sweethymns | ғaтe/alт.dιѕтorтιon

[Oh. Oh no.

Then again, this totally could have been worse by her being completely by herself. That wouldn't have worked out well at all. And as far as she can tell, Lien senses that this Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (god that was a mouthful) wasn't a pushover Lancer class himself. But he also wasn't her Servant. And his face. No, no it wasn't bad, but it didn't need to be enhanced. The feeling of fascination and irritation settles within her and as if to remedy it, she takes off her ruined glasses.

Well, she didn't get this far in life knocking everything before she's tried it. She sighs and shakes her head.]

No. Lan-- I have a feeling he's around somewhere, but just not nearby.

And Ai?

[ A shake of his head, and a glance towards the general direction he feels her prana from. ]

I feel the same. If our current situation is anything to go by, he may be with my Master.

[ In a sense, he should be more wary— an enemy Servant is an enemy Servant, no matter how revered— and there's never a guarantee that he'd honor a truce if the opportunity arises.

But Cu Chulainn is Cu Chulainn, and Diarmuid believes in the pride behind that name above their collective obligations as Servants in this war. He relaxes somewhat upon considering that notion, the glint in his amber eyes making way for something less pointed. ]

...As my Master's kin, and one we've formed an alliance with, I swear to you that I'll do you no harm. Meaningless as it may be— [ a slightly cynical half-laugh, here. ] —you have my word.

... Wow. You're a real deal knight aren't you?

[She was taken aback by all of his formality to some degree. Lien stands up, putting her hands on her hips and giving him a once over.]

Well, I can only hope what you said about Ai and Cu is true; that will keep me optimistic.

[Compared to Diarmuid's seriousness and dedication, Lien is fairly composed and just soaking in the strangely familiar and unfamiliar scenery.]

I could use a Command Spell, but... Hm. Considering where we are and how we got here, I'm not willing to waste one only to have it backfire.

Again, I agree with your judgment. The movement of prana here seems... irregular.

[ A wide sweep of his surroundings, before he reaches for his twin lances strapped to his back. It doesn't hurt to be careful, and besides, Lien's seen them already.

He's quiet for a moment, but he breaks his own silence with another soft exhale, one that borders on a chuckle. ]

Though that goes without saying. Everything up until this point has been irregular.

It looks like we're in Fuyuki, but I don't see, hear, or feel like there's anyone else that's a living human being. And well. [Gestures at the shadow ocean.]

There's that. Could be a problem, but I don't have any scuba gear to prove it.

[She looks up at Diarmuid, one brow raised up.]

Are you upset?

[ He's halfway ready to comment on that first bit, when she blindsides him with that latter question.

A blink, and he replies with a semi-amused: ] If I seem that way, my qualities as a knight are failing. You do me a great dishonor.

Maybe it's no good for a knight, but for a thinking feeling person-spirit-thing, I think it's perfectly reasonable. And it's nice to see that my sister's got someone else to worry about her.

In any case, in terms of danger, if what happened back at the church was any indication, it'll be hard to put her down!

[She's... so bright and cheerful. At least Diarmuid isn't dealing with a surly Master.]

My duty is to be there to prevent danger, no matter how slim.

[ It's not that he thinks Ai is helpless; it's the principle of the thing. Another inaudible exhale, and Diarmuid sets his sight towards the emptied-out "city". ]

I expect she'll be worried more about you. Put her at ease for me.

Let's get a head start then. Hopefully, this fake city is a reflection of sorts, so perhaps most of the routes back won't be different.

[A beat.]

Say, that asshole that grabbed me in the rift... Do you sense him anywhere?

[ A moment passes, where he assesses to what extent he can answer that with confidence, and then: ] I feel a large concentration of prana in the center of the city. But...

[ A sigh. ] ...If you're planning on heading there before meeting with my Master, I advise against it.

[ killjoy. ]

Why not? Drop by, say hello, give him a well deserved backhand... So not a practical visit, but he seemed so lonely.

