Timeskip Log

[oathshackledbird]

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Lancer) COURT Seelie (Neutral Leanings) TITLE Knight of the Golden Cadre Maskhunter/Hartslayer Shield of the Cothromach Champion of Redgate OCCUPATION Knight/Trainer ABLE TO FAST-TRAVEL Servant ability to travel at up to 100 times normal human speed. A ring given to him by Alyosha that allows him to teleport himself only pretty much anywhere. A ring given as a boon that will allow him to teleport to the side of any Seelie shardbearer if their life is in immediate danger. COMMUNICATION METHODS A magical compass from Rin. Messages sent by birds. A necklace enchanted by Rin to allow contact with Seelie/Unseelie. RESIDENCE IN 2,701 Cu Chulainn's castle, Dun Dealgan, south of Daonna, his rooms at Alyosha's villa, and occasionally his rooms at Caer Glaem when he is working on his personal training ground. RESIDENCE IN 2,702 His rooms at Alyosha's villa, and occasionally, his rooms at Caer Glaem when he is working on his personal training ground. As of May, he will be invited to move into Flora's villa in Leathann. MAJOR EVENTS MASTER/SERVANT BOND CREATED W/ALYOSHA. [ ✖ ] SETS UP HIS PERSONAL TRAINING GROUND AT CAER GLAEM. [ ✖ ] CSI: DAONNA. [ ✖ ] BECOMES A CAPTAIN IN THE RED HAND. [ ✖✖ ] MAJOR CHANGES POST BATTLE: His right arm is missing at the shoulder. There are several 'bleed over' effects from his Master/Servant bond with Alyosha because various factors. These include: When his emotions are high (especially when he is angry) he will grow fangs and the pupils of his eyes will slit like a snake's eyes. He will crave blood whenever his energy levels are low or whenever Alyosha is strongly craving it herself. This is partly because of her being a vampire, but also because on his world, blood is one of the things that carries magical energy and so he knows it is a source of gaining that energy should he need it. Because of Alyosha's shadow magic, when Diarmuid uses his fire ring, the fire summoned will be shadow tinted instead of normal. Unspecified bleed over from the sigil magic that is so tightly tied to her. POST TIMESKIP: No longer introduces himself as 'Lancer.' Instead, he uses his real name. Diarmuid's fighting style shifts to something reminiscent of Capoeira. His right leg is used as much as possible in place of his missing right arm, and as a result of that, his right leg now is lightly armored from knee to foot with armor that is much like that which was once on his left arm. His boot has also been modified with a hidden blade. The blade can be released with a certain tap of his foot giving him a second weapon should he need it.

