A Story and a Song...

[smallspot]

Who: Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (smallspot ) and anyone who wants to run into a cute little kid.
Where:  An open grassy area near Building One.
When:  8-19, in the afternoon
Format: Starting in prose, but please use whatever you want to reply!
Summary:   There are a lot of fun ways to spend a warm afternoon, though, for a bitty knight the best way to spend it is...training!  Oh, and sometimes stopping to sing songs to his 'family.'
Warnings: Cuteness?

For once Diarmuid is using his cloak as something other than a blanket.  Right now, he is carefully spreading it out on the grass so that he can set his new toys on it.  With him are three small stuffed animals he got at the end of the festival--two adult swans and a baby one.

"Here is the father swan," Diarmuid carefully sets the first of the adult swans onto the cloak--the one he has picked to represent his foster father, Aengus.  He then sets the other adult swan next to the first, this one representing his foster mother, Caer, "And here is the mother swan!  And here is the baby swan who isn't lost anymore!"  The boy sets the baby swan in front of the two adults and then jumps up and claps his hands happily.

"Now the whole family is together again!  Watch me, Father!  Watch me, Mother!  I'll show you what everyone has been teaching me while I've been away!"  The boy bows to the toys and then picks his practice sword up off the ground.  He takes a few steps away before starting to practice the new sword moves he's been taught by Suzaku and some of the others who have offered to train him.

He knows that the toys aren't really his family, of course, but over the last few days he's been more homesick than usual and talking to them like they are helps for some reason.  Once he's practiced for a while, Diarmuid will sit down by the toys for a rest and to sing some happy songs to his 'family.'  After a few songs, he will jump up and start practicing again.  Diarmuid isn't really paying attention to anything going on around him, but he will be happy to talk to anyone who approaches him and be even happier should anyone decide they want to train along with him.

Comments

[swordofzero]

Suzaku turned and nodded when Lelouch appeared, wincing and bringing a hand to his head as the word hit against his lost memories.

"Fencing is a form of sword fighting common in Britannia, which is where Lelouch," he gestured to the newcomer, "Is from." He couldn't even remember the other word and trying to gave him a headache.

[veepofchess]

Lelouch took a more academic approach. "Fencing is primarily focused on thrusting attacks, while kenjutsu is slashing and overpowering your opponent." He hadn't the constitution for either, but he knew them in that sense. And the child ought to understand the differences well enough.

"Don't let me distract you. I'm interested to see how Suzaku fares as a teacher."

[smallspot]

"Oh! That doesn't really sound like what I am learning at home or what Suzaku is teaching me," Diarmuid falls silent for a moment before perking up. "Do you want to see what he's taught me so far? Suzaku is a good teacher!"

Without waiting for an answer, Diarmuid steps back so that he has plenty of room and does the spin kick and sword slash combination that Suzaku had taught him during their first lesson. He actually manages to do it quite well for once and cheers once he finishes, "I did it and no wobble this time!"

[swordofzero]

Suzaku blinked when Lelouch said he was there to see how he was as a teacher. But stood back to let Diarmuid demonstrate, and was proud when he managed the move without wobbling. "See I told you you could do it if you practiced lots."

He looked over at Lelouch, "Don't want to join in?"

[veepofchess]

He did have to get decent swinging something long and heavy in Manhattan. But he was not looking for a workout today. When he saw the move the child made, he couldn't help but chuckle. "He follows his teacher well." He never could understand how Suzaku got Lancelot to move just like its pilot could. But he could still remember how those hits felt inside the cockpit.

"No, I'm not looking for training today. I fight my battles with my mind before they ever come to swords." He said that more for Diarmiud's sake than Suzaku's, of course.

[smallspot]

"Oh! Does that mean you are a bard?" Diarmuid gives Lelouch a curious look, "My father says bards are just as strong as knights are only their weapons are words instead of swords. I am suppose to be a knight when I grow up, but maybe I can be a bard too! Father is already teaching me to sing and tell stories."

The boy walks over to the other man and bows to him politely, "My name is Diarmuid Ua Duibhne. It is good to meet you, Lord Lelouch!"

[swordofzero]

Suzaku just stood to the side silently, letting the introductions happen, Diarmuid was confident enough to hold his own, even against Lelouch.

[veepofchess]

He shook his head, and did not return his bow. "No, more like a general, not a bard, or a lord. But singing and telling stories is a good thing for a squire to learn."

"Why don't you show me some other things Suzaku taught you?"

[smallspot]

"Not just s-squires!" Diarmuid stumbles over the word because he has only heard it once before now, "Everyone should learn to tell stories and sing. My father is a god and he does it better than anyone! It makes him happy with others share stories and songs. Besides, it's fun!"

The boy pauses and looks down at his practice sword, "Suzaku just started to teach me, so that is the best move he's taught me so far. I am sure he will teach me more soon. Like the block we were working on when you arrived!"

[swordofzero]

Suzaku frowned but nodded at Diarmuid's words. "We haven't had many lessons yet, but you are welcome to watch, my lord."

He uses the title only half out of habit and mostly to annoy Lelouch.

