folklorist | ϡ - Chapter FortyFour; The wall has been broken [action|voice]

[None of them have any wings, no.

And one such individual takes this as a cause for some concern.

The memories are hazy - places change in a year, if only subtly - but, all the same, Giles nevertheless slowly goes about picking out all the old, familiar places, with all of their old, familiar memories.

He's torn between dearly hoping and desperately afraid of running into any familiar faces. But sometimes, some things just have to happen. He finds himself lingering outside the tea shop for just a minute too long, and then Helios comes out.

Giles stares for a second, his mind working frantically, the shock and uncertainty plain on his face...before he hastily turns away, and hopes that he hasn't been recognized.]

[ Oh Helios knows how old and natural Luceti can get. How it just seems inescapable to get out of one's memories. He never really thought about meeting Giles here, through the throngs of people here. He honestly didn't know if he wanted to, because these people have no wings and that certainly meant one definitive thing. They were probably not going to stay, and the knowledge that they might not hurt more then anything in the world.

Some people coming and leaving just seemed too painful to re-encounter after all this time. It's these thoughts that he kept to himself and busily petted Maggir absentmindedly as he came out of the tea shop. And then in that instant his heart sank to around about his knees, but the shock of seeing the other man, whom he considered his own brother, over took that feeling of anxiety and apprehension. It wasn't a dream. It was most certainly not a dream at all and this was actually real. Giles was actually right there in front of him.

The fear and apprehension was...transformed into joy and elation as his eyes widened and Luminair let out a happy little chirp. Before he could really stop himself the name came tumbling out of his mouth. ] Giles.

[...Giles stops.

Well, damn it. What kind of a monster would be he to walk away when Helios sounds so, so happy? He can't. He just can't. It might be better for them both, less painful, if he did, but...

...damn it, it's not like he's even had time to miss Helios, but Giles suddenly does, very, very much.

He turns back at Helios, and he smiles. He lets himself be genuinely happy for just a minute.] Helios. It's...good lord. It's...

[Wonderful to see you again. Amazing. I missed you. I'm sorry.

But all Giles, still smiling as he lets himself just be happy, can muster in the end is:]

...hello.

[He'd hug you, bro, but...you seem to have your arms full. And he's afraid the dream might pop like a soap bubble if he does.]

It's been a l-long time. [ He'll gently put Maggir on the ground for just a few minutes. And then he'll walk over and give the other man a very much needed hug, because gods it has been a long time. A year was a very long time and the only other time it's felt this way is when Elise passed away. ]

I-I've missed you. We all have.

[ The two baby dragons let out concerned little chirps. They almost sound as sad as the two of them probably are trying to conceal. ]

[Needless to say, Giles returns the hug immediately and fiercely.

A year was a very long time, and he's never appreciated that fact more than now. But, at the least, no matter what's going to happen...he is really here. He's really...alive again. The hug confirms that.

And it's a glorious, heady feeling, made all the moreso by its almost certainly temporary nature.]

...I missed you. Everyone. It's...wonderful to see you again.
He knew it was going to happen, except...he'd just started to maybe, possibly believe that it might not.]

[ Helios just...laughs and shakes his head as he pulls away from the other man. Goodness is has been a really long time since he has gotten to do that. Helios' eyes might even be a bit misty as he looks down at the two baby dragons in tow. Maggir and Luminair will come up to Giles and nudge his legs. ] I-I think they want to meet you. Never g-got the chance before and all.

[ His tone is sad and bittersweet as well. ]

[Giles looks down, startled, at the feeling of pressure against his legs, and...

...he blinks, just staring for a second. Because, yes. Those really do seem to be very small dragons.

Helios, what have you been getting up to in his absence?

Giles kneels down and, for lack of anything else to do, holds out a hand for the dragons to sniff if they want. He doesn't look up at Helios' face, but he thinks he can guess it just by the tone of his voice.] ...never had the chance.

[Then, in a genuine attempt to cheer Helios up a bit:] They have now.

[ Oh you know. Typical Helios things. Do raising two baby dragons seem all that odd coming from him? He smiles fondly as he watches, the dragons interest in Giles is genuine and it's perhaps because of seeing Helios and Giles' interactions thus far that the sniff and chirp happily back at the Ex-Watcher. ]

They, ah, like you. Though I-I'm not at all surprised by it. [ A small fleeting smile touches his lips ever so briefly. ] Oh! Um. We-we can go back to the h-house if, if you'd like? I-I can make some tea and there's always plenty of sweets, as you very well know. [ He laughs lightly. ]

Only if...you'd like to though.

