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

[waterbearer]

"I— my team was the best I could have asked for. True friends, all of them." Kaldur looks down at his webbed hands as he says it, before lifting his goblet and downing it, slowly.

"But we were children. It was created as a team for us, by us, as children. Many of them are still children, now, though most of us who founded the team have remained with it."

He thinks back, back to the training gone horribly wrong, how M'gann had wrested control of that dream and they all had to live with the scars later.

"When we started— we did not have a clear leader. More a confederation of friends, united by cause. But you cannot fight battles united without someone to take command, read the field, and lead, that each individual does not, by accident, inhibit his friends. In one of our first missions... I was elected that leader." He did not want it, then, has not ever wanted it since. The greatest thing of that terrible, awful week before he came to this world was he could finally step down.

"I had made it clear that I was only the interim leader, until the one who should have lead that team. Who will be leading that team, when I returned, was old enough. He was thirteen. In my country, my kingdom, that is old enough to enter the army, to be considered adult. But not in his, and for all his wisdom and strategy and cunning, Robin was not an adult. Not then."

I am not fit for command and must resign as team leader.

Who do you recommend to take your place?

Artemis is too raw and untrusting. Kid Flash too rash and impulsive. Miss Martian remains too eager to please. Superboy carries too much anger.

Making Robin the logical choice.

But he is so young.

Kaldur, you're all young.

I cannot shift this burden to him. Not yet. It appears I must withdraw my resignation.

"They all— there were reasons, they could not carry that burden, and to lean on one of them, I would have needed to lean on them all. And it was me, that they would turn to for guidance. I was the one who must remain steady, and strong." And he would. He would stand strong, and remain steady, and damn himself if it meant that they could take the strength form him to stand on their own, and be the incredible individuals that they were, that they were meant to be. If that meant he was trapped within a wall of his own making, just trying to breathe with the waves over his head and the water stagnant-still around him with no air, so be it.

But those are thoughts and pains that he should not dwell on. For the first time, here... he thinks that he might have those he could turn to, if he must fall apart. Maybe.

"Other heroes are often filled with awe, even when you know them when they are at rest. And when they are legends even to you? That awe is only greater." Kaldur smirks, half a moment. "Even when you have seen them half-awake, in pink bunny slippers and pajamas."

Kaldur fills his goblet again, and is grateful that he had not quite raised it to his lips when Diarmuid answers. Definitely would have been a spit-take, there, and as it his he sputters back laughter. "—What!?" That grin turns all ribbing humor. "Why Dia, I would have never thought it in you."

Once he manages to get his amusement to a more manageable level, he drinks again, and thinks. "I am not sure I have ever been so... scandalous. All of my liaisons had to be discreet, and well ordered. I am afraid, I am rather boring, in that respect." He pauses a minute, before giving Diarmuid a grin. "Positions, however— water allows for much more flexibility in movement and support than air, especially for those born to it."

He taps his goblet against his chin, pondering. "If you could have a skill or power not granted to you before, what would it be? And what skill or power would you trade for it?"

[oathshackledbird]

Diarmuid doesn't response to Kaldur's words right away. Instead, he takes several moments to sort everything out in his mind. While he does that, he refills his goblet, speaking only once he has finished doing so, "Many want to be leaders, but few realize just how difficult it is. Sure you can be taught and you can prepare, but no leader is a leader very long before they realize that a lot of what they were taught is just plain wrong."

"I was young when I earned the right to lead the Fianna when Fionn was not able to. Not so young as you, but still fairly young. Of course, I also started training when I was six years old. Age is just a number sometimes. Experience and knowledge are really what count. You should not let yourself get so hung up on a number. Yes, everyone should have a chance to be a child, but it sounds like everyone one your team was also ready to step into being an adult no matter what their age was. It also sounds like you all knew this life from a young age and that really makes things different when it comes to being ready or not being ready."

He pauses to take a drink from his goblet before continuing, "The thing is, leaders are important. You recognize that and a team can only be as strong as the one who leads them. Many leaders take that to mean--like you did--that they can't let their teammates know when they are troubled or tired, but that is wrong. Your team is your family and they deserve the chance to left you up and support you just as much as you do the same for them. To not allow them to do that is an insult to them, just as it would be an insult for a king to prevent their knights from fighting to protect him. A leader is not meant to shelter their team. They are meant to guide, to protect, and to help them learn. Do you see the difference?"

Before shifting topics, Diarmuid drains his glass, giving his words a minute to sink in. Then, it is time to focus on the more fun topic, "You are right. If seeing Gilgamesh naked covered in blood and...other things...doesn't make me lose my awe, I guess nothing well." Looks like someone might be starting to feel just a touch tipsy considering how open and blunt he is being.

"I am not usually like that, so you have every right to be surprised, but during Samhain, it felt right to let that more...animalistic side of me out," he shrugs. "I don't regret it at all, though, and I think in exchange for not having any fun places to tell me about, you need to tell me about some of those positions."

Showing might not be out of the question either...

"A power I would want that was not granted to me? I honestly have two and I am not sure which I would want more. Magic or the ability to fly..." his expression becomes distant for a moment. "I always wanted both when I was young and I still do really. I am not sure what I would trade for them, though. Back then, I didn't have any extra powers I could trade. Now...most of my abilities are enhancements to my previous skills. Do those count? If so, perhaps I would trade my strength or endurance."

[waterbearer]

Kaldur dips his head lightly, at the wisdom of Diarmuid's words. "It is true. There were times when I could have made certain aspects of my weaknesses more clear, but there were times when I relied on their strength, and they supported me well." And yet... dealing with the issues surrounding a 'mole' on the team... that mission in the desert where in the heat of all that had happened, he had been left—forgotten. And other things, moments when they simply didn't realize that Kaldur was asking for help the only way he could.

But such things cannot be changed, and while they have made his life difficult, they have also made him strong—in spirit and in body. He is different some them, and sometimes, a leader must lead, and accept the responsibility of those choices. He does not lay blame at their feet.

When Dia brings the conversation back to positioning, however, Kaldur laughs. "If I can find the time, I can help instruct you on how such things are done."

As for powers— "You might want to hold onto that endurance, if you decide to fly. You might be surprised the energy that such an activity would require. As for magic... you can learn here, now. The opportunity is available. Just because it was not an affinity of yours at home, does not make you incabable now. There are many here who have learned magic for the first, thanks to the way this land changes us."

Kaldur finishes the last of his goblet, standing and stretching.

"Up for some excerise to start burning off the ethanol?"

[oathshackledbird]

"It is a learning experience, one that will keep going on forever. Just do your best. That is all anyone can expect of you. Things will work out."

"What is this if you can find time?" A smirk crosses Diarmuid's face as he puts aside his goblet and also stands, "And just who has been telling me over and over I need to make more time for fun? Sounds like you need to take your own advice."

How amusing that is coming from Diarmuid since he is terrible at taking his own advice.

"But you are probably right about the endurance. If I have no ability to last, then I am not going to get anywhere. I would say perhaps I could trade some of my luck, but that is already bad enough. The last thing I want to do is make it any worse. Less for myself and more for those around me..."

After all, if a person already has bad luck, how exactly do you make it worse? Does it become a bad luck field affecting everyone nearby?

"Yes, we should get started since I don't know how long this will keep me hazy for. What would you like to try first?"