SUMMARY OF KNOWN DETAILS If Diarmuid was confused going into the battle, he is even more so coming out of it. Both castles lie in ruins, untold numbers are dead on all sides, and who knows how many worlds went with them? What good came of all of it? None. None that Diarmuid can see. As a result, he is pushed even more toward favoring the neutral side. Deep down, he no longer fully considers himself Seelie. The golden cloak that marks him as a knight of the Golden Cadre is not a badge of honor, but a reminder that even knights can take the wrong path. After he recovers from losing his right arm and spends some time learning to fight again, he will focus on strengthening his bonds with his family and friends. It doesn't matter what side they are on for he does not see them as Seelie or Unseelie. They are family. They are friend. That is all that matters. When not helping Alyosha, his new Master, and fighting the Neutral fight, he will also spend time training others, building his personal training ground at Caer Glaem, and...breeding bandersnatches? Well, at least trying. Who knows if the bandersnatches will cooperate... Of course, all of that will be put to the side when it comes time to spoil babbins and mercenar-- Err, wait, that should be spoiling babbins and LEADING mercenaries. That's better... PLANS Recover from his injuries both physically and mentally. Adjust to his new Master/Servant bond with Alyosha and the bleed over. Learn to fight again. (Looking into a new arm will come later.) Work on getting the personal training ground he has been granted built to his specifications. Meet with Lancelot to discuss worries etc about Tarz's tactics. Keep in contact with his Unseelie friends. Find ways to meet with them despite the crack down on cross court interaction. Spend more time with Grainne. Teach fighting and shard training as requested. Tag team fighting with his new Master so they can learn to be badasses together. :-D Do whatever he can to help the Neutral side. Go hunting for new bandersnatch friends with Alice. TIMELINE OF EVENTS Things Occurring THROUGHOUT the Timeskip Working on his training grounds at Caer Glaem. Learning to fight again/Practicing with his shard.(Alyosha and Lancelot will help.) Training others to fight/use their shards. Becoming used to his bond with Alyosha and the overflow from it. SPRING IN 2,701 (Mar, Apr, May) MARCH - Ask Rin to enchant the necklace he got from Merida so he can contact all Seelie/Unseelie with it (Late Feb). Talk to Politezerker about his arm. (Late Feb) Recovery from losing his arm. (Both mental and physical.) Visits the new Barrel. Check in on Kayneth. Meet Gilgamesh. Visit Zuko at Azure to help unfreeze things and for fire training. More unfreezing and fire training with Merida. Finds a strange and very large egg... Begin work on his training ground in Caer Glaem after a handwaved talk with John and Lancelot(Flora will help with terrains). Long talk (and cry session) with Grainne about his arm, her losing the baby, and other things from her time back home (handwaved). Talking to Lancelot about Tarz. Check in with Saber now that she has had time to calm down. Go hunting for bandersnatches with Alice. APRIL - Travel to the Cothromach and renew his vows to it and Sansa. Talk about ferry system work. Meeting Aslan at Caer Glaem (Training Grounds). Teach Hikaru (Lucifer) to use her(his) shard @ the Station. Trip to the Barrel to celebrate his birthday. The strange egg hatches right around his birthday. Congratulations Diarmuid! It's a fluffy green bird?!? Well, at least it's not a dinosaur... MAY - Map out the waterways around the Cothromach for Sansa & the ferry project. Hunt golden swans with Thrall (get at least two--one for Caer and one for Aengus) Start training Oscar the bandersnatch to hunt. Work on the training grounds with Flora. Drop into the Art Gallery Opening in Parrais. SUMMER IN 2,701 (Jun, Jul, Aug) JUNE - Training for those who wish it: Gilgamesh-shard. Goes to the Treun tournament. Observes, but does not participate because of his arm. Bonds with Merida. Meets Javik at the tournament. Acts as Alyosha's witness at the duel between her and Hermione. JULY - CSI: Daonna (Quest)--Sent to Daonna after the hangings to investigate for Waver. Interview Alice, Merida, Faolan. Work with Sara & Politezerker. Lén accompanies Diarmuid to help. AUGUST - Fire training with Merida. Talk with her about battle/Master stuff. Meeting Remus Lupin. Golem hunting with Javik. Visit the Cothromach's Markets. FALL IN 2,701 (Sept, Oct, Nov) SEPTEMBER - Heartbreak: Grainne is sent home from the Drabwurld. Language kerfuffle! Just how close to Gaelic is Drabbish anyway? Help Alice with her orphanage. Training: Gilgamesh/Work on the Training Grounds OCTOBER - Samhain! Meet the Black Shuck Meets Sam. Anniversary of his arrival. NOVEMBER - Hunts inmates. Protects others from the inmates. Meets up with Lancelot to talk. Becomes co-parents to a bunch of mercs with John Grimm. WINTER IN 2,701/2,702 (Dec, Jan, Feb) DECEMBER - Yule! Silliness with Fox Merida. Hunt the White Hart. Slays him with Katsa. Reward: 200 gold pieces, a while cloak and the title of Hartslayer until the next hunt comes around. Anniversary of the Fox Hunt. JANUARY - Shard Training. Working on his Training Grounds. 'Learning' to relax a little with Kaldur. Meeting up with Gilgamesh at Caer Glaem. FEBRUARY - Runs into Grell at the Noa Woods for sparring. Goes to Parrais for the Ostara Feast. 1 year anniversary with Alyosha. SPRING IN 2,702 (Mar, Apr) MARCH - Fight zombies. Visits Lumina's Chocobo Ranch and does some undead removal. Gets a new friend for Aengus? Learning to fight again complete. APRIL - Shelters his fairy groupies to keep them safe. Work on his training grounds at Caer Glaem finishes.

