towerofanimus | For Diarmuid

Entry tags:

For Diarmuid

Characters: Suzaku Kururugi and Diarmuid Ua Duibhne and potentially Waver if he is around
Setting: Diarmuid's room, mid afternoon
Format: Either
Summary: Suzaku returns, finds out about Rolo and Lelouch's disappearance and then goes to find Diarmuid
Warnings:

The only thing keeping Suzaku sane was the fact that he had never taken the new collar fluid. His power, his curse, was not real. If he was stuck on this dead world until the power left the tower he would die with everyone else... at least he hoped he would. It was the reason he had refused to take it, he didn't want to be forced to live on, stuck on a dead planet for all eternity if they failed.

Still he was relieved when he woke up in the tower once more. It was still here, there were still people. He dressed quickly and left his room, Arthur in his arms. The cat had attached himself to Suzaku's finger when he had woken and hadn't let go yet. Suzaku guessed that meant he had missed him.

The first room he went to was Rolo's his breath caught as he read the name plaque, no Rolo. There might have been another room change... but somehow he doubted it. He closed his eyes, then opened them and moved on to Lelouch. Same thing. He was gone.

Suzaku paused, his waking had been devoid of sullen angry comments about him having being gone. He returned to his room, heart heavy in his chest. He checked the plaque, Ventus- someone new, Sephiroth - of course he was still there... But no Shinji.

He tried to ignore the fear he felt as he moved towards the last room he had to check. He didn't know what he would do if Diarmuid was gone... He breathed a breath of relief when he saw his brothers name on the plaque.

Still it was a moment before he knocked, he stood outside, cat in arms focusing himself. He had been alone so long, and he had lost so many people. His face hardened, his posture straightened. The look of a perfect soldier. He needed to know what had happened when he was gone, from the look of those he had seen it had been something big. A report, that was what he needed and Diarmuid was the best person to ask for it.

That was why he was here. He knocked sharply.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Even though it has been several days since their victories above and below and Diarmuid has taken much needed time to rest, he still feels tired. Of course, at the same time, he is starting to get...jittery for lack of a better word. Time is so short and there is still so much to do. They need to be working, moving forward, but what exactly is the next step? Do they go after Ruana? Zo? And...what does Aria's sudden absence mean?

Diarmuid is running all these things through his mind mind when the knock on his door sounds. He tilts his head curiously and then stands to answer the door. When he sees who is there, Diarmuid is so glad to see him that he doesn't even notice how stiff and focused Suzaku is nor does he notice the cat.

He can apologize later for squishing both Suzaku and the cat in a giant hug. For now, he's just going to do it.

"I was starting to fear you were gone for good..."

Weeks, maybe months, it had been a long time since Suzaku had even seen another living person never mind being touched by one. Suzaku had never been fond of touch but now he clung to the sensation. Another person, alive. Even if it was all fake. His breath hitched as he reminded himself that, he wasn't alone. Even if so many had gone, he wasn't the last one left.

"So did I..." His voice was cracked, he hadn't used it in a long time. "I thought it was too late..."

"It is late, but in no way too late. Not as long as there is still breath in any of us," Diarmuid gives Suzaku another squeeze and then steps back, motioning for him to come inside and sit. As he does, he finally notices the cat and makes sure to tell Mac an Chuill to stay so that there isn't a repeat of the time he chased poor cat Rick around.

"You just got back, didn't you? Let me see if I have anything to offer you in the way of food or drink," Diarmuid had burned most of his stores in the aftermath of the infiltration, but he manages to pull together a few things and the very last of the cider that Rick had given him shortly before his death. "Here, take this."

Suzaku nodded, never too late to keep fighting. It was something he knew too well, he had seen many battles turn at the last possible moment, he felt a little silly when he saw Mac an Chuill as Arthur hissed at him, he had forgotten about the dog when he had brought Arthur here.

"Thank you..." Suzaku looked at the food and drink like it was strange to him, which it was. He wasn't quite sure how they managed to survive on their dead worlds with no food or drink but he was sure the answer was one he probably didn't want to know.

He took a mouthful of cider, wincing a little at the taste. "I've been back about half an hour...."

Fortunately, Mac an Chuill is well trained enough to not react to the hissing. He just sits and wags his tail even though it looks like he would like to do nothing more than bound over to Suzaku and greet him.