[...for his first time seeing dragons up close that aren't trying to burn the town down, Giles finds himself with really only one immediate thought.

They're absolutely adorable.

Maybe it's true that pets can take after their owners. And Giles laughs lightly at the dragon's friendly response.] I'm, um, happy I meet with their approval.

[...the house. Giles frowns anxiously at the thought of going back to the house. He doesn't, not really, and yet the sight of the dragons brings something else to mind. Someone else he'd forgotten.]

That, um...that sounds wonderful, Helios.

[...] But, um, after that...can we go out to the boat?

[ Helios will laugh and shake his head as Luminair and Maggir continue their close observation. He'll manage to scoop up Maggir, with some slight protest, and then Luminair will also retreat up his offered arm. ] They're not entirely too picky on who they choose. I-I suppose that's one good thing about their dispositions. [ They take after Helios far too much though, especially when it comes to sweets. ]

I-I thought you might like to see it again.

[ And Ginia...she-she isn't but his voice catches in his throat when he tries to form those words. Ginia leaving was just the last stone to be cast towards all of this. The fact she left only two months after Giles did, really didn't help. ] We can go see the boat whenever you like Giles. It's...not in the water at the present m-moment. I've been, ah, tending to it though. I even read all those nautical books you had around when we first made it.

[ He laughs lightly. ]

[And so does Giles - he gathered pretty much all his knowledge about boats and boating and building the thing from the books in the library.

So he's glad that all his cobbled together information proved useful after he was gone.] Boats, um, don't need to be in the water all the time, Helios.

They just...need to be there, when you need them.

[True of a lot of things, really.

Giles picks up Maggir and holds him out to Helios to take. Then he picks up Luminair and, if it's cool with the little dragon, Giles will hold on to him for a bit.

What? He's never really seen a dragon up close before. It's pretty amazing, especially when said dragon is so well behaved.

And then Giles turns, and looks off in the direction he remembers home being. He's heard a bit about everything that's changed, from Adele, from Saori.

...he still wants to see it again, though.]

Um...shall we?

Oh I-I know that. I-I've just...been using it. Not-not for anything bad. And-and I've been careful in doing so. I...I'm trying to get it to fly. [ He sounds and looks sheepish as he watches Giles pick up Luminair who is totally content to sit on Giles' shoulders.

Helios blinks and startles slight. ] But it's...there when I need it. And that's all that matters.

[ For a lot of things this is the case. And for now this is the case for Giles' presence as well. He gives the other a genuine happy smile before he turns towards the way of the house. ]

...fly?

[That...is quite a possibility to imagine. Quite an amazing and wonderful possibility.]

You'll have to tell me what you've tried so far. Um, perhaps I can offer a...well, a fresh perspective.

[And, needless to say, Giles will do his best to keep discussions of the possibility of getting the much loved Maya Alycone Volturnus in the air all the way back to the house. Really, to him, the distance suddenly doesn't seem like enough.]

Fly, yes.

[ Helios walks side by side with the other man. This felt so familiar and homey to him. It's nice to be able to spend time like this with the other man. He just wishes it could last a bit longer, and he doesn't want to dwell on the prospect that it can't. So he'll continue the discussion at hand, brushing away the other thoughts for now. ] Gravity spells, wind spells, even levitation spells. It's keeping it afloat for prolonged periods of time that's the trouble. I-I mean using that much magic is hard enough as is, but using it for prolonged periods of time is, ah, even harder. I-I figure if I make some sort of enchanted battery or-or engine that might work...

We had to get help to, to even get the boat as far as the ocean to start with.

No one would expect you to levitate it on your own, Helios, especially not for prolonged periods of time. [There's a slightly chastising note in his voice. Even if Helios managed it, it would likely be incredibly dangerous and straining for Helios - and Giles has already seen him die once due to being overpowered, thanks.]

A proper engine might work. But, um, then th-there would be the problem of keeping it charged...

...what about Kipinn? Have, h-have you tried drawing power there? Or from any of the other spirits? At least within the bounds of the enclosure, he, he s-seems to have a fairly limitless amount of power, even if humans can't utilize it for very much. At least that way, it need not be all your power.

Edited 2013-01-27 17:08 (UTC)

I-I know. And there's a good amount of p-people willing to, ah, h-help me with this endeavor. I'm...just trying to work out all the kinks and such.

[ He pauses to think on that a soft hum coming from him as he does so. ] It might be better to do it that way. So anyone can use it or-or drive it I should say.

A, um, a-a boat does need a crew, I suppose. Even a small one

[And the entire crew should be able to pilot it, just in case.

