rubbing at the back of his hand. After a few moments, he seems to realize how red he's making it and stops, moving to play with his ring instead.]

If we can't pick where we go when this is all done...it ties my soul to his. We are hoping it will be enough for him to drag me to his world. I don't have a body back on my world. I don't need to go back for it. I would just need energy once on his world. It's a long shot, but it's better than nothing...

[He pauses for a moment, almost seeming like he's done, and then he starts talking again.]

When you have someone else there for so long...it's like losing a sense when they are gone. Whenever the bond flickered before we got our real powers back, I always felt so empty, even if it was just for a short time. I...hate that feeling.

That...

[There's a lot Reno could say, and he frowns.]

That ain't fair. Normal bonds are just as important, and I can point out a few ways that's flawed. Ya don't need the contract or whatever to go to another world... I know because Xion saw us on Costa del Sol. I got to hang on to that otherwise I'm going to wind up back home without her or Elena or Shion...

[He's quieter here.]

But it's all right if ya don't want to risk it... you don't need excuses, y'know? There's plenty of people here who don't want to lose important things... [A pat on the shoulder.] I understand. Just promise me you'll keep the kids and people up here safe. When I see El I'm going to ask her to stay...

[Reno isn't sure at all that was the right thing to say, but at least he's being honest. Diarmuid liked honest, right?

It's been a while since they've done this deep talking stuff...]

Behind the front lines can be more important. I remember that from the war.

I never said they weren't! Don't put words into my mouth!

[Diarmuid snaps the words before he can stop himself and immediately regrets it, hanging his head.]

Sorry...it's just...different and it's hard to explain when you aren't a servant who is dependent on someone to survive. That bond is the most important thing to you and even more so when you are bonded to someone who you care about as much as I care about Waver...

[Is there really a way to describe how important a contract is to someone who isn't a servant? Diarmuid is trying, but he doesn't feel like he's doing a very good job, and he doesn't want Reno to feel like his bonds aren't important too. They are. They are just...different. That is why he changes topics so quickly.]

I'm not going to let anything happen to anyone up here. What is the point in fighting if you come back and find those you are fighting for are gone? Since so many of the people who are staying behind this time are doing so because they aren't fighters...

[Someone needs to make sure the Administrators don't take the opportunity to wipe out the brain of their opposition so to speak.]

[Whatever lightheartedness Reno had from earlier is gone now.]

Sometimes, when we were in the Turks, we had to split up.

[He motions out over the floor with his free hand, seemingly not upset by Diarmuid's outburst.]

We'd get attacked by some enemy. AVALANCHE, for example. They'd be infiltrating our headquarters. One group would head to the President's office. The others would be out there trying to neutralize the targets.

Most of the time we were pretty glad we had someone hanging back.

[Reno squeezes his brothers shoulders.]

Just because you're in the vanguard don't mean you aren't fighting. That's... what you're worried about, aren't ya? That you should be down there.

[Because that's how Reno feels every time he gets held back...]

[Diarmuid raises an eyebrow at Reno.]

I've fought in battles before, Reno. I know how they work. What I want is to be in two places at once. I want to be down there beside my family so I can make sure they are safe. I also want to be here with Waver making sure he and those who stay here are safe, but even I am not fast enough to be in two places at once. That's not how it works.

[Unconsciously, his hand raises to rub at the tarnished pin that is still on his collar.]

It's like when I told you when you asked me to join. I said Waver might have to come first sometimes and this is one of those times. He's not the only reason for me to stay up here, but he is the most important one...

[And logic really isn't helping him feel less like he's abandoning his family, but then again, how often does logic trump emotion anyway?]

Hey... I didn't say ya didn't, I was just making a point.

[Reno smirks at him, bumping his forehead with a fist.]

Would it help if I made it an order? [He pulls a face, and speaks in a mock serious tone.]

"Dee, you stay up here and keep watch on these jerks."

[Diarmuid smiles slightly at the joke, though it doesn't last long.]

Not really, but thank you. I don't know why this is bothering me so much now. It's not like family members haven't gone down before without me, but...it's different this time.

[Perhaps because Rick dying is still in the back of his mind. If someone he cared about died permanently before, what is to keep it from happening again? All the risks are so much greater now...]

I know...

[Reno's facade turned real, and he leans back against the wall.]

Watching you guys go down in January was the hardest fucking thing I've ever done. Maybe it's because I'm from Gaia... and all that soul energy crap, but I knew something stunk, and I couldn't go down to protect you.

Desperate times...

[Diarmuid sighs, his hands finally dropping to his lap and falling still.]

Riki was counting on that too. Too bad we fell for it so completely. I am afraid of what you guys will find out he used that energy for. Whatever it was, it couldn't have been good. He wouldn't have been so secretive otherwise.

[Even if he was afraid of Ruana...]

I'm not goin' to say it. [It being 'I told you so.' He's already said it, sort of. It wasn't going to help any.] People woulda gone anyway. Even now there's people who're too trusting or got their own agenda.

[He made a grimace.]

Dominic might've been right, to an extent. Everybody's out for themselves, just happens a lot of that lines up with other people. All I can do now is hope I'm wrong about Dax.

When even Aria doesn't know what Riki's doing, it makes me nervous about what we're doing. Ramuh knows why I'm goin' along with it all.

[Here, Reno pauses, lifting his arm off Diarmuid's shoulders.]

But that wasn't really why I mentioned it. I mean, I understand, I've been there. Want me to tell ya a secret? ...I stayed back last few times for the exact reasons you are. Heh, except it's less 'bout Waver and more about keeping things here for the kids, Elena... you know. And it made me feel wrong.

[The 'I told you so' would be wasted on Diarmuid anyway. He had spoken out in worry about things too back then, but in the end had gone anyway because if there was a slight chance it would give them more time, he was willing to take it.

Desperate times indeed.

There is more than he can say about not trusting the Administrators, but he and Reno have talked about that before. Better to focus on other things--even if those other things are hard to talk about.]

I'm still not used to taking such selfish actions. It definitely feels wrong. I don't feel like I'm doing enough. I just have to trust the others to be able to do it for me. Trusting others to watch Waver...is just not something I can do. He's my partner. My place is at his side.

Don't worry about it, Shiva knows what the hell is going to happen up here anyway. [Reno gives him a light punch in the shoulder; seriously when is Diarmuid going to get back at him for this?]

Who else can I trust to keep my back and watch out for Elena? Just hope things go smooth downstairs...

They won't. I think we both know that. Better to focus on things going successfully. Smooth would be nice, but successfully is better.

[Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'revenge is a dish best served cold,' Reno? The waiting and wondering are often worse than the actual revenge...]

Now, why don't you really try and get some rest? Things will go smoother if you aren't fighting the urge to sleep and whatever else you might run into down there.

[Reno is about to answer him when he sees somebody across the room.]

Yeah, I'll do that... in a bit.

[It's not hard to see why he's distracted, he caught sight of Elena.]

I have someone I need to talk to first...

[Diarmuid's eyes follow Reno's until he sees Elena, then he nods in understanding.]

All right. Make sure you do. Good luck, Brother.

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Sleepover before the storm

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