When Diarmuid hears the short time Suzaku has been back and sees the wince, he winces himself, "Do you want me to get you some water instead? It won't take long and it might sit better than the cider."

There is a lot to fill Suzaku in on, but that can wait for the moment. First, Diarmuid wants to make sure his brother is comfortable and adjusting to being back in the Tower as easily as he can. Especially, with everyone who has left lately. He can't help but wonder if Suzaku already knows about Rolo and Lelouch or if that will have to be part of the news he breaks...

"Arthur behave." Suzaku's voice was soft and not really scolding, he stroked the cats head with the hand it was not biting.

"Please don't trouble yourself." He could always get water later, he took a bite of food slowly realising how hungry he was. He was quiet a moment as he slowly devoured the food he had been given, feeling guilty for eating Diarmuid's stocks without even knowing if there was food in the tower.

Diarmuid smiles, both at the cat's odd affection toward Suzaku and at his brother's words. As he sits down, he can't help but think that some things never change not matter how other things might. It's comforting.

He tentatively reaches out toward the cat, "I don't suppose he will let me be his surrogate chew toy until you are finished eating, will he?"

Unlike Suzaku, Diarmuid isn't worried about the food or the trouble. Even if there was a shortage of food, he would want his brother to have what he needed. Thankfully, despite the monsters being gone, the normal creatures are still around. And, even if they weren't there is still water and nutrition bars. They might not be very appetizing, but they are better than nothing.

"He might..." Indeed Arthur lets go of Suzaku's finger and nuzzles at Diarmuid's hand, he doesn't bite though, happy just to headbutt him and demand petting.

"Are you not hungry... I don't want to eat all your food."

Diarmuid is quite happy to pet the cat, though he has to admit it is very strange how quickly it goes from giving the painful sort of attention it gives to Suzaku to more normal forms.

"Don't worry about me. Because of recent events, I have eaten more in the last few days than I think I have in the whole time I've been here," Diarmuid pauses after saying that, concern on his face. Yes, it's true. He thinks he has eaten more recovering from the energy drain than he did even during the week his powers were gone while he was switching fluid. Is it just because he was in such a hurry to get back to full strength with time so short or something else?

"Eat as much as you need to recover your strength. It has been quiet the last few days and with time so short and Ruana in charge, that isn't necessarily a good thing."

Suzaku has long since given up trying to understand Arthur and is just glad he is being calm, the tower has not been good for him and Suzaku knew that it was partly his own fault, he often neglected to even know where the cat was in times of crisis.

"Ruana is in charge?" He forced his mind to the conversation at hand. Focusing on practical things and catching up was less painful than broaching the fact that Lelouch, Rolo and Shinji had all disappeared.

Sadly, the Tower is very good at making people forget things they shouldn't forget and pets can be easy to overlook since they are small and can't speak. There are times when Diarmuid hasn't spend nearly enough time with Mac an Chuill. Thankfully, since the dog is trained to be a working dog and not a pet, he handles it better than other animals would.

"Yes, that is what the schedule information that Reno and the others found when they hacked into the computers the last time said. This would be her month normally anyway and it doesn't seem like the short time we have left has changed that. I would feel better if Zo was in charge considering all we have to do yet, but of course we can't be that lucky. Here's hoping the machine stays safely in our hands even with the change in power."

Suzaku nodded, it would be better to have Zo in charge, even if he wasn't sure they could trust him. Better him than Ruana though. They could be sure that Ruana would fight them every step of the way.

"Machine?"

"Do you remember the machine that Riki used to steal our energy a few months ago?" Yes, they had offered at the time, but he lied to them about why. Diarmuid isn't sure if his brother knows about that, but he can't help but refer to it that way, "That one. It also helps give Zo fine control over his powers apparently. It was a hard fight, but hopefully with it in our hands now we are a very large step closer to restoring our worlds and going home."

"Steal our energy?" Suzaku frowned, no he hadn't known about that. "The tower was losing energy..." Wasn't that why they had offered? It wasn't really stolen if it was freely given.

"So we have the machine now? Has Zo agreed to help us?"

Diarmuid nods, Suzaku's words confirming what he had suspected, "You weren't here when we found out, were you? Riki was lying when he told us the power we were giving him was to fix the Tower. It can't be fixed with our soul energy. He took it for another reason entirely. One we still don't know."