( codes by whambam )

Comments

[oathshackledbird]

Place on the scale, hu? I guess that is one way to put it, but your place only changed because you have changed. I think it's less important to worry about the scale and more important to worry about how you have changed. Your driving force is no longer your anger at your mother, but something else.

[He makes a helpless motion with his hand.]

And when you look at it that way, it is a lot harder. When we change, we are often blind to just what that change is.

[notyetlegend]

I know I've grown some.

[Though part of her was still childish and selfish, she had grown in leaps and bounds in mere months since her arrival in the Drabwurld. Merida looked down at her skirts, fidgeting with them as she thought to herself.]

Th' fact that I'm in lo... [She sighs a little. She hadn't admitted it to herself or to him yet, so her mouth clamps shut.] I've come to realise that there needs to be order to chaos, that it can't be uprooted in th' middle of th' night just because I wish it. That I can be both a warrior an' a diplomat, I don't have to stick to one or th' other. [Merida draws her hands away, letting them swing a little at her side before reeling them in.] My world isn't quite so rocky anymore. I don't have all that anger I was holdin' onto.

[oathshackledbird]

Then trying to reach for your world with that anger is definitely a mistake. We need to find you something different to reach for it with.

[A small smile curls the corner of his mouth when she stops herself from saying 'love.' The emotion is a very strong and complex one. When feeling it for the first time, it is only natural for it to be hard to admit it. It makes everything real then.]

Do you know what your goal is now? Protection? Preservation? Love? Order? Peace?

[Yep, he totally just mentioned it out loud since she couldn't.]

Any one of those might be a good replacement.

[notyetlegend]

[She gives him a look when he says the word she can't, crossing her arms with a little huff and a pout. Of course he'd pick up on that word, Aengus was his father after all. Merida pauses, thinking back to a conversation she had with someone at the tournament.]

I want to fight, to protect an' preserve those who can't do so themselves. [Her voice is quiet when she responds, expression contemplative before she sighs.] Things are only goin' to get harder. I won't be able to hide th' fact that I was brought over to th' Seelie for much longer. Even if I don't agree with their goals an' methods, I'll still be lumped in with them.

[By them she meant the monarchs, the more fanatical soldiers.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid's grin widens when he sees that pout, but the grin only lasts a short time. Soon, his expression is serious again. Serious and contemplative as he listens to what she is saying.]

Focus on that want to protect and preserve then. I know it is a big part of what I think about when I connect to my shard, but also I wonder if thinking about how much you wish to show them you are more than just a court will help? It is something very important to you after all, and really, I think it describes you better than trying to place yourself as either court would.

[After all, when Diarmuid practices, he usually either thinks of himself as neutral or doesn't think of himself as in a court at all. Trying to do so would be making himself something he is not.]

[notyetlegend]

[Merida pauses, tilting her head as she tucks her hands under her arms, thinking.]

I'll...be honest, I've never considered myself part of either court. I never swore an oath or th' like to Unseelie or Seelie. [She placed a hand over the center of her chest, where the shard was.] But when people look at me, they see a court whether I like it or not.

[She pauses.]

It's like when my mum used to look at me an' see me as nothin' but a princess. [An imperfect one at that, though she doesn't say.] I tore our kingdom apart when I defied that. I want to do it th' right way this time.

[oathshackledbird]

You are a perfect example of why this division is so foolish. Everyone has different parts of them that fit to each court. It only makes sense that at different points in our lives we favor one side more than the other. It doesn't mean we are suddenly good or suddenly bad people. To think so is absurd.

[And, honestly, that is a big part of what has divided him from the Seelie court so much. Diarmuid can't deny that there is a great deal about him that follows Seelie ideals, but he will not limit who he gives his aid to just because of such a silly distinction as their court.]

Just be careful you don't set yourself up for failure. There might not be a right or a wrong way to do this. It is more important to do your best and keep trying. Don't worry. I am going to be right there with you the whole way.

[notyetlegend]

Aye. I for one have never believed in inherently good or inherently bad people. It's just a matter of circumstance or what path people take. We used to believe Mor'du was a demon but he was just a man who had been taken over by his own greed an' pride an' gave it form, a path he regretted.

