⚔ 018; [video]

[croibhristeoir]

[It's late, and judging by the half a glass of who knows what by his hand, someone's been drinking. Apparently not enough to do anything stupid, as he just seems to be sitting in his hotel room looking thoughtful.]

I have noticed many of us here seem to have nothing but time. Which for some is a luxury we can hardly find in our own worlds.

[He sounds sober enough, at least. Carefully choosing his words and thinking over what he wanted to say, Diarmuid leaned his head on his hand and continued.]

As for myself, I've had the time to consider a great many things...as events have proven difficult, the most pressing of these would be the presence of someone I hate. There is someone in this city whose mere presence angers me, who I could never forgive and have no wish to try. But upon reflecting on such a subject, I have arrived at a realization.

As much as I hate him...I think I pity him even more. [He sighed, taking a drink from the glass beside him before continuing.]

Upon considering it, I've realized this is someone who may never understand the simple joy that a knight experiences upon helping another. Someone who meets the concept of selflessness with suspicion and derision rather than understand one who is content with placing others first. Even though I can never forgive him, and even though the mere thought of him puts me on edge...my heart truly aches to know any one individual could truly live in such a way.

And if he should be listening...then I am sorry. I'm sorry that I could not finish what was started, and I'm...sorry I punched you. That may have been unfair of me.

More than anything, I am truly sorry that I could not lead you to understand the heart of a knight. And I wish only that someday...you could begin to comprehend it.

Comments

[ video ]

[croibhristeoir]

I think nearly everyone is worth a chance, at least.

[croibhristeoir]

Oh, I certainly can't forgive him. But I can at least coexist with him.

[video]

[croibhristeoir]

I suppose Archer could always be worse. He's been slightly less troublesome than I remember him, actually.

[want_a_vacation]

That's more than I could manage.

[croibhristeoir]

I can't say I would blame you. It's not going to be easy, surely.

[croibhristeoir]

You are not seriously going to start doing this again, are you? Their actions--much like Sola's, may I remind you--are no fault of mine.

Blame someone else. I'm tired of hearing it.

[want_a_vacation]

Well, I'm lucky enough to not have to deal with the people I have problems with here. But I don't think I could ever peacefully coexist with them, so I still think it's impressive that you can do something like that.

[croibhristeoir]

A knight shouldn't be held back by things like hatred. But I can only do the best that I can, nothing more.

[ video ]

[selene]

[ a smile. ]

I knew you were a good person.

[video]

[devola]

Maybe he just mellowed out a bit with time.

...Is there even a "real" passage of time for you guys when you're not fighting, anyway?

[video]

[croibhristeoir]

Not as such, no.

[video]

[devola]

Damn. Now I'm curious. On the other hand, I'm not sure inspiring him to talk about himself is a good idea...

[enjoymyatelier]

...

Why are you bringing Sola into this? What exactly are you implying here?

[croibhristeoir]

...right, different points in time. I keep forgetting that.

[Like talking to a brick wall.]

I am implying nothing, and you are missing the point. As long as we're talking, tell me the last thing that happened before you arrived here.

[enjoymyatelier]

I'm not entirely sure what that has to do with anything aside from potentially derailing the topic, but I'll humor you and say that I was about to launch an attack on the Einzbern castle.

[croibhristeoir]

It has a great deal to do with how we seem to be regarding each other.

[enjoymyatelier]

Oh, yes. The fact that you punched me in the face during our first conversation here has absolutely nothing to do with why I'm currently displeased with you.

[croibhristeoir]

After what you did to me in Fuyuki, I think I was well within my rights to react strongly. Whether or not I overreacted in striking you is a decision I can't properly make.

I could cope with the fact that you never trusted me. Despite my best efforts you saw me as little more than a puppet that would have run away with Sola at the first chance--I can't forgive you for saying such things, but I would have put it aside for the sake of victory in my Master's name.

But you killed me. You used your final Command Spell to kill me rather than place your faith in a Servant who would have gladly died protecting you the right way.

[enjoymyatelier]

That... very little of that makes any sense.

[He can't imagine a reason why he'd completely throw away a chance at the Grail like that. Especially given that there was no way he'd lose anyway. He's going to win, and he's going to... oh... Waver shouldn't be alive in that case, right?

Goddamn this is starting to look questionable. What the hell is going on here?]

There would be absolutely no advantage in just killing you. [especially since it sounds like Lancer would have died either way.

[croibhristeoir]

You think I would even consider fabricating such a thing?

[enjoymyatelier]

It makes absolutely no sense otherwise.

[croibhristeoir]

I find it truly pitiful that you would still choose to distrust my word even now.

[enjoymyatelier]

There's no evidence to make me believe you.

[croibhristeoir]

[He'll just be pulling his shirt collar aside enough to show a nasty-looking scar over his heart.]

If I am lying--and that, for the record, would be a first--how exactly would you say this was inflicted on me?

[enjoymyatelier]

[...oh... well, regardless of what happened, that doesn't exactly bode well...]

One of the myriad ways you could potentially get stabbed in the chest during a war involving multiple participants that use pointed weapons, I would assume.