towerofanimus | just this once, everybody lives!

Someone's prepared.

[Asagi may not have been the best when it came to contingency plans, but the minute she'd started feeling better she'd gotten to her feet and headed for someplace with water. Her contribution to Diarmuid's stores is a decent amount of roast fish, and once she's brought it all down, she settles against a table and starts reaching for the cider.

Hey, she can't start being completely unselfish- someone might get ideas.]

Seen our favorite idiot yet?

[Her voice is light, almost nonchalant- but it lacks its usual edge. For better or worse, it's actually kind of obvious that she's worried.]

[Diarmuid laughs.]

Not so much prepared as really fast. Thank you, Asagi! That is going to be much more satisfying than the dried stuff I have.

[In fact, he takes a small piece for himself, before shifting what he has to make more room for what Asagi brought. Once done, he turns back to her, shaking his head.]

I haven't, but rumor is everyone made it back this time. It's hard to believe, but...

[Rumor or no, he will feel better once he sees his brother again with his own eyes.]

Figured I should do something since I spent pretty much the whole time up here sleeping.

[Well, sleeping to conserve energy and step in if anything unfortunate happened involving everyone's favorite megalomaniac. But she'll keep that to herself.]

Well... [She pauses here, eyes narrowing in apparent concentration-] It sure feels like the same amount of people as went down are coming up. Shit went down though- they're all almost as tired as we are.

[A much needed job if there ever was one, Asagi.]

I know the feeling. I was not able to do nearly as much as would have liked too. Sitting still where there is stuff to be done bothers me.

[Even if the sitting still was because otherwise he would fall down...]

They are exhausted, but...happy? If not happy, accomplished then. Much like us. It could be things are finally starting to swing in our direction...

[She has her moments of not being completely selfish.

Sometimes.]

Well, I sure don't appreciate being able to do even less than usual because of some sneaky asshole, so...

[Yeah, she gets it. Kind of.]

Hey now- I wouldn't start celebrating just yet. You never know when something might go south.

[Diarmuid gives her a stern look for a moment, before it becomes more amused.]

Waver said I get five minutes of optimism after this. I have only used two so far. That means I sill have three more coming to me and I will use them as I see fit.

[So there, Asagi.]

Actually, I just want to keep them to use whenever I start worrying about my brother. I hope I will see him soon.

Oh fine, fine- if you must see the good in this situation...

[She rolls her eyes, but only a little, before shrugging.]

Well, you let me know when your five minutes are up and I'll be sure to ruin your day.

[A slight frown.]

I figured you'd see him before I did, honestly.

Well, I did leave the floor for a short time to get the food and drink. Perhaps we missed each other? For all I know, he might have gone back to the room to crash...

[Diarmuid laughs sadly and shakes his head.]

You know our luck. I wouldn't be surprised. Perhaps someone should go look?

[He raises an eyebrow at her.]

You he probably won't punch out if you end up waking him up...

Maybe you did. I can go look for him, yeah.

[She actually laughs a little at that, shrugging her shoulders.]

That might be cause you're less likely to try and break his arm for doing it you know.

[But after giving one last look around, she nods to herself slightly as if making up her mind.]

If he shows up while I'm gone, don't let him leave.

I will sit on him if it comes to that. Or tell him you will break his arm if he leaves. Sound good?

[Diarmuid laughs.]

And if you find him down there, make sure he does rest and isn't ignoring any injuries. You know my brother.

Just don't injure him further if he's hurt. That's mostly my job.

[A slight wrinkling of her nose.]

I swear if he passed out before letting us know he was ok, I'll punch him for the both of us.

That is a job I entrust to your tender hands. Do it well if that is the case.

[Diarmuid pauses for a moment, a serious look entering his eyes.]

Make sure you talk to him about what you want to do when this is all done. He's invited to come with me and Waver, which means you are invited as well if you want to come...

[And by invited, he means dragged along by their ears, but...details.]

I'll do what I can.

[If the sudden change catches her off-guard, what follows keeps her off-kilter, eyes widening marginally and hand immediately moving to her mouth, teeth setting against her fingernail in a slightly nervous gesture.]

...wait, what? I don't... [A pause, and then-] I mean, I assumed if I left here, I'd be dead. I am at home, but...

[Her gaze falls, brows drawing down.]

