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

[beforetights]

Well, I learn things fast when I want to.

[And yet another hug for his friend.]

And you're a really good teacher so I always want to learn things from you.

[smallspot]

I always want to teach you! Good students make teaching fun!

[Diarmuid sets his sword again.]

Lets try with no falling down this time!

[beforetights]

Which move do we try first? The one I taught you or the one you taught me?

[smallspot]

Lets do the one I taught you first and then the one you taught me! I think they will work together well like that!

[He gives his friend an excited look.]

Don't you think so? They will flow together good!

[beforetights]

Oh yes, they would! It would be this perfect set!

[He bounces up and down in excitement.]

[smallspot]

[Diarmuid reaches out and puts a hand on his friend's shoulder to calm him down.]

Two moves together is harder than one. You have to focus. Okay? Are you ready to try?

[beforetights]

And you focus too! Neither of us should fall!

[He takes a deep breath.]

I'm ready!

[smallspot]

Right! I will focus too! Be ready to start on three!

[Diarmuid takes a moment to make sure they are both ready and then starts counting.]

One. Two. Three!

[beforetights]

[He does the moves, trying the best to focus. The first move is done alright, but when it comes time to make the slashes, he still has momentum left over from the spinning, so his slashes go a little too wide.]

[smallspot]

[Slashes going wide are allowed since their goal was not falling over this time. In fact, to keep from falling over, Diarmuid actually has to hop a couple of steps before starting the slashes. It's probably a good thing, though, otherwise he might have been hit by his friend's wide swings.

However, he does finish both moves and without falling. That is why he is grinning so widely when he turns to Cu Chulainn.]

I did it! I didn't fall!

[beforetights]

I didn't either!

[He throws up his arms in joy.]

Hooray! We're experienced now!

[smallspot]

We are! And we can practice more and more to become even more experienced!

[Diarmuid joins his friend in throwing up his arms excitedly.]

I wonder... What do you think it would be like to do the moves in the opposite order now. Want to try?

[beforetights]

Of course. Now it's my turn to count.

[He gets into position.]

One two three go!

[smallspot]

[Diarmuid is really focused so he doesn't echo is friend's 'go' like he usually does. Instead, he executes the slashing sword move and moves onto the spin kick. He pauses for a second, not sure how to work in the sword swing with the kick because his arms aren't quite where he is used to them being, but he quickly figures something out and keeps going.

Hopefully, his friend is doing okay too.]

[beforetights]

[Cu Chulainn isn't quite so lucky. While the first set of moves go by with no problem, he can't land quite correctly at the end of the spin kick, so he goes in two circles and then falls on his butt.]

Oof!

[smallspot]

[Diarmuid is just finishing a wobbly landing on his own spin kick when he hears his friend fall.]

Eep! Are you okay? It looks like the other order is the better one, isn't it?

[beforetights]

[He nods, rubbing at his butt.]

It doesn't make me so dizzy.

[smallspot]

Someday we will learn how not to be dizzy! Then we can do the moves in any order we want to.

[Diarmuid reaches out to help his friend up.]

I think we have practiced enough for today. Or do you want to keep trying?

[beforetights]

I wanna take a rest and then practice again.

[He goes over to the dolls and lies down, using his pig doll as a pillow.]

Do you think we should get rewards for doing so good today?

[smallspot]

We should!

[Diarmuid joins his friend sitting on the ground near his toys. He picks up the adult swan that represents his father and gives it a hug. As he does, his butterfly--who had been perching on it--flutters into the air and flies over to land on Cu Chulainn's nose.]

We would have to reward ourselves or each other. There aren't any adults to do it. How should we reward each other?

[beforetights]

Well, I wanna eat candy, but...

[These days, he's been getting occasional problems with his stomach.]

I don't wanna go back to our rooms...

[He takes a moment to think of a suggestion.]

How about we sing for each other again?

[smallspot]

We can do that! We shouldn't eat candy all the time. If we do, we will run out of new kinds to try too quick!

[Diarmuid nods happily.]

Singing is a good reward! Do you want to start or should I?

[beforetights]

I'll start. You did better than me, so you should get the reward first.

[He clears his throat and starts singing the counting song Diarmuid taught to him.]

[smallspot]

[Diarmuid hums happily along with the song as his friend sings. Once the other boy is done, he claps.]

You must like that song! I am glad you like it! Is there a specific kind of song I should sing for you? It's your reward!

[beforetights]

A really funny one! Sing me a silly one, okay?