[It seemed to her as though he'd had a lifetime and then some to think over his actions and regret the pain and horror he'd caused his brothers and clan, once her and her mother had put the pieces together about the tale. The expression she saw on his ghost was one of regret, something vividly in her memory. She inclines her head in a nod at his word, giving him a bit of a weak smile.]

Thank you. I don't think I could do this with anyone else.

[oathshackledbird]

I agree, and just because a person has done bad things in the past, doesn't mean that they will always be that way.

[Are most people who do bad things happy to continue doing so? Yes, but there are always those who can and will change if they are just given a reason or an opportunity. Denying them that is wrong.

Diarmuid steps closer to her and puts his arm around her shoulders, giving her a hug.]

I think you underestimate your strength, but I am glad I am here so you don't need to worry about if you could or not. Are you ready to try connecting in a different way now? With your new goals and feelings?

[notyetlegend]

[A Seelie or an Unseelie could be capable of bad things, it didn't matter what court they were dragged into. Had she done bad by tearing the clans apart and turning her mother into a bear? Yes, but she'd turned her mother back and healed the rift. Though if she'd let it continue and hadn't been able to swallow her pride, would she still be Unseelie? Possibly. It was hard to dwell on that.

Merida's smile quirks a little more when she feels his arm around her, reaching up to cup her hand around his wrist, nodding.]

I think so. It's just like before, just different feelings, right?

[oathshackledbird]

Exactly. Just close your eyes and reach out for your shard thinking of those new goals and wishes instead. Feel for what responds to them. I am not sure if those old feelings will try to creep in while you do, but if so, try to push them away and just focus on the new ones, all right?

[His arm tightens around her.]

I will be right here if you need anything.

[notyetlegend]

[Push away the old feelings, reach for the new. Merida closes her eyes, feeling the arm around her. Protective, warm, what she wanted to be. She thinks, thinking about the protection her mother showed her when she fought Mor'du, that she'd always showed her, thinks that Cu Chulainn had geised himself to protect her from his warp spasms.

That was the kind of protection she wanted to give. That was how she wanted to protect people. She thought of the children she'd taken in during the war, the look on Blair's face when he said he couldn't do anything unlike those with shards in their chests.

She thought about her conversation with Alyosha, how she'd said that her clan would want her to keep fighting even if the sky went black and her world disappeared. That was something worth fighting for, fighting to preserve her world so that she could return one day, this time without leaving a body behind in the Drabwurld.

But do I want to go back?

Even with that thought, there's the same glow from her chest, rising from between her breast.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Waiting. It is always the hardest part no matter how many times Diarmuid does it. Will they find their connection? Will they have to try another way? Even though Merida has found hers many times now and worked with it many times, there is no guarantee she will find it using this new method. What if trying this actually ends up making it harder for her to use her shard. What if...

Ah...but there it is. That familiar warm glow. She found it.

He gives her several moments to get to know the feeling again, before finally speaking softly.]

How does it feel? Is the connection strong? Does anything seem different?

[notyetlegend]

[She let her eyes flutter open slowly, making sure not to let go of the connection to her shard. It had been getting harder to do but it feels just the same as it was before she'd gone to sleep now, before the switch. Merida lifted a hand, placing it over the glow as though to shield it from sight.]

It doesn't seem...dark? Like before? I can't describe it.

[Dark, maybe due to feeling it out with her anger? It was hard to tell.]

It's warm. Protective an' warm.

[oathshackledbird]

Because you are feeding it with warmer and happier feelings.

[What she says makes perfect sense to him. The shard is a tie to your world, but it is also a reflection of your view of the world. If that view is darkened by negative emotions, then the shard will reflect that. If they are warm and protective, the shard will also reflect that.]

I am so happy for you. Good job. I bet you will find things easier from now on.

[Or at least as easy as working with a shard can be.]

[notyetlegend]

[She lets the glow vanish before she reaches for her shard again, just to make sure that she can still find it with the new method before she drops that connection as well. She doesn't faint or fall asleep this time due to the amount of practice she's put into it, instead she shakes her head, smiling up at him.]

It was gettin' harder since I didn't change my perspective. I hadn't thought about th' fact that I'd made up with mum would affect it.