I hadn't considered going anywhere but there.

[Diarmuid's expression softens, though mentally he is wondering why his brother hasn't gotten around to mentioning this option to her before now. He just might have to smack Cu Chulainn himself when he sees him next.]

Why go back to a place where your path has ended when there are those who want you to join them on one that is just beginning? You deserve the chance to live your life as you want it and on your terms.

[He then laughs softly.]

Besides, who else is going to help me keep my brother out of trouble?

[If nothing else, she recovers- somewhat- relatively quickly, trying to brush things off. But it won't stop bothering her, and part of her mind races over the situation as best it can without her full attention.]

Tell you what- I'll think about it but... unless I can be sure I won't die the second I leave here, I can't...

[She can't do that to him.]

I dunno, I'm sure the professor could help- he seems pretty good at keeping people in line.

[A serious expression fills Diarmuid's eyes.]

You forget that I am dead on my world as well. If all of us who were pulled here after death die the moment we leave no matter where we go...

[Yeah, he's not going to think about that.]

It's not an acceptable end. Being brought here changed us somehow, marked us as the last survivors of our worlds. Ruana implied as much when she threatened us after we shorted the Tower out. Even if we are returned to real bodies on restored worlds, I don't know if we will ever be the same again.

Yeah. Not a great option, right?

[But she looks, for once, somewhat apologetic to have broached the subject.]

Not actually too concerned about being changed- my old body was kind of a pain anyway.

[She says it lightly, but she worries, just a bit, that a 'new' body won't be as good as she's used to. As strong, as smart, as capable- it's a little terrifying.]

Like I said. I'll think about it

Yeah...

[Diarmuid nods in agreement, his expression growing gentle again.]

Just so long as you do. Time is short and this kind of thing really shouldn't be decided on the spur of the moment. It can be, but...I don't believe it should be.

[Regrets happen that way and a decision like this can't be changed once set into motion.]

For what it is worth, I would really like you to come with us.

[She opens her mouth, ready to respond-- but the last bit halts her entirely and her mouth shuts, lips pressed tightly together.

It's still something of a foreign concept to have people genuinely care about what happens to her, one way or another. After a moment she closes her eyes and sighs, sarcastic smile firmly back in place as her shoulders rise in an idle shrug.]

...well, I don't really want to go back to being dead. It was kind of a drag.

It is pretty much a drag, isn't it?

[Diarmuid smiles, willing to let things to at that. He doesn't want to make her too uncomfortable and it's obvious that his point has been made.]

There is so much more trouble to get into when you are alive. Try not to find too much of it when you find my brother, okay?

God it's so boring. You'd think with all the crap about the afterlife, someone would at least get to experience an interesting one, you know?

[She loosens up a bit at that, shrugging her shoulders again, smile becoming a smirk with ease.]

Well, that I make no promises on. Your brother is an idiot who knows the best and worst ways to rile me up.

I reserve the right to punch him all the way down the tower if I catch him flirting though.

Does it count if my father brought me back to life for a short amounts of time to chat with him every so often? I guess that is better than nothing...

[Diarmuid's not sure if it was his father's power waning or the Grail claiming him completely that ended those visits, but they did make death less dull for a short time...]

You have my permission to punch him up and down the Tower all you want if you catch him doing that. Doubly so if it is my ex-wife he is flirting with.

...man. I forgot about that.

[She squints her eyes at him a little, obviously amused.]

Your dad is a weird one.

[Not as weird as hers, but still.]

Yeah, if that happens, you may have to stop me from removing limbs honestly. Tried to warn him the first time.

[Diarmuid shrugs. What can he do? Gods of love tend to be a little weird even amongst other gods.]

And he didn't listen? Really, you are too good to him sometimes, I think.

[He understands having a laid back and open personality, but it does bother him that his brother just doesn't think sometimes when it comes to these things. What good is having fun if someone is being hurt in the process?]

I've had a lot of experience with both the stupid and the stubborn. I've got a lot more patience for it than it might seem.

[Still, she can't lie and say that Cu Chulainn's flirting ever puts her in a good mood.]

At the very least if there's one thing I know about your brother it's that when he does something that hurts someone's feelings, it's not usually on purpose.

[She kind of really digs that about him, honestly. ]

just this once, everybody lives!

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