[She says this jokingly, stretching out the arm that had been grabbed and making circular motions to relieve the tension. Anyways, she starts off away from the harbor motioning Diarmuid to follow.]

Sister and Servant first though.

Despite the circumstances, your valor is well-noted.

[ Which may sound mildly condescending, but he punctuates the somewhat-dismissive nature of those words with a soft laugh. He's more informal when he's not speaking to someone he's pledged himself to, after all.

Long strides take him behind Lien quickly, and he follows her through the wide streets, made even wider by the utter lack of other people. ]

You seem to be taking the situation well.

[His last remarks makes her blink because he has a point. And honestly, it gives her pause because she should be panicking. After all, it's not as if she can't get upset. She was worried about the lives of children after all and their possible death made long simmering emotions spill over.

So she shrugs.]

I'm probably more worried than I appear. I don't think I can express it very well though.

[Defense mechanism, most likely.]

[ He mulls over her response, for a moment. Lien's forthrightness is a different brand from Ai's, but she reminds him of her regardless— that tendency to vocalize something that isn't particularly favorable about themselves, without much reservation.

He wonders if that's the norm now, in this day and age, or if these two are unnecessarily harsh on themselves. Either way, he glances at Lien before pitching his gaze back forwards. ]

Be that as it may, you still have a sense of poise.

[ She's here, walking on her own two feet, which is more than what can be said for others. ]

Poise, huh?

[She smiles gently, slightly different, but very similar to her sister's manner of smiling.]

That's a really kind thing of you to say to me--...

[wait what that was nice and she did appreciate the compliment, but she suddenly and lightly slaps her cheeks with the palms of her hands]

Nooooooooooooooope.

Edited 2014-12-13 01:07 (UTC)

[ THIS KEEPS HAPPENING ]

...Excuse me?

[ ??? WHY IS EVERYONE SAYING NO AROUND HIM ]

Ugh, sorry it's just... Is that what he meant by shining face??

Diarmuid, sorry, it's just the magic, or whatever that's around you that's sort of befuddling me right now.

It's like...

[She makes a circular motion with her index finger.]

I can totally tell it's there, but it's kind of hard to ignore it.

Ah.

[ The stupid charm... he doesn't forget about it, but he did bank on Lien having a resistance against it, like Ai does.

So, after a beat, he moves to Lien's right, and stands in profile so that the right side of his face— and, incidentally, the mole— is out of sight. ]

Is this better?

[She crosses her arms as Diarmuid changes his position, gauging the result.]

Mmmmmm.

It's like a cross between mild pining and an upset stomach. So kind of the same thing, but better! Thanks.

[IS IT REALLY BETTER...]

If that's the way I make my Master feel as well, I only wish she'd be more forthright with me.

[ A slightly self-deprecating joke at his own expense; no one's ever been that honest about what the charm does. Is this really what it's like... is this what he subjects people to ]

[To be fair, love is a subject that Lien is okay with looking at on the outside through a window. Fascinating to study and she could probably come up with some decent and even deep insights...

But feeling it? Why yes, it's definitely like having an upset tummy, totally. And since it was a charm, the feeling of it seems less valid now.]

I guess we react to certain magics differently. So maybe it's not totally unpleasant for her, but she's got awareness, nonetheless. [In the meanwhile, she stops and kneels down taking off one glove and examines the ground. The bare hand is pulsing with prana.]

[ He's about to respond when he sees that Lien's up to something, so he defers from it and takes a step to the side instead to give her some space. Whatever she's doing, he could ask what it is, but he won't— it'd be foolish to ask someone to show their hand. ]

Do you sense the others nearby?

I'm trying to make sense of this place actually. If Ai Thao's still on the same wavelength as me, she's probably trying to figure out what an incomplete place like this has to do with Servants.

[A blink and she looks up at Diarmuid.]

Oh yeah. She probably didn't mention what I can do huh?

[He's worried, but she clearly isn't.]

[ Well. There goes his consideration— he expects that this'll happen often, with these two. ]

And you'd be fine with sharing that information?

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