Giles hates thinking on "just in case", but that doesn't mean he can stop.]

Give it a try, if you can. Kipinn has, um, has always been friendly enough. Even to me.

[And there are few people less adept ar magic while actually still being able to use it than Giles.

When he looks back toward the path ahead, it's to find that the environment has become just a bit more subtly familiar- the places the trees are growing, the way the path curves. And, just around the bend, a familiar rooftop, and a glimpse of a shed in the backyard.

Home, drawing them both inexorably one last time.]

I, ah...I've m-met one of your new housemates.

It certainly does need one, even if the boat itself is s-small. [ He sounds terribly sad when he says that. A pang going right through his chest as he does so. The sudden appearance of the house just beyond the edge of the trees makes his heart ache even more. It's been an entire year since he's done this and everything feels quite honestly the same. It's almost as if Giles has never left. He looks back at the blinking in surprise as his thoughts are shaken back to the present. ]

O-Oh. Really? Saori...or-or Sabriel perhaps? [ He is unsure which one you speak of, having four housemates is...strange to say the least. ] I think you knew Adele if only a little.

Saori. [Having four housemates is awesome, Helios. It means three people to keep an eye on you and stop you from doing yourself injury. And it's three people you can't hide from when you're hurt.] Very sweet woman. She, um...sh-she spoke very highly of you.

[So they pretty immediately had something in common. Giles had actually taken to Saori quite well, even if suddenly getting recognized by her out of the blue had been more than a bit strange.]

She's a goddess, you know? [ He smiles and his face turns a bit red at hearing that. Saori speaking highly of him...it never really made sense in his mind, especially after everything he's put her through. ]

She-she did? Ah, well, what did you two talk about? If-if you don't mind my asking?

She was, um, good enough to m-mention that, yes. [And Giles smiles as well - he doesn't look over at Helios, so as hopefully not to embarrass him further, but he doesn't think he has to.

He's gone through a lot for Helios, too. It's not the same as being "put through" anything by him, and Saori had seemed to understand that, a fact that Giles was grateful for.] And she was certainly friendlier than the last goddess I had cause to meet.

[And who Giles is intensely grateful he hasn't met again today.]

Oh, um, nothing very much. Just how you were, how the house was faring, who else was living there now.

...the, um, the fact that you've made good use of the shed.

Ah. I-I didn't find out for awhile. [ He laughs. But he is a derp so, you know, this is normal for him. ] She is. She's...very nice and-and very kind as well.

[ He can't help the smile in his voice as she says those words. Ever so true and ever so genuine as he speaks about the goddess. ] Ah. Y-Yes the shed. I've-I've been using it a lot more now! So many ideas to put down on paper you know? You can never have too many ideas to try out.

[At this, Giles does give Helios a thoughtful sideways glance. Bro, if he didn't know you any better, he might think you were in love.

...he hopes he doesn't know you any better, though. Just this once. It would be nice.]

Perhaps we can, um, t-take a look. Before we go.

[Giles nods, somewhat solemnly, at the front door.]

...after you.

[This is a momentous occasion.]

[ Not is love, no, just very thankful and grateful to know so many wonderful people here. He honestly doesn't know how he keeps ending up with people like Saori or Giles. ]

Oh! Right of course. [ He'll undo the locks and then open the door stepping to the side to hold it open for Giles to step through. Somethings might be a bit different now. Mainly furniture and decor, but the house is still the same in how it feels and all the memories kept within it. ]

Welcome home Giles.

[Because he deserves them, that's why. He's long overdue to have some wonderful people in his life.

Even if Giles isn't a particularly good person, he tries. He'll always try, for Helios' sake. Because Giles has also been fortunate to meet a great many wonderful people in Luceti, even if he doesn't think he deserved them.

Really, Giles liked her a lot, even from their short conversation. He's glad she's in Helios' life, even if he isn't. In a way, especially because he isn't. A shame they won't have more time to talk. But...that's a thought for later. Or never, in Giles' case, if he can help it.

Because then Helios opens the door, and Giles follows him inside. And yes, the furniture and the decor is different. But it's the same house, and not everything is different, and for a moment, Giles just...stands in the living room, and looks around, and smiles, looking peaceful and content.]

...it's nice to be home.

[Because this world, this house, is his home. He went from having nothing and no place to having so many wonderful people here, and a house of his own with his friends.

Luceti would have been his ideal heaven.

A small ginger blur proceeds to come shooting out from under the sofa and collides heavily with Giles' legs, meowing all the while.]

ϡ - Chapter FortyFour; The wall has been broken [action|voice]

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