oathshackledbird | SoulGemmed Mailbox

[Diarmuid is distracted from Laurent and Mac for a few moments when the horse takes the rest of the carrot from him, but his attention is quickly drawn back by the dog's happy woofs.]

New trick I take it?

[As he watches them play, he smiles, though his next words are serious.]

No complaints, just a question. You want me to listen in on a mirror or a phone? Which is easier for you?

Phone. If I want every magi to come laugh at my inaptitude I'll send out invitations. Anything else?

[Diarmuid raises an amused eyebrow.]

Suddenly not so confident, I take it? Are you sure you don't want me to come along? Mac can keep an eye on Maribelle.

I do not need you to play another Dame-

[The words are the recoil of a dog that's been accidentally stepped on, who cuts off his yelp to look around not knowing what had happened. Laurent hastily turns his face away, as if he'd revealed something.]

If something happens to the both of us, Maribelle cannot wait the week for you to come back. I will not negotiate that any further.

There's nothing else from you, then.

[He reaches to pat his horse- avoiding Diarmuid's eyes- and turns to leave. If you want to stop him, do it quickly.]

Oh, but I think there is.

[Diarmuid's hand is still near the horse, so it only takes him a second to reach out toward Laurent to try and grab his fellow magi's arm in an effort to stop him from leaving.]

You would think that by now you would be used to me actually caring about what happens to you, but apparently not since whatever I said just upset you. There is no way I am letting you walk into that deathtrap upset! Who is this Dame you started to mention?

He’s dead, like all the others.

[Only possibly, but he's not ready to discuss January- least of all with this advice-giving, infuriatingly supportive not-Damen. Fuck supportive men. Leave his feelings alone.

Laurent's voice is calm, the only sign of his earlier recoil in the stiff tension of his arm. Maribelle, sensing the hidden wrongness of things, whinnies and shies nervously.]

I know what I'm doing. Let go.

Wh--

[The word only gets about halfway out of Diarmuid's mouth before he is hit hard enough with a realization that he lets go of Laurent's arm in surprise.

Not 'Dame' as in a woman's title, but 'Dame-' as the beginning of a name. Of...

Could it be the man from January's dream?

For a moment, Diarmuid feels sick. He didn't intend to pull forward such a painful memory. He was just worried.]

I'm sorry. I mea--

[No, he's not going to make this worse.]

I'm sorry.

[ He gives no indication that he's heard the apology. Like a man fleeing a fire Laurent moves away as soon as the grip on his arm releases, out the gate, not looking back. ]

dumgepn boardef up do nit call

Edited 2017-05-08 14:41 (UTC)

[Diarmuid is brushing Maribelle when the text comes in. At first he is relieved that Laurent didn't go back on his promise to contact him, though how mishmashed the spelling of the text is doesn't let him feel that way for long. It takes him a few moments, but eventually he puts together a reply.

Hey, Laurent said 'don't call.' He never said, 'don't text.']

All right, I won't, but we do need to talk. ... Don't make me hold your horse hostage. I will.

[Of course, she will be the most spoiled hostage ever, but the threat still stands.]

[It's potentially suggestive that Laurent takes the threat seriously despite all evidence of Diarmuid's character pointing otherwise. He'll be back in ten, but in the meantime here's a none too happy text.]

And I thought knights were above that. How long before you mail a hoof to my door?

[Oh come on, Laurent. He's joking. Mostly.]

Generally, we don't, but we also don't let a possible winning strategy go ignored. Why would I send a hoof to your door? It would be a waste of a perfectly good hoof. No, the hoof stays on the horse where it is suppose to be.

[Though, if the horse leaves too many...ahem, deposits...around some of those may just find their way to a certain someone's doorstep.]

[Um, no. He's dealt with too many serious threats to take the risk; but he's beginning to suspect Diarmuid has mistaken “hostage” for “hosting”.

Ten minutes later, there's a sharp knock on Diarmuid’s door. Laurent's not up for chitchat this time, his arms crossed, his blue eyes implacable. He looks like a man braced for a fight.]

Horse. Then we talk.

[There is a small chance he has done just that. Okay, maybe more than a small chance considering what greets Laurent when he arrives back at the house. Diarmuid opens the door and waves him inside. Though Laurent won't likely realize it, the house has been rearranged, sporting a new door which leads outside to a largish courtyard that gives Maribelle a nice place to run and do all the horse things she wants.]

Your horse.

[.............................]

