⚔ 031; [action; dark hour of 9/24]
Sep. 23rd, 2012 01:26 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
croibhristeoir[Arturia had asked Diarmuid to take a week off after seeing how exhausted he really was. Knowing she was at the top of the list of people he simply couldn't argue with, Diarmuid simply accepted it. Of course, he wasn't just going to ignore hearing the sounds of fighting a short distance away, least of all so soon after the Dark Hour started. Even when he was told not to do anything...well, some things just couldn't be avoided. Diarmuid closed the book he was reading and picked up his lance, cautiously stepping outside the house--he'd just be long enough to make sure no one was in danger, then he'd go right back to doing as Arturia had asked of him. Simple, right?]
[It could never be that simple. Because just down the road, exchanging almost playful blows with a Dancing Hand that seemed to want nothing to do with this...it was a sight that momentarily caused Diarmuid to forget how to breathe. There was no way--surely whatever governed this place would never be so merciful as to resurrect that knight as well as Diarmuid's own father.]
[He wasn't fully aware of dropping his lance in shock, or of sprinting forward as fast as his legs would carry him. All he took notice of was the sheer elation at seeing that knight with clear green eyes and unruly copper colored hair, and the utter disbelief that he was even here at all. Diarmuid closed the distance between them in an instant, speaking in a rushed tone as if he fully expected the other individual to just vanish.]
Oscar--that's really you, isn't it? How--when did you-?!
[The other knight turned at that, twirling the short sword in his hand and returning it to its sheath. Had his eyes flashed gold for a second? No, surely that was just exhaustion playing with Diarmuid's mind. That proud demeanor, that confident smirk, everything was precisely as he recalled.]
Did you think me so easily lost, Dián? [Even the old affectionate name he'd usually been annoyed by sounded like a tremendous relief, and Diarmuid immediately threw his arms around his old friend's shoulders.]
It has been far too long, I feared you would never--
[An impossible occurrence cut off the older knight's sentence. Impossible not because it was an act defying reality, but because it was something that would never, could never happen. Of all the swords drawn against Diarmuid in his lifetime, this one flash of silver would never have been guided with the purpose of drawing his own blood.]
[The quick motion had been the only warning the first knight of the Fianna had, and it was only barely enough. Though he moved aside as quickly as he was able, Oscar's sword cut a deep gash in Diarmuid's side. The pain hardly even registered through how completely unthinkable this was as he stumbled backwards.]
So you plan to be difficult again, do you? Things would be far easier if you stopped running like a coward and accepted your punishment, Diarmuid.
What are you talking about--?! [This was bad. He'd left Gae Dearg a distance behind him, and he wasn't even wearing armor; that much probably would have prevented this injury being as bad as it was.]
First you steal Grandfather's betrothed, now you take a woman devoted to someone else. I would almost feel sorry for you if I believed you did this accidentally.
[The other knight's eyes were definitely bright gold now, a malicious grin on his face.]
Y...you're not... [Diarmuid stumbled slightly, falling against the nearest streetlight for support.]
And of course you will not even defend yourself against me. All you can do is run and hide, right? [The thing that was and wasn't Oscar laughed coldly.] Shall we see if you can survive that way once more?
[He turned and disappeared into the darkness with that last taunting remark--or was it a challenge?--leaving Diarmuid to sink to the ground and wonder if he could stand up before he ended up bleeding to death.]
[...or if it was even worth trying.]
[It could never be that simple. Because just down the road, exchanging almost playful blows with a Dancing Hand that seemed to want nothing to do with this...it was a sight that momentarily caused Diarmuid to forget how to breathe. There was no way--surely whatever governed this place would never be so merciful as to resurrect that knight as well as Diarmuid's own father.]
[He wasn't fully aware of dropping his lance in shock, or of sprinting forward as fast as his legs would carry him. All he took notice of was the sheer elation at seeing that knight with clear green eyes and unruly copper colored hair, and the utter disbelief that he was even here at all. Diarmuid closed the distance between them in an instant, speaking in a rushed tone as if he fully expected the other individual to just vanish.]
Oscar--that's really you, isn't it? How--when did you-?!
[The other knight turned at that, twirling the short sword in his hand and returning it to its sheath. Had his eyes flashed gold for a second? No, surely that was just exhaustion playing with Diarmuid's mind. That proud demeanor, that confident smirk, everything was precisely as he recalled.]
Did you think me so easily lost, Dián? [Even the old affectionate name he'd usually been annoyed by sounded like a tremendous relief, and Diarmuid immediately threw his arms around his old friend's shoulders.]
It has been far too long, I feared you would never--
[An impossible occurrence cut off the older knight's sentence. Impossible not because it was an act defying reality, but because it was something that would never, could never happen. Of all the swords drawn against Diarmuid in his lifetime, this one flash of silver would never have been guided with the purpose of drawing his own blood.]
[The quick motion had been the only warning the first knight of the Fianna had, and it was only barely enough. Though he moved aside as quickly as he was able, Oscar's sword cut a deep gash in Diarmuid's side. The pain hardly even registered through how completely unthinkable this was as he stumbled backwards.]
So you plan to be difficult again, do you? Things would be far easier if you stopped running like a coward and accepted your punishment, Diarmuid.
What are you talking about--?! [This was bad. He'd left Gae Dearg a distance behind him, and he wasn't even wearing armor; that much probably would have prevented this injury being as bad as it was.]
First you steal Grandfather's betrothed, now you take a woman devoted to someone else. I would almost feel sorry for you if I believed you did this accidentally.
[The other knight's eyes were definitely bright gold now, a malicious grin on his face.]
Y...you're not... [Diarmuid stumbled slightly, falling against the nearest streetlight for support.]
And of course you will not even defend yourself against me. All you can do is run and hide, right? [The thing that was and wasn't Oscar laughed coldly.] Shall we see if you can survive that way once more?
[He turned and disappeared into the darkness with that last taunting remark--or was it a challenge?--leaving Diarmuid to sink to the ground and wonder if he could stand up before he ended up bleeding to death.]
[...or if it was even worth trying.]