[Just her anger at the situation. It had diminished over time, the two years that she'd spent back home before waking up in the Drabwurld again. Yet she still felt like she had before, before she worked through the time differences and came to understand that she was older again, not the sixteen year old she had been when she left.]

[oathshackledbird]

To be honest, I didn't either and I am the teacher. At least, now we do know so that we can advise others who may go through this. Working with your shard is hard enough that we don't need anything making that harder.

[Diarmuid knows he has learned a valuable lesson he will make sure to pass onto others as he teaches them.]

How are you feeling? Tired or okay?

[She seems okay, but he doesn't know if resetting the way she connects to her shard will lower her endurance when it comes to using it. Besides, he remembers too well what happened the last time they did a lot of shard practice together.]

[notyetlegend]

I seem to be okay. I don't feel faint or anythin' like before.

[When she fell asleep for a week. Merida gives him a reassuring smile and rocks back and forth on the heels of her feet to show it. She mightn't have been able to connect with her shard very well after her court switch, but it seemed to have helped her improve her health after connecting with it.]

[oathshackledbird]

Good!

[Diarmuid seems very relieved to hear that and to see her showing how good she feels.]

Just keep practicing with the new way then, and let me know how it goes. I guess it is time to move onto fire training, hu?

[While learning to contain the fire back in March had helped a lot, he is still having some issues with keeping the fire going for a good length of time.]

[notyetlegend]

Sure. Are you still having trouble containin' it or is it keepin' it goin'?

[She's learned a bit about how to control it and make it more effective in a fight but that's about it. Mostly she's been trying to keep it the same, not quite ready to rebuff flames just yet. Merida fishes around in her quiver belt, tugging her gloves on and fixing them around the wrist before giving him a smile.]

[oathshackledbird]

Keeping it going. Since that trick you taught me earlier, containment is no longer a problem.

[He grows thoughtful for a moment, as he tries to better explain his problem.]

Especially when I am trying to control a larger amount of fire it seems like I never quite get the balance right. Sometimes it seems like I feed it too much and it gets too large...

[Thanks to the containment, though, he doesn't have to worry about it escaping anymore.]

...and sometimes I don't give it enough and it just goes out.

[notyetlegend]

Mmm...well, what I like to do is imagine I'm stokin' a fireplace. It keeps it contained while lettin' th' fire breathe an' grow.

[Merida took her gloves off her quiver belt, tugging them on by the wrist. With a crack of her knuckles, she cupped them together, starting with her modus operandi when it came to fire magic - a small flame no bigger than a will o the wisp. As she concentrates and spreads her hands, the flame grows bigger, until she's able to turn her hands upways and pull one away, slowly but surely and with a triumphant look on her face.]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid watches her closely, but he doesn't seem to feel that ah ha moment like he did when she told him about the containment part of things. Still, he is willing to give it a try once she has finished. He cups his hand in front of him and then closes his eyes. Once that is done he sets the groundwork needed and calls the fire to his palm. It is very small at first, just like hers, and then starts to slowly grow.

Oddly enough, as the bunch of flame gets larger, something becomes obvious about it that wasn't as noticeable when it was small. The fire is shadow tinged and the tongues of flame come off more as being made of shadow than actual fire. It burns in his hand for a few moments and then he seems to give it one push too many to make it larger and it goes out.]

There it went. Why?

[notyetlegend]

[Merida watched closely, letting her own flame die out since it wasn't needed anymore. Or so she thought anyway. As she watches, her brow furrows, noticing his fire looks different from hers. She hadn't seen that before, back in March, but she gets closer before it goes out, tilting her head and looking at him curiously.]

Maybe you're putting too much into it? Let me see again.

[oathshackledbird]

Okay.

[Diarmuid takes a deep breath and then releases it to try and get himself to relax. Once he has done that, he again calls the fire to his hand and starts to let it grow. Much like before, once the fire's size gets large enough, it is easy to see that it is shadow tinted. At a certain point, he pauses in trying to make it grow and just tries to keep it steady. It works, for a little while and then the flame flickers out again.

He shakes his head and then sighs.]

I don't know what I am doing wrong.