You have no idea what 'hostage' means, do you.

[Diarmuid laughs under his breath giving Laurent a look out of the corner of his eyes.]

Of course I do, but I see no reason why your horse should suffer because her owner is being difficult. Besides, hostages are just guests that can't leave of their own free will. It is dishonorable to treat them anything other than civilly.

[He has no freaking clue.]

[He frowns like he's hit a wall of reasoning and can't work his way around it. It is dishonorable to treat them anything other than civilly; this dialogue is uncomfortably familiar.

When he speaks again his voice is distant.]

It's lucky our enemy seems to be just Yamashita.

[Put it aside, now. It's not the time for this.]

Speaking of which. The dungeon’s boarded up- the natives are guarding it. We can't be sure she isn't still down there.

Edited 2017-05-13 04:37 (UTC)

I don't think it's quite that simple.

[Diarmuid raises an eyebrow at Laurent to indicate he's noticed the odd reaction, but is currently not pushing it. There is a more immediate problem.]

They are guarding it. Like actually preventing people from going near it?

[This is a troubling change in behavior.]

Did they give you a reason why?

Yes. Teachers were patrolling the area. They threatened to call the police, so I couldn't exactly go up to them for a conversation.

[He looks over Maribelle, checking for injuries, distress. She's having the time of her life.]

The boards are sturdy. Too well done to be one of us. It's suspicious.

Edited 2017-05-14 15:14 (UTC)

[The horse is being treated like a princess. The only danger she is in is becoming even more spoiled than she already is.]

It's an understatement to say that makes me feel uneasy. It points toward Kagaku having the ability to control the natives somehow. If she turned them all against us, I hardly need to point out how bad that would be. We should bring this up for discussion with the others.

If it's her. How could a single magi carve a dungeon like that on her own?

[ Of course this lawful creature wants to tell the others. Laurent considers his options; he gains nothing by provoking Diarmuid, so why do it? Let the fallout of unleashing this on the town happen. Let the reckless ones try to go down there, and take any fall there is, and get him the information he's interested in. He knows the town can handle a Witch.]

Alright. How do you suggest we do it?

You realize if she can control them, how she set up the dungeon and changed it so quickly suddenly becomes a lot easier to explain.

[He really doesn't like where this is going. Part of him can't help but hope someone can prove him wrong on this.]

Ah... That's a little harder than it used to be, isn't it?

[A conflicted look crosses Diarmuid's face and he turns to pet Maribelle as he speaks.]

Mirrors are out. Getting everyone together to talk face to face isn't going to happen either. We've got the new communication system Dirk set up but they were talking about it having been compromised at one point so I don't know how safe it really is either.

[When Diarmuid moves towards the horse he may find Laurent's eyes following him, watching his hands with the alertness of a hawk. It seems like someone has trust issues about his horse, something Maribelle doesn't share- she's perfectly calm around Diarmuid by now. ]

Of course. The townspeople built up two floors worth of stonework from every rock in the park, each painstakingly delivered by bicycle.

It's not impossible, but think of the magic it would use.

[It would be a massive amount. He has other, more compelling arguments for suspecting otherwise, but he's not about to spill his entire hand right now. Even to Diarmuid- because, oh please, something will slip to someone else and everyone else is on the ‘untrustworthy’ list.

Laurent takes Diarmuid’s musings with the nonreaction of someone who already assumes their channels are fucked.]

Say we tell the others, who's going to stop someone from going down there?

[That’s his main, only concern.]

Unless that's what you want.

Of course not!

[Diarmuid's hand comes to a stop as soon as Laurent's accusation hits his ears. At the same time, he turns a horrified look at the other man.]

What kind of person do you think I am? I didn't want them to go back down in the first place. There's a reason I never joined one of the groups. It was suicide!

[He presses his lips together into a frown, as a thought crosses his mind he really doesn't want to acknowledge, but can't help but wonder if is true.]

Do you really think they are going to rush back down there after all it cost us?

[What a sweet summer child. He wonders what Diarmuid thinks of him- because that's what he wants, in fact. The Wraith issue is extraneous really. Laurent doesn't need that to disappoint people.]

There's a reason three groups went down. Just as there's a reason for that game you mentioned in August.

Do you really think every one of them will stay put?

[While he replies- while Diarmuid is distracted- Laurent goes to re-fit Maribelle with anything Diarmuid might've removed for her comfort. He's taking her back home before he relaxes.]

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