[veepofchess]

The annoy part was certainly working. "Well, don't let me keep you," Lelouch finished. While the title was obnoxious, the deference it showed and the pattern of obedience Suzaku had been displaying for him were certainly interesting. There was definitely something Suzaku hadn't told him.

[smallspot]

Diarmuid looks back and forth between the two men, suddenly confused. He can tell there has been a shift in Lelouch's mood, but he's not sure why, "Is something wrong? Are you two fighting? It's not nice to fight. Friends are suppose to be friends!"

[swordofzero]

"It's alright." His voice was soft as he spoke to Diarmuid, "I am Lelouch's knight, we are not fighting."

They weren't friends either, or at least, not completely. But that is far too complicated to explain, and Suzaku doesn't want to upset him.

"Lelouch only arrived with all the new people, I'm sure you can remember how you felt when you first came here."

[veepofchess]

That descriptor got his hankles up finally. This man was somehow more maddening now than at home. Perhaps because Suzaku had a bit of a board advantage before he came in. "You are many things, but my knight is not one of them," he replied. "But we'll discuss that later."

But to the kid, he spoke a bit more pleasantly, similar to how he spoke to Nunnally. "Suzaku and I were very good friends when we were your age. Sometimes things get complicated when you get older. It's been a while since I've seen him. Maybe we just need to.get used to each other again." Death threats notwithstanding.

[smallspot]

Diarmuid frowns, not very happy with their explanations. He might not be able to tell exactly what is going on, but the forced pleasantness reminds him too much of when that man who calls himself his father but isn't comes to visit. Needless to say, he doesn't like it.

"If you were friends, you should be nice to each other. There is nothing complicated about that!" He's too young now, of course, to understand how complicated relationships can be, though he will well understand once he is older, "We were all brought her to help the people in the city. We need to work together to do that!"

[swordofzero]

Suzaku's eyes look hurt as Lelouch denies him as his knight again. He remains silent though.

"You're right Diarmuid, working together is important."

[veepofchess]

He noticed Suzaku's reaction to his rebuttal, but that just went on the list of things to drag out of him later. "Relationships can be complicated while people are still important to each other," Lelouch told him. He reached out and patted the child on the shoulder. "Don't worry about us. We'll be fine." He put a smile on that Suzaku would read for every ounce of the fake it was, but it should do the trick for Diarmuid.

[smallspot]

Diarmuid might not be able to tell exactly that the smile is fake, but he can sure tell it's not completely 'right' either. The boy frowns for a moment before stomping his foot slightly, "Be friends!" The words are stubborn, but also frustrated. It's that reminder again of what it is like when the man who says he is his father but isn't is there, upsetting everyone and how there is nothing he can do to fix how upset people are then either.

"I want to learn some more. Someone come teach me something," the boy looks at both Lelouch and Suzaku before walking back over to where he had been practicing and waiting for someone to follow. Learning and practicing what he has learned makes Diarmuid happy so maybe it will make them happy too where talking hasn't.

[swordofzero]

Suzaku gave a pointed glare at Lelouch, understanding that Diarmuid was upset and angry that he had made him so, again. He followed the young boy, "Do you want to try that counter again?"

[veepofchess]

"Wait a minute," he told Dia before he got too far from him. He leaned down, his mouth on the opposite side of Dia from Suzaku as he quietly told him one of Suzaku's few tells for what he was going to do.

Sure, he'd noticed them both in person and in a Knightmare, but that doesn't mean he could do anything about them when he was tons of white metal hurtling toward him at breakneck speeds. He released Dia with an encouraging pat on the shoulder, and a slight smirk on his face.

[smallspot]

Diarmuid listens as Lelouch whispers in his ear, but gives the man a confused look once he moves away, "Isn't that cheating if I do that? Knights don't cheat! They win with their own skills and determination!"

Forgive him. He doesn't seem to understand quite yet the importance of being able to read one's enemies during battle.

"The counter will be good, Suzaku!" Diarmuid gives Lelouch another odd look before preparing to practice the counter again. "Whenever you are ready!"

[swordofzero]

Suzaku stood patiently, wondering what Lelouch was telling him. When Diarmuid called ready he stepped towards him, attacking once more for Diarmuid to block.

[veepofchess]

Lelouch shook his head. "Learning to read your opponent is your best skill for survival in a battle against an even or even greater adversary than yourself. It's a general, and a knight's best tool. No honor is lost by using your eyes to their utmost," he told Dia. While he probably wouldn't know specifically, by now he should be able to guess the context of the secret Lelouch had told the child.

[smallspot]

Before responding to Lelouch's words, Diarmuid focuses on blocking Suzaku's attack. He knows better than to split his attention from his teacher. People get hurt that way. Once he finishes with the move, he turns to the other man, "That sounds right, but I can't train my eyes if you tell me all his secrets! I have to watch him move and learn myself!"

The boy turns to Suzaku for confirmation of his words, "Right? I won't learn how to watch people if I am told everything, will I?"

[swordofzero]

Suzaku nodded at the block and Diarmuid's words, "Yes it is important to watch for yourself. But if you are told one thing you can look for others. It is as if you were on a journey and Lelouch gave you a map. You still need to find your way but it is better than walking in circles."