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

[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."

[veepofchess]

Lelouch smirked a bit at the conversation. "That is correct. Even if you know it's coming, you need the power and skill to address it. I'm no warrior, I don't have the strength or speed to address what's coming at me. So I keep it from coming toward me at all," he glanced slightly over to Suzaku as he made that last point, but then back to Dia.

[smallspot]

"That is why knights and lords work together so well! They cover for each others weaknesses," Diarmuid rocks on his feet excitedly. "Suzaku is a good knight! If you are a good lord like you say, no one can beat you!"

The boy pauses a moment, remembering their earlier 'fight,' As he does, a wisdom beyond his years suddenly fills his eyes, "You can only beat yourselves."

[swordofzero]

Suzaku blinked and after a long moment nodded. Sometimes Diarmuid seemed a lot older than he was. He nodded. "Indeed, we are always stronger together."

[veepofchess]

Lelouch also looked taken a bit by surprise by the statement the kid made. He wondered where Suzaku found this kid, but nodded. "That is very true." He smirked. "You'll make quite the knight yourself, one day."

[smallspot]

"I will! I will be the best!" Diarmuid smiles confidently, "Father says as long as I try hard and never give up I can be anything I want to be. I want to be the best knight because they I can help everyone who needs it. Won't that be wonderful? No one will have to be sad then!"

[swordofzero]

"I believe you, you shall be the greatest knight." Suzaku nodded at him, not wishing the destroy his dreams, but also not wishing to tell him lies.

[veepofchess]

Lelouch nodded. He wasn't interested in disillusioning any children today. "Loyalty and strength of character are most important things for a knight, even beyond skill and strength of body. A man that will follow me into the depths of hell is more valuable than a strong sword that forsakes me when I need it most."

[smallspot]

The sad part is, even if they tried they probably would not be able to disillusion him. He believes too strongly right now.

"Loyalty! Honor! They are the two most important things to being a good knight! It doesn't matter how skilled I am if I don't do what my lord asks me to. If there isn't good purpose behind your actions, you are just serving yourself and that is wrong!"

If only the world was so simple...

[swordofzero]

If only it was. Suzaku reached out to ruffle his hair. "Exactly, they are both things that you must hold onto even more dearly than your life."

[veepofchess]

Somehow, Lelouch didn't make any outward reaction Suzaku's display of hypocrisy. Were he more unkind, he might have laughed.

"I think I have distracted you both long enough," he finally said. "I'll take my leave so that you can continue your training."

[smallspot]

"Do you really have to go already?" Diarmuid turns wide and somewhat sad eyes on Lelouch. "We just met! I wanted to talk more and learn more from you before you left. It's okay if you really have to go, but..."

He would really like the other man to stay longer if he can.

[swordofzero]

He hadn't said he had succeeded. Suzaku looked at Lelouch, "You are very welcome to stay." Stay in his sight so he could keep an eye on him.

[veepofchess]

"You have more to learn from Suzaku than from myself. Maybe I could tell you about some old battles and generals from my world, sometime," he offered. He waved halfheartedly, and started to walk away.

[smallspot]

"I like stories!" Diarmuid calls out after Lelouch as he walks away. "I hope you will tell me yours someday!" As he finishes speaking, the boy's expression saddens and he looks at Suzaku, worried, "Did I make him mad?"

[swordofzero]

"You didn't." Suzaku reassured him. "Lelouch is... he is just mad at a lot of things." Including Suzaku, "But it was nothing you did."

[smallspot]

"If you are sure..." The boy doesn't seem convinced and his expression doesn't brighten, "Do you know how we can make him happier? I don't like it when people are sad or mad. They should be happy!"

This conversation should seem vaguely familiar to Suzaku. After all, at Suzaku's birthday celebration earlier in the month, Diarmuid's insistence on making Suzaku smile had made things a little awkward. Apparently, that incident hasn't changed the boy's attitude.

[swordofzero]

"I think he just needs time." It did seem similar, and Suzaku didn't want to upset Diarmuid again. "Lelouch likes understanding everything, so he wants to find everything he can out about this place."

[smallspot]

"Will he be happier if he figures stuff out?" Diarmuid gives Suzaku a hopeful look. "Some people are like that. Druid Roc is like that. He doesn't like not understanding things. Do you know if Lord Lelouch has talked to any of the people who lived here? Like Lord Devin or Lady Irene? They know a lot of things and are very nice. I am sure they will explain things if he asks!"

[swordofzero]

"Yes, he will be." Suzaku told him, "When he has a plan on how to get out of here he will not be so angry."

He shook his head, "I do not think he would trust them."