And they might never know at this rate, but...

"The machine is under our control, yes. Zo we still need to talk to, but he has helped us before. I don't see why he wouldn't help us now."

He lied... Suzaku knew he shouldn't be surprised. Riki, like the other administrators had done far worse than lie in his time. But still... to ask for their help and use them for his own means.

"There is still so much we don't know. So many factors not accounted for."

He shook his head, if Lelouch were here... Lelouch with all his memories. He would be able to see patterns in all this mess. Suzaku surely couldn't.

"He might not, if he's scared... Ruana is not the sort of person you want to go against and seeing what happened to the other administrators who turned on her..."

"I know and there is so little time..." Diarmuid shakes his head. If only there was someway to give them more time, but would even more time free of Ruana's tricks be enough? There is so much to do and so few people left...

Diarmuid shakes his head to clear away the doubts. There isn't time for them now. He just has to keep focused on what they have gained and what can be done with it, "That is true. On top of being afraid of what she can do, Ruana is also his family and you don't start hating family just because they are acting weird. However, Zo has stated he realizes Ruana is changing and growing more dangerous. One might not start hating their family if they are doing wrong, but sometimes they do realize they must act to stop them no matter now much it hurts."

Suzaku nodded jolted for a moment, he hadn't thought of it like that. He hadn't thought of the administrators as a family, just as those who oppressed and hurt them. But it was true, and Zo was just a little kid- not that Suzaku knew very well what children were capable of.

"I know..." His voice was soft, "But sometimes it is necessary even so... I'm not sure I'm happy putting Zo in that position. But I fear we have no choice."

As odd and dysfunctional a family as the Administrators, they are still the only family Zo has ever known and this Tower his only home. How hard must it be on Zo to have things changing like this? For a moment, Diarmuid can't help but feel guilty since he had a hand in the start of it all, but would it have been better if things hadn't changed? If Zo grew up surrounded by people like Riki, Jason, and Ruana and eventually become like them himself?

No.

"I wouldn't give up on being able to give him that choice yet. Or at least, possibly being able to keep his role limited to just giving us information instead of actively having to fight anyone. It's not the best solution, " Giving information to the enemy is still a way of fighting, after all, "but it is better than him actually having to physically battle her."

Diarmuid pauses then, seeming to notice that Suzaku is uncomfortable. He reaches to put a hand on his brother's arm, "Are you okay?"

Suzaku nodded slowly, at least he still had the choice. And it was important they gave him that choice, he would not like to be part of an effort to force Zo onto their side.

"I am... It's just... a lot to think about."

"Sadly, I am only hitting the tip of what has happened while you were gone, but I don't want to overwhelm you. You have been away a long time," there is worry in Diarmuid's eyes. "Shall we talk about something else for the moment? Do you have something you would like to ask me about?"

Suzaku shook his head, "It's alright. I need to know." Even though it was a lot.

But he did have a question, even if asking it made his throat feel like it wanted to close up. "How long have Lelouch and Rolo being gone?"

Diarmuid frowns at the question, but at least that answers one thing. Suzaku knows that they are both gone. After a moment of thought, he finally speaks, "I'm not exactly sure when they went, but I noted Rolo was gone near the end of last month. I think Lelouch left shortly before that. I remember talking to him during that whole mess with...Sephiroth's illness and that was the last time I saw him."

His frown deepens as he thinks back to that mess and its outcome. Sephiroth is probably lucky that things became so crazy after that because the fall out from all the angry residents would have surely put the fight that happened between them to shame.

"Sephiroth caused that?" Suzaku blinked. He had known the man was capable of evil... but for him to be powerful enough to infect the whole tower. His memories of the illness were hazy, but he still felt guilty for putting Diarmuid in danger.

He nodded at the answers and looked down. They had both left still hating him and he felt bad that he hadn't managed to make things up to them before they had been lost.

"Yes, I don't know the details, and I don't really care. What I do care about is that Zo was hurt trying to stop him and as a result, a group of people in the Tower were sent outside of it..." Diarmuid pauses a moment, eyes growing sad and distant, "One of them...didn't come back. Rick died out there. Died...permanently."

There is another period of silence before Diarmuid adds, "I don't know if it helps any, but when I was sick and talking to Lelouch, he made it sound like he really did want to help you all start understanding each other and getting along again. I just wish you had gotten the time to do it."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject