☘ 011; [action; dated to 7/7]

[riastrad_ridire]

[ooc: sorry for the spam, but kattu took a hiatus and i figured might as well get this up 8|a]

[introspection]
[Lancer had kept to himself since the incident on the fourth; though he had initially been sure his own language would be the last thing he'd forget, the former Servant was apparently mistaken. Which put a fatal flaw in the 'recorded memories written in Irish Gaelic' plan. Troublesome though it was, he'd spent his time making another copy that would hopefully be readable should his memories decide to fail him completely.]

[If Lancer was asked whether or not the near loss of everything that made him the knight and Servant that he was, he would have said no. And it would not, in fact, have been a lie. Fear was something completely foreign to Lancer, and even the risk of losing all that he knew didn't change that.]

[Quite the opposite, what he felt was annoyance and irritation. How dare Mayfield try to make him forget his name, his beloved homeland of Ulster, his wife, son, and brother--?!]

[But no, he wouldn't be angry. He wouldn't give Mayfield or whoever controlled it the satisfaction. Lancer was not someone who often allowed anger to rule over him; he knew what kind of stupid things he did when that happened.

[A; action; morning; outside/near 311 Miller Street]

[He'd risk running into Archer if it meant finding out what had happened to Rin since the fourth. Honestly, Lancer had expected to hear her shouting and complaining to him and the rest of the town over the phone--it was starting to concern him that things had been silent on her end.]

[The possibility had been in the back of his mind, sure, but he didn't honestly believe that she could have fallen completely. She was too tough and too stubborn for that...but then again, so was Bazett. Still he pushed the idea back, denying that it was even remotely possible.]

[Lancer had denied the idea up until the moment he saw Rin walk past him and inside her house. Wearing the wrong clothes. Smiling in a way that would never have looked right on Rin Tohsaka's face.]

[This was someone who had never felt fear in even one moment of his life, and here he was staring in near-horrified shock at the house which the blankly smiling girl had just walked into.]

[She couldn't--not like Bazett. He couldn't have failed another Master--!]

[B; action; afternoon; park]

[Whack. Whack. Whack.]

[Repeatedly his fists met the tree in front of him, each time hard enough to send a sharp pain from hand to shoulder--worthless, pathetic human body. If I was a Servant, I could have done something. I could have stopped this.]

['Could have'. Lancer hated that phrase, and silently cursed himself for thinking that. There was nothing that could be done about it now, so wondering about 'what could have happened' or 'what if something had been done differently' was useless. He'd thought as much for his whole life. Regret was a waste of time, he reminded himself as the repeated strikes to the tree caused blood to start slowly dripping to the ground.]

[I'm human. Whack. I didn't stop this. Whack. If she doesn't come back, as her Servant I'll take responsibility for it. Whack.]

[This is my fault and I will live with that.]

[CRACK.]

[Lancer froze at that, an electric pain shooting through his hand and arm. Slowly he drew his left hand back--cut open and seemingly broken.]

...tch. [He scowled, the only visible reaction to having broken one hand and damaged both to the point of bloodshed.] That's all it takes? ...too damn fragile.

[C; action; evening; Olney's Tavern]

[That same night would find Lancer behind the bar as always--though tonight was slightly different. Both his hands were bandaged, a splint on the first two fingers of his left. A lit cigarette hung out of his mouth, his third that hour.]

[He didn't speak much, a strange thing considering how difficult it usually was to get Lancer to shut up. Instead he spent most of his free time leaning on the wall behind the bar, arms crossed and a barely-hidden look of irritation on his face.]

Comments

A

[fatesjanitor.livejournal.com]

[...Man and he was just getting ready to have a good day at work too.]

What do you want?

[riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com]

...nothing. [He scowled, turning his back on Archer without a second thought. As if to say he either didn't consider Archer a threat or simply didn't care.]

[Lancer hesitated for a second instead of simply walking away as he should have--if this happened to Rin then there was a chance Connla could have ended up the same way. Could he really just walk away without confirming that one way or the other?]

[fatesjanitor.livejournal.com]

...If you have something to say, then hurry up and say it.

[riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com]

[He glanced over his shoulder, shrugging as if it was nothing. Archer wasn't stupid, he knew that much.]

Is that other kid you're living with still okay?

[So eventually he'd figure out why Lancer made a point of asking things like this. Assuming he hadn't worked it out already.]

C

[chest-forest.livejournal.com]

[Varric wasn't one to pry, bu when a co-worker suddenly came in with bandaged hands and happened to be chain smoking then it may possibly be a concern to him.]

Sure looks like you took a beating. Maybe problems a shrewd dwarf merchant can help you take care of?

[riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com]

What, you think I lost a fight?

[For whatever reason, Lancer laughed at that--though it sounded more sarcastic than anything else.]

Not a chance.

[chest-forest.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't go that far, it looks more like someone might have focused on your hands on purpose. Or maybe an accident.

Either way it looks like you're not going to be too eager to be pouring drinks tonight.

B

[fated_blade]

[She still felt like she was in a daze...her head rung in a strange way, but perhaps some fresh air would--]

O-oh...Lancer.

Re: B

[riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com]

[His hand twitched, sending another sudden shock of pain through broken fingers. Huh. Might have to do something about that.]

[That voice was familiar, distracting him from the ache in both hands at the moment.]

I'm really not in the mood for-...

...did you just call me Lancer?

[fated_blade]

...yes...I did.

[Scratching her head]

I apologize for...a few days ago. I am not sure what came over me.

B

[lunawolves10th.livejournal.com]

It would appear you have injured yourself, brother.

[Booms a very familiar voice, and the armored marine approaches Lancer somewhat gingerly, unsure of his mood.]

What troubles you?

[riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com]

...

[Shit. Shit, he didn't know and Lancer would have to be the one to tell him. This just kept getting better.]

...It looks like my Master hasn't snapped out of the most recent shit Mayfield's decided to pull on us.

[lunawolves10th.livejournal.com]

[ Garviel turns on the tree. He punches it too. The tree does not survive the encounter, shattering asunder and falling slowly from the force of the armor-enhanced Astartes. ]

Terra!

Is there no mercy, no respite here? She was everything to me, my oathsworn partner. And now she's... so far away. And neither of us can save her.

[ His chest heaves one, and then the anger seems to slip away. ]

You know, she'd be yelling at us, acting like this. Anger and sulking is uneccesary flab on the mind, she'd say. We need to think of.... something. How to break this town and bring her back. We must.

B;

[partytoastess.livejournal.com]

[ Someone is a bit startled at the sight of Lancer bloodying his hands. Nena's immediate reaction is to freak out ]

B-bro....W-what's wrong?!

[ She seems to be lingering in a place between horrified and despaired. She'll just look at his hands and then cringe before her face turns from devastated to furious - though if any talk with Lancer previously indicated, Nena would never be angry at him, or wrathful to this extent. ]

[riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com]

...Rin's droned. She was acting weird on the fourth, but I thought she'd have snapped out of it by now.

[His voice was surprisingly calm for someone that'd just broken two fingers punching something.]

Why are you looking at me like that?

[partytoastess.livejournal.com]

Rin will be back. She can't leave because she promised to be my friend forever!!

[ And now, Lancer, you get to see just how terrifying Nena is. Her face quickly turns into one of the most furious faces that have ever existed. ]

I am going to find Lucy Smith and tear that bitch's throat out for troubling you! Whoever is responsible for this droning is going to die!

B

[forgottenshiki.livejournal.com]

[SHIKI was lying under the shade of another nearby tree, combing through his thoughts.

Ever since that event a few days ago, he's been paranoid about his state of mind. He couldn't even stand staying in the house, with all those signs of a drone life scattered around. Whack. Hr was relieved he picked the right state of mind back then, as unclear as it was. Whack. He actually did recover that day, not fall deeper into madness. But if Mayfield could do that, what could he do to preserve his state of mind? There was still- Whack

Okay, he couldn't stand that racket anymore. He didn't notice Lancer's hand breaking.]

Will you cut that out?

oh god how'd i miss this asdfg so sorry

[riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com]

Why don't you come over here and make me instead of complaining about it?

[He snapped without thinking, a little distracted by how much a couple broken fingers like this hurt. No wonder Uathach had been so upset about it back then.]

ffff, I thought I was too late or something

[forgottenshiki.livejournal.com]

Haah, do I really have to?

[lazily getting up and walking over there since you asked nicely.]

C

[maguskiller.livejournal.com]

[Kiritsugu's smoking in one of the seats in the corner as well. It's the first time he visits the bar, even if it isn't for the purpose of drinking, so the fact that Lancer works here is news to him. He's not surprised by the wounds though, already being aware of just how much power one can lose upon entering Mayfield. He is, however, interested.]

[riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com]

...Yo.

[Lancer sighed when he noticed Kiritsugu there, exhaling a thin cloud of smoke as he did.]

Something I can get for you...Kiritsugu, was it?

[maguskiller.livejournal.com]

I'm fine for now.

I didn't know you worked here.

[Oh, yes, he wants to ask about the hand, but he doesn't want to look that suspicious. Besides, any information he gets is information he can use to ascertain a heroic spirit's identity.]

[ Action - The Park ]

[inababanchou.livejournal.com]

[ Souji is out in sweats jogging in this sweltering heat. He comes to Lancer and is about to wave or say something, but he stops when he realizes Lancer is pounding a tree. And then the sharp crack. It wasn't a branch or the trunk, but Lancer's hand. ]

...

Hey there, Lancer.

[riastrad-ridire.livejournal.com]

...Yo.

[Awfully calm for someone that just broke two fingers. Whoops.]

[inababanchou.livejournal.com]

...

[ Souji fishes out a handkerchief from his pocket. He offers it to Lancer. ]